Bronfenbrenner Counseling Profession

Counselors should not be imposing their value or beliefs on their clients. Likewise, Lichtenberg, Goodyear, Hutman, and Overland (2016) demonstrate that counseling pays particular attention to people’s strengths and diversity (p. 222). The AMHCA Code of Ethics (2015) emphasizes the counselor-client relationship through respecting the client. The history of counseling takes into consideration not only credentials and training needed to be a counselor but also reaching out to the

This paper is about counselors who choose to work with veterans or those who suffer from PTSD. The topics that will be discussed are the specific job descriptions, the salary one could look to receive, the certification requirements, and the future of this ever growing field.

The profession of counseling has a rich and bold history, evolving through the years from varied disciplines and birthing diverse specialties and branches along the way. Often referred to as the youngest of the counseling specialties is clinical mental health counseling. Despite physical health’s grasp on the nation, mental health has been a major focus at various times throughout history and continues to become an ever growing concern for people in general. As people come to better understand mental health issues and the demand for services grows, it is important to look at how clinical mental health counseling, and the counseling profession in general, has developed over time and how it has advanced to meet the needs of those seeking services.

Since the Post 9/11 Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended, there has been a plethora of veterans, returning back home to the United States. Out of the thousands of veterans who were exposed to combat during their deployment, many of these soldiers experienced Acute Stress Disorder, which later turned into (PTSD) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, after one month of their condition not being treated (Yehuda & Wong, 2000). What makes matters worse is that many of these veterans, who endured PTSD, fail to receive treatment for their disorder, which later led to other detrimental issues, including other psychological disorders, child abuse, divorce, substance abuse, suicide and job loss. In fact a study

In March 2010, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") released a sobering statistic: every eighty minutes, a military veteran commits suicide” (Mccarl and Lindsay 395). As one can see, this is a major problem in our society. Most of these suicides are from veterans with mental disorders, such as PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder). Disorders such as this cause suicide, and are not always caught by professionals and/or families, and can even affect children of the victim in particular. There have been many solutions that have been proposed in the past but none of them tend to lower the percentage dramatically of veteran suicides in the United States. A solution that could now solve the problem would be a year of free counseling for a veteran after his/her tour. These statistics need to be addressed before it gets too out of hand.

Many service members said they do not seek treatment for psychological illnesses because they fear it will harm their careers. Thus as a society we should strive to empower veterans to get help. Empowerment could play an important role in bringing together veterans who might be feeling isolated because of mental health issues. By empowering soldiers about dealing with these problems faced by some veterans upon returning home, it is hoped that soldiers will feel more comfortable about seeking help and receive the necessary support for

According to (Rosenheck and Fontana) "Recent trends in VA treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental disorders” Claim that treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among returning Iraq/Afghanistan veterans is a high priority for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The number of Persian Gulf–era veterans diagnosed with PTSD grew by 8,000 veterans per year from 2003 to 2005. Since 1997, however, the median annual increment in all users of VA specialty mental health services has averaged 37,000 veterans per year, including 22,000 per year with PTSD (14). This expansion was associated with a 37 percent reduction in mental health visits per year. The VA has substantially increased financial support for PTSD

The United States has the most inclusive program with roots that can be traced back to 1636, that assist all veterans of all nations throughout the world. This program is known as the Department of Veterans Affair and is a federal cabinet-level agency that delivers healthcare services to qualified military veterans at VA medical centers and outpatient clinics throughout the country (Rose, Bisson, Churchill, & Wessely, 2002). This type of service and assistance can be crucial to veterans suffering not only from physical disorders, but also from mental disorders brought on by the traumatic events experienced through active duty. Mental health disorders in veterans can be more difficult to diagnose and treat than physical disorders, because their

