Career And Personal Experience Receiving Therapeutic Counseling

I interviewed Dr. Edward on Friday, September 5th, 2014. The interview took place at Restore Joy Counseling Service in Chesapeake, VA. Initially, I was going to interview Damita Gonzalez but due to a change in her schedule, I interviewed Restore Joy’s owner Dr. Edward. The interview lasted about 34 minutes and 43 seconds, starting at around 10am. The interview was held in an office with two chairs and a computer desk. I asked Dr. Edward approximately 13 questions about the counseling field. It was not until the interview started that I learned Dr. Edward is no longer a practicing counselor.

Both of the selected theories place high importance on the relationship between the counselor and client. Given that research indicates

Often times choosing a career path that is compatible with a persons personality may not be as easy as one might believe it to be. On the other hand, once a person is fortunate to figuer out excaly what career path fit’s their personality, finding the job that best suits there finacial expectations usually becomes less of an mental strain. There are countless careers for all of us to choose from and if you enjoy’s helping those in need you may want to look into becoming a mental health counselor or a clinical social worker. However if you aren’t inerested in being too hands on with individuals in need there are two other careers that one may be interested in, which is Clinical management or Medical and Health management. These four professions are similar but different.

My top five theories are Gestalt, Reality, Person Centered, Existential and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Within these five theories my top five aspects that I would like to incorporate into my own personal model of counseling is as follows: 1.) From Gestalt therapy I would incorporate staying with the feeling and use experiments along with internal dialogue exercises (Corey, 2013). The aspect of getting to the root of unfinished business in regards to impasse is appealing in regards to this theory as well as the idea that it moves the client to a place where they are more confident asking for help (Corey, 2013) 2.) From the Reality Therapy approach I would incorporate the WDEP technique (Corey, 2013). I feel that it is of the most importance to recognize what one wants from his or her life and to be able to verbalize and have an action based, planned path that moves one towards the goal (Corey, 2013). 3.) From the Person Centered Approach I would incorporate genuineness, unconditional positive regard and accurate empathic understanding (Corey, 2013). In regards to the therapeutic process when working with people in crisis I believe this model is most effective (Corey, 2013). 4.) From an Existential Therapy approach I would incorporate the aspect of guiding the client to a place of awareness. I believe being aware of why one is not living their life fully is very important to moving a person toward making choices that will get them to a life that is more authentic to who

Today, the majority of counselors and therapists operate from an integrative standpoint; that is, they are open to “various ways of integrating diverse theories and techniques” (Corey, 2009b, p. 449). In fact, a survey in Psychotherapy Networker (2007) found that over 95% of respondents proclaimed to practice an integrative approach (cited in Corey, 2009b, p. 449). Corey (2009a; 2009b) explains that no one theory is comprehensive enough to attend to all aspects of the human – thought, feeling, and behavior. Therefore, in order to work with clients on all three of these levels, which Corey (2009b) asserts is necessary for the

I believe counseling is a collaborative partnership between client and counselor. Furthermore, this collaborative partnership is built from trust and acceptance of both client and counselor. I hope in conjunction with clients to understand the issues and concerns so to help them tap into their wisdom, creativity, and strengths to meet their current challenges. I believe in a comprehensive perspective through which clients can better comprehend themselves in the framework that our thinking about events can lead to emotional and behavioral upset. Moreover, counselors are to provide a safe environment for clients to explore their challenges and identify ways to move differently in overcoming these challenges.

The spirit of motivational interviewing (MI), which entails collaboration, evocation and autonomy, is the fundamental approach to elicit intrinsic motivations (1, 2). Throughout the video, the therapist appears to have applied the MI spirit in accordance with Miller and Rollnick (2). The therapist firstly created an encouraging atmosphere for change by monitoring and accommodating the client’s aspirations (collaboration). The therapist then evoked the client’s motivation through their perceptions, goals and values (evocation) and also informed about the right for self-direction leading to commitment to change (Autonomy). However, to sustain the MI spirit, a breakdown of the requirements will be discussed below.

