Personal Narrative: My Two Preferred Counseling Setting

“The last thing I heard where the sirens. And the last thing I saw where a kaleidoscope of blue and red. And then everything went black, every ounce of air had escaped my lungs and had reached the surface of the lake in the form of little bubbles.” I told Louis Green, possibly the most boring person on earth. I don’t think he wanted to be my therapist anymore then I wanted to be in therapy.

“How can I be good again? I just lost my wife and son in a car accident. There's nothing in life that can cheer me up. I have become an alcoholic who is now jobless.” I said. My Therapist, Dr. Newman, told me “Trust me, Mr. Smith. Only time can heal your wounds if you allow it to. Well, that's the end of the session, and I want to recall the accident that occurred so we can talk about it tomorrow.”

The Job that I would love to have after I graduate college is becoming a therapist. I want

Throughout my life, I always helped people with different issues and tasks they either asked me to do or I was willing to help them. Overtime, I realized that I wanted to do therapy to help people with different and disorders. Recently, after taking a survey about my different interests, I saw a career that I never knew about before called “Family and Marital Therapist.” I skimmed over the information about what they did. And, it dawned on me that, “I can help people with family/problems in their marriage.”

As I began this counseling journey and foot into another community college, I did not have any expectations as I wanted to gain and learn as much as possible. I knew that I had to come into this process with an open mind and heart to gain as much insight as possible. Just as when I had least expected, I walked into the unknown of what will come through the door. I came across a student that seemed normal and nothing out of the ordinary. However, Marc opened up in the first session that he was diagnosed with autism which I was surprised. I have not yet worked with any individual with any disabilities and it definitely opened up my eyes. These past couple of sessions with Marc pushed me to go out of my comfort zone and feel more comfortable in

Reading your post confirms my decision to enter into Mental Health Counseling was a good choice. Your desire to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and using a wide range of techniques was what drew me to this specialization as well. It is interesting to note how you were considering very specific programs before settling on mental health counseling. I am also inspired by your initial consideration of entering into addiction counseling to assist individuals like your brother. My family has also inspired me to enter into counseling as well. They are the reason why I have been as successful as I have been in the past, and they are also the reason why I have sought out counseling for my own betterment.

Currently I am trying to get my certification for counseling, needing only a high school diploma and this certification I will be able to start on my path toward my career. First getting the certification will require me to contact the National Board for Certified Counselors. Once I have met their guidelines and receive the certification I will be able start researching careers that accept entry level certified counselors.

Sarah hugged her new fiancé moments after he proposed and could not help but think to herself, “I know he did this because we just found out we are pregnant.” Sarah’s negative view and assumptions are based on the stories she has created about her life. Applying concepts from a Narrative theory, one would hope to alter Sarah’s “story” to one that is more positive. “My boyfriend proposed to be because we are madly in love and this is the next step in our life together.” Once Sarah replaces one negative story in her life with a more positive one, Sarah can continue to view situations in a more positive light. “My fiancé bought me a present because he wants to show me he loves me.” By altering the stories that Sarah has created about herself, she has the ability to change her life and where her story goes. The idea of altering or rewriting what an individual’s story may be in order to actively reshape, alter or change

Do you believe that your role as a therapist will end at the end of the day or will it be present in your personal life also?

When I was a child I was always withdrawn and timid. I would always shy away from other people, as well as doing things that would put me in the spotlight. This caused me to have only a select few friends, in turn I took up reading. My favorite of all genres were action and fantasies and eventually books weren't able to contain my wish for such. And so I started going to camp.

I never fit in during my childhood, I always wanted to do my own thing but I was never allowed to. I was trapped in the constraints of convention. My own parents tried to change me, my own parents made me go to therapy, my own parents hated me. I had nobody that I could talk to, I was bad in school and that never changed. All I ever wanted was to travel the world my whole life, but no, my parents forced me to do exactly what they did in life so that I’d be successful. They didn’t understand that individuals should be able to live the life they want, then again not many people realize the importance of living the way you want to. “Go to school, go to university, get a good job, get married and have kids.” That’s all I ever heard from anyone,

I have always wanted to be the person others look to when they feel scared or vulnerable. In return for that trust, I have put enormous effort into helping people who seek me out identify their best options for the future. Not until I encountered life in all its confusing, brutal truth, however, did I realize I wanted to occupy that advisor’s role as a professional. My aim in applying to Northwestern is to become a licensed professional counselor in my home state of Wisconsin so that I can help young people tackle everyday problems, learn life skills, and ultimately, be the best people they can be. Ultimately, my goal is to complete a doctorate in counseling psychology, from University of Wisconsin-Madison in particular, after completion of my master’s degree while gaining vital work experience in my field and to use my expertise to train other aspiring professionals in my field.

It was May of 2015 that I happened upon an internship opportunity while visiting friends during a feast at San Felipe Pueblo in New Mexico. My friend made sure to inform me that the gentleman seated directly across, at the other end of a very long table, was the clinical director of the counseling center at the Santa Fe Indian School. “You should go say hello” my friend encouraged with a wink and a nudge that read more like, “we talked about this, go ask him for a job!”. I felt that a decision had to be made, ask for the chance at an internship I want, or shy away and make an official application, perhaps to another agency. Resourcing from my self-confidence I made my introduction, which led to an interview the following week, resulting in an offer, and acceptance for an intern art therapist

The most important thing I need to remember when analyzing the results of the Personality Test, Character Test, and Strengths Test is that God made me specifically how He wants me. I feel a burden laid upon my heart to pursue a Master’s Degree in Psychology so that I can counsel young widows. The results from the tests confirm I am a defender. I find satisfaction in helping and nurturing those in need. I am an observant listener which is important in a counseling situation.

I was stationed in Ft. Stewart, GA prior to moving to Korea, this is my second time in Korea and my wife is very happy that we are here because she is close to Family, and this is her home country.  I was a student at Argosy University, and we made the choice to come to Korea knowing it would be a set back in the momentum that I had started at Argosy Atlanta.  My schooling has been a gradual transition from classroom to all on line schooling.  I was previously attending a blended study, that had a once a month weekend seat requirement and working towards a MA in Clinic Mental Health Counseling.