The role of a counselor takes on many different forms, and it is a very important career, because it helps people make better life choices. The personal values we have, and also how we view the world, can help shape the type of counselor we will be. I will take a self-reflective view of what I hold dear, and also explain how my personal experiences have led me to chose a career in this particular helping profession. I will also describe the differences between the professional counseling, and other helping professions, such as social work for an example. I also will look at how accreditation, licensure, and certification, are important in defining what a counselor is, and does.
Career Counseling can be beneficial to everyone that seeks employment. However, when seeking advice and assistance on something as important as a career, people should know the credentials of the counselor. Many individuals that pursue career counseling follow a variety of code of ethics and ethical guidelines according to Brown (2007). With this being said, it is important that career counseling practice should be regulated.
Counseling is defined as ”the use of therapeutic strategies to help clients address personal concerns and mental health issues” (Nystul, 2016). Pursuing counseling as a career involves many years of formal study and certification or licensure. After receiving licensure to practice as a professional counselors it is a requirement to maintain involvement and certification in certain associations in order to hold your license. These association often require further education and/or professional practice in order to maintain membership in these associations. It is quite obvious that counseling requires a large amount of commitment and passion in order to pursue it as a career and maintain a title as a counselor. I have conducted an interview with a professional counselor in order to further understand the experience of being a counselor. The interview that I conducted explores the requirements of maintaining and receiving a counselling career, the experience of being a counselor, and what characteristics or skills a professional may have. The Individual who agreed to the interview was a counselor by the name of Susie Facio. Susie Facio, through this interview, will be giving us a look at what influenced her to become a counselor, what her work entails on a day to day basis, and what qualities and skills she has acquired in order to become a successful counselor.
I have wanted to be a counselor since my freshmen year of high school and in the counseling field there are many specialties that I can focus on. I am fairly certain that I want to specialize in helping people with substance abuse and their families. I have always focused my studies, interests, and work on things that will help me in this field and I have a lot of qualities that help to enhance me in my eventual career. There are difficulties when I get to practice also like what people perceive as correct counseling style, challenges with my gender and race, and finally creating my own counseling style and plans.
After earning my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Rutgers University, I have learned that I have a sincere passion for the Counseling field in particular. Growing up, I was never too sure what I wanted a career in. However, my mother always told me that whatever decision I make, it should benefit others as well, because ultimately the best success is when you know you have impacted the lives of others in a positive way. I have been very fortunate to have had the experience in working with children that range from ages 0-21. I have worked with young toddlers and infants in a Montessori school, as well as with children and teenagers that have been diagnosed with Autism and other disorders. Working in a diverse population has benefitted me in numerous ways and greatly shaped my interest in the counseling field.
Throughout history in the United States, we have multiplied the amount of individuals who are considering or participating in the fields: social work and/or counselor. These career fields are not always positive because individuals see situations that makes them cringe. However, there is a lot of rewarding aspects of these specific fields, each individuals learns how to help individuals with hard situations, help parents understand about why a child is acting a certain way, and help individuals who are seeking help for a various of reasons. Having a career you are passionate about should not matter if you are getting paid a million bucks to a dollar, it should be about the love and compassion you have to help a person in need.
However, like many of my peers in the undergraduate community, I had a declared major but a persisting uncertainty and indecision about my future and career. Nevertheless, I continued to see myself in a personal setting with clients, where I could share psychological insight to those willing to open up and partake in personal growth. Through years of information, coursework, wise words from professors, and much personal insight, I decided to pursue a career in counseling
Counseling is a tool that is widely used by many people. Merriam Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary defines counseling as advice and support that is given to people to help them deal with problems, and make important decisions. This paper examines the career of a Licensed Professional Counselor, the education requirements, certification and licensure levels or requirements, salary, and the future of this profession.
The Mental Health Counselors have a closed variety of values needed for the job. Being with others and creating relationships with colleagues and patients is needed for this career choice. Peers whom enjoy the feeling of finishing work, accomplishing goals set, and achieving self accomplishment. This career choice stands high for the value of self independence. Working for no one, and being your own boss is big in this career. Self employed Mental Health Counselors make their own rules, and follow their own rules (O*NET OnLine). This means that if you enjoy not being told what to do, and being in charge, then this will be a good career.
In my research or the counseling profession, it was stress to me that given the drawbacks, counseling was a very worthy and rewarding. The problems can be easily dealt with and planned for. It is important that one have a balanced life outside of their career. A balance life helps prevent compassion fatigue and help maintain that high level of physical and emotional energy that is needed to be an effective counselor.
Within society, there are many occupations to explore and chose. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results showed that my personal career strengths fall under the area of teaching and counseling. Currently, as a school counselor for a high school in Duncanville, Texas, a suburb outside of Dallas, I find the results of the assessment to be very accurate. Making the decision to become a counselor is a rewarding and exciting career choice. In the world of counsling, there are many individuals who place emphasis on not just basic implications, but also on theoretical studies that usually are a part of
Gysbers (2003) proposes that the value of career theories comes from providing practitioners with a framework to examine client behaviour, help understand the possible meanings of or explanations for the behaviour and subsequently, enables them to identify and respond to clients’ goals or problems. Significantly then, such theories may help explain an individual’s vocational behaviour, such as their initial career choice or later aspects of career development. This essay attempts to identify the theoretical framework that will underpin my guidance practice in the future.
Mental Health Counselor is the career I have decided to go for. It took me forever and a lot of thinking to decide exactly what I want to do with my life. I have dealt with depression, anxiety, self harming all within myself. I also dealt with watching my father abuse alcohol, and getting cancer and passing. My daughter is ADHD, ODD and suffers with anxiety. I also work in a group home taking care of mentally challenged people. Altogether I've dealt with a lot and I think experiencing everything I have, would make me understand and be a good mental health counselor.
Career Counseling, or Career Services depending on the institution, is frequently offered on a one-on-one basis, but at times this service is provided through group workshops, classes, or computerized guidance systems. Traditionally a standard function of the career services role is to help students develop job search skills however the scope of the
For many people, finding a career that is both fulfilling and practical is a strenuous task. Fortunately, there is a plethora of different interventions, techniques, assessments, and inventories designed to aid those individuals in making the wisest career choices possible. But are any of those routes inherently better than the others? Or are all the differing options separate but equally effective? Donald Super’s Life Span Theory and John Holland’s Theory of Vocational Choice are just two of the many theories used for career counseling. Both methods are distinct in the way they approach career issues, yet despite their differences, there are some resemblances between the two theories as well. Comparing and contrasting these two theories will make it easier to see if one theory is better than the other for career counseling or if they are both equally effective.