Values, Morals, and Beliefs are components that play a role in an individual’s self-identity. The establishment of these components shape human nature, behavior, and the development of an individual’s purpose. The basis of these fundamentals has contributed to my desire to become a counselor. This paper will discuss my views of human nature, factors of behavior changes, goals of therapy, the roles of a therapist, and the counseling approaches that I chose to incorporate in a practice.

Another beneficial theme of the book is values and the helping profession. A therapists’ values are part of who they are and it is difficult to ignore them. A complicated issue counselors have is keeping their values from influencing the client and realizing that their task is to help clients identify their beliefs and apply their values to solving problems (Corey et al., 2010). A good point made in this book was for a therapist and client to clarify their values. This way they both have an understanding of each other’s values and could be able to recognize when value imposition is occurring. If value conflicts are occurring during therapy it would be a good idea to refer the client to someone who can better understand where the client is coming from. If referral is the only way, then perhaps the counselor should explore their values and involvement in therapy.

As a counseling student, it is very important to formulate a counseling theory tailored to ones’ own personality and beliefs. A counselor may choose a single theory to model when practicing therapy or pick and choose components and techniques from various theories, otherwise known as eclecticism. No theory is considered right or wrong. Understanding the different therapeutic approaches are important to effective counseling, however, counselors must also understand their own personal value, view of human nature, human behavior, counseling techniques and the purpose and goals of counseling. Understanding these components along with the different theoretical approaches will provide the counselor with a 9 knowledge of their own counseling, orientation and is essential to not only the productivity of counseling but the growth of the counselor as well.

This is an overview of personal thoughts regarding the views of human nature and goals made therapeutically as a professional counselor. The paper will include a description of my therapeutic process and evaluations of other theories which I believe to share common ground with and other theories I do not agree with. The roles and duties of a counselor will be clarified. The relationship between the counselor and client will be illuminated, regarding what the relationship should consist of. There will be shared insight on what is believed to bring about changes in behavior.

Licensed professional counselors have a unique occupation in that not only do they interact with their clients on a highly personal level, but they also momentarily share their client’s burdens, worries, and concerns. This vicarious aspect of counseling creates the possibility for a counselor to continue sharing the client’s troubles long after the session has ended. According to Norcross and Guy (2007), “The person of the psychotherapist is inextricably intertwined with treatment success” (p. 2) meaning that if we desire more positive outcomes than negative ones we must figuratively become one with our clients. Due to this fact, “self-care is not simply a personal matter but also an ethical necessity, a moral imperative” (p. 6). If we fail to leave work at work at the day’s end, then other facets of our lives are in jeopardy of becoming tainted.

My clients will understand that you have the opinion to be the best you can be and be positive. This theory will promote personal growth and impact relationships of my client by allowing them to explore and utilize their own strengths and personal identity (Capuzzi & Gross, 2011). As a counselor, I will be able to aid this process, transition and provide vital support to their needs. My goals are to guide my client in accomplishing impactful self-understanding and awareness, establish healthier relationships, improve their self-reflection & self-expression and encouragement to love & trust thyself (Capuzzi & Gross,

It is imperative to study counseling theories when beginning field based work. Counseling theories provide a foundation to be able to learn and develop my own techniques. Some ideas that exemplify the significance of counseling theories are; research, application of theories, and case studies.

discussed in chapter seven (Shebib, 2003). Motivation is an important concept when it comes to counselling because it can lead into change for the client. A counsellor is key for inhibiting change in a client, but most importantly the client has to involve their commitment in the change they would like to see. According to Shebib (1993) "Change is stressful because it requires giving up established patterns of behaviour or thinking, and clients will differ in the extent to which they have the skill or energy to take the associated risks" (p.196). Also, there are many problems associated with movitating clients such as: "lazy" clients, clients in denial, involuntary, ambivalent, energized, and burnt-out clients. Counsellors need to be aware of those problems because counsellors need to apply a variety of skills to help the different types of problem clients when the time arises. An example of how I, the helper, used motivation within a session is shown below. My client at the time of this session would be considered a "engergized client" because the client is already motivated