Your Career in Psychology
Introduction
For the last 10 weeks, practitioner-scholars, including myself, I have embarked on a journey to clarify and relate our passions and interests to psychological practices and skills. As stated in previous assignments, my passion, for counseling, stems from living in a community where seeking counseling was not looked upon positively. The motto was, “keep your personal conflict between yourself and family.”
In many cases, family members inadvertently gave bias and incorrect advice. The result lead to the individual feeling lost and more conflicted. I noticed this and became curious about how a professional counselor would respond. In addition, I became intrigued with the thinking, listening, and responding process of a counselor. I also felt that they achieve a lot with helping others and could achieve a lot more if people would be more open to speaking to them.
Now that I have given background information, I will examine my interest, visions, and goals and how they impact my professional and academic journey in the psychological field.
Vision and Goals
With that being said, I believe that adults should feel comfortable talking to a counselor when they have issues. One of my goals is to become that person that individuals feel safe with speaking with. I want to use my sharpened skills and newly found abilities, from Capella University, to deliver quality services to adults with moderate mental health illnesses. I plan to
A doctoral degree combining both supervisory professional mental health counseling skills and counselor education has always been at the forefront of both my personal and professional goals. Being afforded the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision will allow me the ability to enhance my professional competencies and achieve my set goals. My primary desire is to obtain a position as a college professor that will allow me to nurture the professional growth and maturity of future mental health professionals. Pursuing the doctoral degree will simultaneously assist in developing skillsets that will further prepare me for advanced opportunities in not only teaching but supervision and research. Additionally, I desire to devote time and research to small rural communities to establish prevention based programs that will bridge communities as it relates to mental health challenges. A PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Capella University will afford me the opportunities to positively impact change in future professionals and the communities for which I serve.
Each person is unique with different gifts, abilities, and struggles. Counselors are committed to walk with individuals on their journeys to growth and healing without judgement.
stop what she was doing to greet me back with the biggest smile and the
Within psychology there are many different theories that counselors should get to know in order to figure out which theory fits their own personal style of counseling. Some counselors stick to one specific theory, but many take on an integrative approach and use multiple theories within their practice. The four psychological theories that I am focusing on in this paper are the contemporary psychodynamic, theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, person-centered therapy, and the family systems theory.
It takes very special people to want to make a difference in people’s lives, to want to help them to be better. Some people seek to become counselors after overcoming a most important life challenge. The individuals that seek the profession of marriage and family therapy do not think of this work as a job or career, more typically a constellation of life experiences that demand explanation and a sense that others seek one out for assistance and emotional sustenance become driving forces leading one to counseling profession (An Invitation to Counseling Work).
My goal is to pursue a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. My dream is to provide counsel and guidance to individuals, families, couples or groups of people; who are dealing with issues that affect them physically, emotionally and mentally. I would like help clients determine why they are experiencing their life challenges, develop goals and actions to resolve their issues. I would like to provide life changing advice to support & help clients overcome outstanding life situations, collaborate assessment and maintain treatment. Family and friends has consulted with me about their problems. I enjoy giving them advice that allows them to think about the decisions resolving the circumstance. With this I’m inspired to work in the
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
I am a mental health counselor working towards licensure in the state of Washington. I have a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Antioch University Seattle. In my current counseling practice, I work with individual adults (over 18). I take a humanistic approach to therapy; in our sessions together, we will focus on the here-and-now of your experience, while also exploring your past and social context to the extent they are relevant to your present concerns. Our first meeting will be a time for you to tell your story; then, together, we will assess your concerns and issues, and decide on the goals toward which you would like to move (Hilton, 2016). As we continue through the therapy process, we
Counseling is a relatively young profession when compared to other mental health professions. In my brief personal and professional experience with the field, I have come to define counseling as a process of engagement between two people, both of whom are bound to change through a collaborative process that involves both the therapist and the client in co-constructing solutions to concerns.
The personal views I have acquired throughout the year have ultimately affected the views I have on counseling in a few different ways. Growing up, I was raised in a family that views counseling as very acceptable. As a child, I always viewed counseling as a positive action because you are trying to correct a problem you are having and have acknowledged it. When I reached the beginning of highschool, I needed counseling for myself and the depression I was dealing with. As my counseling sessions proceeded, I really found them helpful. At a time where I felt like my own mother couldn’t even understand my own thoughts and feelings, my therapist could . It gave me a hope that at least I had one person I could tell everything I am feeling to and know it is kept in private. It was hard for me when my sessions eventually stopped, and it took me sometime to get over it. Through my own experiences and views, I feel like this pushed me to wanting to support and
When I think of my career goals, I ask myself what I want to accomplish in life. I know that I love helping patients and families, and I want to continue to do that. I always am changing my mind on what I want to do after my BSN. I don’t know when or if I will get my masters or continue to work at the bedside for a while. I love what I do and what I do for other people and families. Working in the critical care unit feels like home. I get to do what I love.
My whole life I have always wanted to do something where people will remember me. I went threw millions of career choices before I came to the conclusion of a nurse. It’s not something that will get me into History books, but its something where all the people I help will remember what I did to care for them or their loved ones. My mom went to school to become and RN, but dropped out when she became pregnant with me. After that story was told to me, I didn’t want to be anything related to nursing. It wasn’t until my step mom went to school to be LPN that I realized it would be possible for me to do. I saw how much happiness it gave her, and I want the same thing. She loved helping the patients by treating them, and helping their families
My Career Plan The future is uncertain for me, but it is important to develop a career plan that will provide financial support and personal fulfillment over the course of my professional life. To make this transition from school to a professional career, I am going to plan a plan that will help me stay focused and motivated in meeting my goals and objectives. In the next paragraphs, I will explain my ten-year plan for my
I have chosen a career as a paralegal. This is a field that I expect will be both challenging as well as professionally rewarding. As a paralegal, I will assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services (National Association of Legal Assistants, 2008). A career in paralegal studies is a prestigious, professional adventure and offers a wonderful opportunity while enhancing ones knowledge of the law and provides for challenges, growth and advancement.
The question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” meant so many things throughout middle childhood, adolescence, and was even relevant in adulthood. My interests varied from law, to education, and even construction for a period. It took most of my lifetime and lived experiences, up until very recently, to actually figure out, make a decision, and follow through, with my true occupational goals. This paper will examine my current career path and goals. It will investigate the results of the O*Net Interest Profiler in which I participated, and how they compare to my current occupational goals. Finally, it will discuss gained insights and further resources for future career exploration.