Counselor Personal Statement

I would like to pursue a career in therapy, or specifically, in licensed professional counselling. I think I am a good match for such a job type because it is something that I am somewhat legitimately passionate about, as I enjoy learning about the subject matter as well as directly helping people; because of this, I have been willing to work hard in school in pursuit of it. I feel that people that have at least somewhat of a real passion for a specific field or job position have a substantial potential of being successful in it, because they therefore have the substantial potential of finding the work rewarding. Despite not having any experience in therapy and still being an undergraduate in my junior year, I have been consistently interested in the subject area throughout this education. I imagine that I will continue to be interested in the area while the job position will have the highest potential to involve my actual passion as a person. Actually working in the position, I believe I would be a model employee, working closely with the customers to help them with their problems while working to remain current with evolving best practices and findings. I would strive to be an independent worker that achieves positive outcomes and satisfied customers, and also an employee that shares information with other employees; I see myself as maintaining harmony in the organizational culture while facilitating progressive development. I believe I would continue to build on my

I had the opportunity to experience a Gestalt technique with a therapist while in high school. I was having trouble committing to my studies and had a lot of anxiety about the imminent national School Certificate exams. My therapist brought out two chairs and asked me to sit in one and imagine that School Certificate was in the other chair and then let me dialogue my fears before swapping chairs and having me respond to myself as School Certificate. From my perspective, the best thing about this therapy is that by bringing the past or future problem into the current moment, it gives the client the opportunity to step into and experience both sides of the conflict. This gives them an

I am writing to request that my son Marcus Mackey, Jr, be allowed switch from AP Chemistry to any elective that is available. It is my understanding that Marcus has completed all required science courses to graduate. I would be happy to talk with you about this issue, please call me during the day at the number above. Thank you for your prompt attention to my request.

Working in the psychiatric field was a choice I made at a young age. However, the profession in which I would like to work within the psychiatric field continued to evolve as I grew. Throughout my high school years, I explored the options of psychologist and therapist. As I learned more in depth about what each profession was capable of doing in the psychiatric field, I worried there was more paperwork than actual patient interaction. By the beginning of my senior year of high school, I was focused on becoming an inpatient psychiatric nurse.

Psychology has been a part of my life indirectly for many years, from something as insignificant as people watching in a cafe to an impromptu counselling session for a friend with emotional trauma. I have had a real desire to work with people for a long time and have always been fascinated with human behaviour and understanding how the mind works, in order to empower individuals to lead better lives. It is this fascination that has makes psychology such a desirable subject for me.

As a professional school counselor, I will have both the ability and responsibility to assist children and adolescents in the imperative task of taking responsibility for growth that nurtures self-esteem and effective functioning. I must accept responsibility for improving educational practices through continuing my own education and participating in professional development activities. Providing children with a positive school experience paves the way for a more successful academic career. This is done in a professional manner that fosters personal growth and academic success regardless of race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, physical or mental ability.

When one develops many of their personal theories, beliefs and preferences, it must be understood that these are natural elements of life. On countless occasions, one’s beliefs are often times refined by one’s environment and rearing. One’s personal encounters, incidents, people and even their environment can contribute in their individual expansion and make up the basis of their life. One is able to discover the different facets of life after the groundbreaking is founded. It is imperious as a counselor, that one be exposed to experiencing diverse viewpoints on innumerable concerns. To be an operative and successful counselor, one must be honest with oneself. Recognize personal preferences and or prejudices. Work to instruct oneself on

After learning about and researching Gestalt therapy, I realized that I was initially drawn to it because of the therapeutic goals and style. Wedding & Corsini (2014) stated that the primary goal of Gestalt Therapy is to raise awareness in the client. Moreover, therapists assist clients to become more aware in certain areas and aspects of their lives, such unconscious habits, along with how and why they have avoided learning from experience (Wedding & Corsini,