The United States of America has a crisis existing within its population of returning veterans. More and more, we see veterans of the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and the war on Terror, return with not only debilitating physical wounds, but longer lasting psychological wounds of war. Furthermore, there’s a stigma with mental health in the country which dictates; if you seek help for mental health issues, you’re weak. This isn’t only a problem amongst returning veterans, but all citizens. The returning warrior shouldn’t have to go speak with someone about their feelings. This is a common utterance heard when veterans return. The epidemic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) amongst returning veterans, combined with the stigma of weakness and worthlessness for seeking help, is creating an almost impossible transition between military and civilian life. Not only are veterans experiencing issues with PTSD and other psychological afflictions having to battle with these afflictions, but they are finding themselves having difficulty finding help along with trying to cope with an otherwise insensitive and naïve population of people; some of whom are completely incapable of understanding, let alone empathy towards any situation besides their own. The review you are about to read serves as research into methods of coping, as well as helpful tactics for the reintegrating veteran.

Under the original GI Bill (Public Law 78-346), about 4.9 million veterans enrolled in vocational and technical training (Field, Helbel, & Smallwood, 2008). According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Bradley (2009) surmised that an estimated 112,000 claims for benefits under the new GI Bill have already been processed, and an estimated 250,000 veterans are expected to receive education benefits in the next two years. Perhaps the greatest need of many returning veterans is assistance in addressing psychological and social problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, or multiple physical injuries (Ford, Northrup, & Wiley, 2009). While, historically, community colleges are charged with serving those outside traditional student populations, it is imperative that institutions of higher education recognize and plan for military and veteran student needs.

My hopes are that by gaining a social work education, I will be able to help address the tensions I have with the literature by working with veterans and their families to remedy said barriers to care. Whether working for a local community mental health organization, or the VHA, I can use the skills I’m learning in my educational program to help rural veterans find the care they so deserve.

Filkins writes, “Less than a week after leaving Iraq, they were with their families. They didn’t get any lectures about the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life, nothing about post-traumatic stress disorder” (Filkins 97). These veterans were left to fend for themselves, with many, Lobello included, resorting to drugs. Government officials were unsympathetic and offered little to no counseling or treatment. Lobello shares a story in which only after an emotional breakdown and police detainment was he given proper psychiatric attention, diagnosing him with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. The fact that it took months for Lobello to receive treatment following his discharge, not to mention that it was only given after he was admitted to a veterans’ clinic and lied on the floor refusing to leave until he was given proper attention, is shocking. This specific anecdote is deliberately shared in “Atonement” to peak readers’ interests and grab their attention. Filkins

Counseling is a relatively young profession when compared to other mental health professions. In my brief personal and professional experience with the field, I have come to define counseling as a process of engagement between two people, both of whom are bound to change through a collaborative process that involves both the therapist and the client in co-constructing solutions to concerns.

As the small group grew larger, I achieved great satisfaction in the effects that it had on the participating soldiers. This confirmed my thoughts that I had found my true calling. The second event that affected my decision was when I returned from my second combat deployment in Bagram, Afghanistan. Upon returning there were hundreds of soldiers who requested to seek mental health treatment for a variety of reasons, including loss of a loved one, night terrors, and suicidal thoughts. Although every soldier that requested mental health treatment was able to meet with a mental health professional, such as a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC), a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), and a licensed professional counselor (LPC), there were still dozens of soldiers that weren’t diagnosed for months because of the lack of clinical psychologists who was required for specific testing. Understanding that there was a need for something that I was passionate about ultimately made me decide to pursue a doctorate because I plan to conduct research during the program and after licensure. A Ph.D. is a research degree that requires conceptual and theoretical knowledge; it is not enough to regurgitate

As the article states, readers could not have imagined America would soon witness the worst terrorist attack in its history, followed by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With such a tragic event such as war, the social work profession will be hugely affected. With the return of veterans a lot of them will be out of a job, so social workers will be presented with more cases in trying to help these veterans obtain some type of stable income. The field of social work will also be affected by how the professionals handle cases with clients that have encountered a traumatic event such as war, and may suffer from PTSD. They will have to have awareness of the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder has increased, especially for those veterans from the