Illinois Professional Counseling Case Study

This internship is 3000 clock-hours with at least 1,500 being direct client care (Texas State Board of Examiners, 2015). The intern hours may not be completed in less than 18 months and not longer than 5 years (Counseling licensure in Texas, 2015). After completing the internship, the person will apply to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors for the LPC title (Counseling licensure in Texas, 2015). A LPC license must be renewed every two years. The person must complete 24 hours of continuing education credit and retake the Texas Jurisprudence examination every renewal period (Counseling licensure in Texas, 2015).

Along with getting licensed you will need thirty hours of continuing education every two years. You must take a three hour class in ethics and boundary issues and a two hour class in medical errors. However, every three renewal cycles, you must complete a two hour class in domestic violence. (Licensed Mental Health Counselor, 2015)

As the standards of the counseling profession are continuously being shaped, I desire to play a role in the educating

A mental health counselor is a counseling professional, whose duties involves helping individuals cope with difficult life events, managing mental illnesses, and referring patients to additional resources that can help them. Before they can start counseling, they need to follow their states specific requires. For instance, in Louisiana, one has to obtain a master’s degree from an accredited program, have the required hours of supervised practice and coursework, and pass the National Counselor Examination to be licensed and certified. In addition to receiving a license in this field, an individual has to complete an addition 40 hours of continuing education every year to renew their license. The Mental Health Counseling program, offered at Capella, would satisfy most, if not all, of the licensure requirements in Louisiana.

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

In conclusion as I mentioned before counselors must remain confidential in all aspects of their job including testing and assessment. The ASCA and ACA provide codes of ethics to follow. Counselors should follow these code of ethics to prevent misuse of test, releasing client information and many more. Now that we live in an era where technology is advanced school counselors must be mindful to ensure that their clients information will remain confidential. There are numerous of assessments that require proper training before administering. Counselors must be competent in an assessment before they can administer it. It is up to counselor to determine of they are competent enough to administer a test but there are sources that can help a counselor

Up to two to three years of work experience, internships and professional counselor outlook is a must. Internships are said to be the most important part on the path to becoming any sort of counselor. During these internships students are required to participate in assigned community group sessions, private-tutor individual sessions, present and organize group lessons, participate in student achievement activities and excel in mock/exit level interviews. By doing all this you will hopefully gain confidence in real a real life setting with a mentor constantly guiding you to the point that you no longer need them. Moreover it gives you a real life perspective of whether this career is for you or not while opening your eyes to your own abilities. And lastly after partaking in about two to three years under supervision, this gets you ready for the licensing exam (The National Counselor Examination or the “NCE”) which is a 200 question application based test that includes the entire curriculum and is timed for 4 hours exactly. The curriculum will test as following counseling issues, processes, assessments and diagnostics, professional development and consultation, professional practice, human growth and development, relationship work, group work, social and cultural diversity, research and evaluation, and ethics.

Students are expected to meet coursework in: human development; social and cultural foundations; counseling theory; lifestyle and career development; the helping relationship; individual appraisal; group dynamics, processing, and counseling; and research and evaluation. To be qualified as LPC,

They can have a master’s or a doctorate in clinical, educational, counseling, or research psychology (NAMI, 2013).

It is my belief, a school counselor must have the personality characteristics of an effective counselor and have a personal approach to treatment. Personal characteristics of an effective counselor are as follows: making life oriented choices, being authentic, sincere, and honest with students at all times. Other characteristics consist of appreciating the influence of different cultures and being passionate with students as they are counseled. Having the respect for others, regardless of culture, race, and ethnicity are also characteristics of being a great counselor. Being authentic, honest, and sincere helps build a great rapport with students, parents, and co-workers. Students need someone to be passionate and show genuine concern when helping them through their educational journey. Each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. It should be a counselor’s desire along with teaching staff to help students meet their needs to their fullest potential in these areas by providing an environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invites shared ideas.

To become a professional licensed counselor (LPC) in West Virginia, one must complete the specific requirements from the state. You must graduate from an accredited master’s program. The coursework requirement is a 60-hour master’s degree in counseling or another related field. Within the 60 hours there are 14 content areas in which you need 3 graduate semester hours of coursework in each (includes a practicum and internship), the remaining hours will be clinically related electives. After receiving your master’s degree, you may apply for licensure. After applying for licensure, the credentialing committee will review your application materials. They will determine if you have met the coursework requirements. Once you are approved for licensure, you are eligible to receive approval to take the National Counselor Exam.

This equates to four years at the undergraduate level and two years at the graduate level. Genetic counselors must have a Master’s degree to become licensed to practice. It does not matter which major is chosen at the undergraduate level as long as it is in the field of medical science. All genetics counselors must earn a Master’s degree in genetics or genetic counseling to become eligible for their board-certified genetic counseling exam.

While education is an important aspect in any child’s life, the social and emotional component is often left out. After speaking with colleagues both MSW and LPC ’s I was left with more questions than answers. However, as I read the required core course lists, the Clinical Mental Health Counselor courses intrigued me.

These may include systemic, object relations, intergenerational, and behavioral, as well as others. Students will need to have some coursework in marriage and family studies, and marriage and family therapy before they can begin their practicum. Several in-state programs that are not COAMFTE-accredited were approved by the Board as having met their requirements. The Board has also included which in-state programs will work for a candidate who wants to get dual licensure as a counselor and marriage and family therapist (MFT,

A Master’s degree or higher from a Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) approved mental health counseling program.