Counselor Interview Paper

According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) website the organization’s mission is to help society by offering well trained professional counselors. In the process, assisting counselors develop into the contingent professional’s in which society can depend upon, at the same time stimulating human self-worth and diversity. When counselors are trained in graduate school the aspects that goes into becoming a professional counselor, is they equipped with a vast amount of knowledge. Some of the basics include how to work with diverse populations, acknowledging their own biases, how to advocate for the client who is among an oppressed population, congruency with their clients, empathic listening and communication skills, knowing when to refer a client to the appropriately trained counselor and many more. All of these elements and more are just some of the tools, professional counselors are required in order maintain the standards the American Counseling Association’s mission statement entails.

On the issue of abortion with the 19-year old rape victim, I feel that she has a right to choose whether or not to go through with the abortion. As her counselor I have to put my personal feelings aside and help her to make the best decision for herself. My client is firm in her plans to have the abortion and since she is an adult her parents have no legal right to make her change her mind. I am unable to convince the parents to change their minds as they are not my clients and I have no input in how they feel. According to the ACA (2005) I must be sensitive to the family’s cultural beliefs and in the

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.

Mrs. Freeman currently holds a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Geography and a Masters in Counseling from A&M University. She also has an English as a Second Language Certification from B University. The cost of tuition from A&M was approximate $10,000. Then the approximate cost of tuition from B was $4,000. With the help of family members and loans Mrs. Freeman was able to pay for books and tuition for both of the Universities. Participation in continuing education is often required for the renewal of a license or certification. In states without licensure or certification laws, professional counselors are certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). The law requires counselors to hold certification from the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) or The Texas Education Agency (TEA). Mrs. Freeman would also like to add, “The cost of a education does not compare to the benefits of one!” And “ A higher education can provide options to various opportunities” (R. Freeman, personal communication, June 15,2009)

Ironically, I was not always interested in the psychology and counseling field. My first two years of undergraduate school I was a Mathematics major until I took Advanced Calculus and decided that Math was not for me. Then I began taking more and more Psychology courses as electives and realized that I had found the information interesting. After speaking with my father, I made the decision to pursue a career in this field while also following in his footsteps.

Counselors have a responsibility to monitor their effectiveness, in order to do this they need someone who is trained to assist them in understanding what is effective. Counselors have to seek supervision when appropriate and in order to do so a program needs to be in place that has supervisors readily available. The absence of clinical supervision may lead to counselors-in-training to lack the necessary skills to be a successful and productive counselor. Counselors need to develop a comprehensive understanding of the setting, population, needs, contexts and tasks of a counselor. As explained by Milne and Oliver (2000), Clinical supervision is central to initial professional training and to continuing professional development. It is necessary for counselors-in-training to refine their skills and get assistance in applying theories to any issues they may encounter with their clients. In addition to the everyday assistance necessary, a supervisor needs to present/model ethical behavior and counseling practices. In any profession the need for improvement is prominent and therefore any assistance and feedback given is appreciated and necessary. Expectations are increasing and therefore supervision is expected. Evidence shows that supervision results in school counselors’ increased effectiveness and accountability, improved professional development, and improved job performance, confidence, and comfort

Mrs. Roche seemed to be the ideal Professional Counselor for me to interview because I have always thought if I were to go in to the helping field it would involve me becoming a Professional Counselor and running my own private practice. Mrs. Roche helped me to see the benefits of having your own private practice and also the nitty-gritty details that no one else wants to do or talks about. This interview also helped me learn that it’s okay to show your clients your reactions because it lets them know that you are human and that you are listening and understanding to their problem they have. She also helped me realized the importance of being there mentally and physically for your clients in session and out of session. This could mean squeezing them in at the end of the day or having a conference call or a Skype session, just as long as you are there when they need you the most. She also helped me understand that it is actually really rewarding when you do not really see a client anymore that has “graduated”. But when you occasionally seem them year-to-year, you know that they are okay and healthy and that you helped them to where they are

The purpose of this paper is for me to present a summary of a personal interview had with Heather Smith, a clinical mental health counselor. It will further explore a day to day basis on how working as a clinical mental health counselor, may be. Lastly, it will also reflect my personal reflections about my future as a counselor based on information learned in this course.

They may interact with psychiatrists who are medical doctors. They may have relationships with other counselors with whom the may collaborate, confer or refer to another counselor or professional as needed. Counselors may have a need to help a client get in touch with another type of service such as a social worker or rehabilitation facility. A counselor may give advice to another counselor if their opinion is sought out. If a counselor works within a facility as part of a team they may be interacting with any number of professionals involved within the care of a particular client. Being cognizant of what the role is as a counselor is constant. Counselors will establish boundaries depending on these roles (Remley & Herlihy, 2016). Counselors will also develop relationships with employers, supervisors and

In schools all over the world today, School Counselors are crucial to assisting students, parents, school administrations, and the community. I believe that creating an effective counseling program that supports the counselors’ role in education will foster a close interaction between students and counselor to achieve success in their personal/social lives, academic achievements, and college readiness careers.

Additionally, research has been done that examines the perceptions of school counselor effectiveness, as well as the usefulness of available supervision (Borders & Usher, 1992; Henderson & Lampe, 1992). During a school counseling master’s education program, there is ample supervision, both on-site and through the university, during the practicum and internship field experiences (Peterson & Deuschle, 2006; Studer & Oberman, 2006). However, it has been noted that clinical supervision of school counselors post-graduation has not been utilized in the most effective way (Linton & Deuschle, 2006). Several studies have examined the reason behind the lack of effective supervision within a school setting. Some researchers suggest that there is incongruence between the daily tasks of school counselors and models of clinical supervision most often utilized (Luke, Ellis, & Bernard, 2011). There also appears to be limited research on whether school counselor directors are being provided “best practices” methods of formal education and training for their positions.

Interview paper with a Counselor (Rebecca Alexander), and a Social Worker (Mina McVeigh). This interview is for Mrs. Scott’s online class.

School counselors collaborate with other school personnel such as teachers who will help implement guidance lessons in the classroom. As a school counselor it is important to keep the teachers motivated to help implement these programs. Resource teachers typically work the special education students, collaborating with resource teachers ensures that all students are included in the comprehensive program. The resource teacher can help provide alternative to working with students in an inclusive manner. The principles and assistance principles of the school typically serve on the advisory committee, they provide resources to the program, and help communicate the important of the counseling program. School psychologist are there to assist with mental health services, doing assessments, and working with the school counselor during crisis situations. School nurses provide health services to the students. They monitor student medications and note changes in students behavior or effectiveness of the medication. Secretaries are equally important in the collaborative model. Secretaries are typically the first person a parent will come in contact with when entering the school. They are the ones that create that first impression (Erford, 2015). Community agencies can provide additional support to students outside of

This paper will discuss the following 4 Core Functions of a Counselor: Case Management, Client Education, Crisis Intervention, Referral and their primary purposes.

School counselors help students in setting up their career path to college, ensuring that student achieves academic success and maintain a positive personal/social behavior during their educational years. As stated in The role of the professional school counselor, (ASCA, 2009b), through leadership, advocacy and collaboration, school counselors promote equity and access to rigorous educational experiences for all students. For this reason, counselors help students become proactive and judicious grown-ups for their future. “The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs....unites counselors with one vision and one voice, which creates unity and focus toward improving student achievement” (ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs, para. 1). This program was designed for school counselors to promote student success in their academics, emotional and social life.