I elected to use Gestalt therapy as my approach because this theory of counseling is a humanistic, experiential, “holistic, process-oriented, dialogical, phenomenological, existential, and field theoretical approach to human change with the centrality of contact, awareness, and personal responsiveness and responsibility” (Farrands, 2013). Meaning, this approach is centered upon the treatment of the whole person, their perceptions of reality, the quality of contact between the individual and the environment and their present awareness. It is grounded in the idea that “people are always in the process of becoming, remaking, and rediscovering themselves” (Corey, 2013). It is through focusing on the process more so than the content itself that Gestalt therapy promotes direct experiencing in the here and now through interaction and contact with the therapist. Thus, the goal of Gestalt practitioners is to fully and authentically support their clients so they can freely experience themselves and their environment and move toward increased awareness. “Awareness refers to the attentiveness that we can have toward what is going on and when it happens. It is a sort of knowing as one is doing” (Tønnesvang et al.,

"Counseling" didn’t exist in my childhood. Mental wellness is hardly a primary concern in Chinese society. People usually ignore its influence, school curricula avoid it, and most Chinese are ashamed to confess their psychological issues. When individuals are unwell they struggle with how to cope and where to seek advice. I was one of these despondent in China. When I fell ill in my teens, it was like being errant in a dark tunnel with no torch to enlighten and guide me out.

I have decided to obtain my masters in Counseling Psychology at your institution, not only to continue my educational path but to further my knowledge in helping the people in my community. Personally I have always had a desire to help out people in my community especially with the power of communication. Recently I have graduated from Virginia Union University and their I took two psychology classes and it helped me realize that counseling and communicating with people was something that I really wanted to do. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in December of 2017 and want to do more with my career then to teach in a classroom. Wanting to still work in the school setting by counseling those students who may need a little guidance. Counseling is something that I know will take a lot of hard work and dedication, and I am ready to dedicate my time to the program to obtain best outcome possible.

Throughout my entire life I have always enjoyed helping others. Whether it is deciphering one of the many themes within one of Shakespeare’s works for a school project or giving my personal opinion on situations that my friends may need help in. Knowing that I could do something to better a situation makes me feel like I’m needed. As I grew older, I was taught that I could help people for a living through various careers. My first thought was to become a Drama/Theatre Arts teacher for a high school. However, I did research and although I know I wouldn’t mind teaching children for a living, I wouldn’t be making nearly enough money as I would like to. So, I reconsidered. Through many ideas and thoughts, I found myself becoming very interested in the many different forms of psychology. At first I had just wanted to go into child psychology then I decided it would be best to be open to practice anything and not limit any job opportunities I may receive. I find it fascinating that someone could tell how someone is feeling or could simply talk to a person and understand what that person needs to do to cure their depression or to help with anxiety or anything of that nature.

As a girl who grew up in the small rural town of Red Creek, NY, my identity has always seemed pretty obvious. Being that I am the second oldest in a group of five, everyone would assume I was just like my older sister,who was indeed the all around over achiever and brainiac. Whenever a teacher, classmate, or community member heard that I was a Luckette, they immediately assumed I was smart, talented and respectful. I was always expected to not only be involved in year round sports and after school activities, but hold leadership positions within these activities. My guidance counselor assumed I would be taking the most advanced courses, and teachers would often times refer classmates to me for help. Thus, I became that person that my parents and community expected me to be. It was a lot of responsibility, but it also pushed me to improve and work hard.The community saw all five of us as well rounded over achievers; however, within our home we saw each other in a different way. You could say that we saw each other through family imposed distortions, or maybe we just saw each other for what we really were.

According to Laura Perls, "Gestalt is experiential and experimental." (Perls, 1992,51). Gestalt Model focuses on reverent hospitality. The Gestalt therapy concept of growth encompasses the ability of the organism to co-create a place where organismic needs and the resources for life converge to provide a place of human habitation. By invoking a place of habitation and rehabilitation, Gestalt therapy offers more than mere cure and focuses on complete healing. Rehabilitation pertains to a place of belonging and a place to inhabit that represents home to each of us. This process of journeying and dwelling is essential. It focuses on the transpersonal and spiritual interiority of the person. Gestalt therapy started when Perls, Hefferline, and Goodman published Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality in 1951 (Levine, 2010).

A basic assumption of Gestalt therapy is that individuals can deal with their life problems themselves, especially if they are fully aware of what is happening in and around them. Because of certain problems in development, people find various ways to avoid problems and, therefore, reach impasses in their personal growth. Therapy provides the necessary intervention and challenge to help them proceed toward integration and a more authentic and vital existence.