Sometimes individuals consider becoming counselors after overcoming some major life challenge such as addiction or a history of bad relationships. Perhaps an individual has encountered a particularly effective counselor or therapist and has a desire to follow in those footsteps. Others may have had a bad experience with counseling and concluded that it can be done better. People do not think of this work so much as a job, or even as a 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 toward the counseling profession” (An invitation to). . “Wellness conceptualized as the paradigm for counseling provides …show more content…
They listen to clients and ask questions, to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives. Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists work in a variety of settings such as private practices and mental health centers full time, Employment of mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists is projected to grow 29 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growth is expected in both occupations as more people have mental health counseling services covered by their insurance policies” (Bureau of Labor Statistics, …show more content…
Since 1976, The American Mental Health Counselors Association has been committed to establishing and promoting vigorous standards for education and training, professional practice, and professional ethics for Clinical Mental Health Counselors. So far, this association have 7,000 clinical mental health counselors but its organization is continuously growing (AMHCA).” “The American Mental Health Counselors Association have licensures laws in all 50 states, and the association seeks to enhance the practice of clinical mental health counseling and to promote standards for clinical education and clinical practice that anticipate the future roles of Clinical Mental Health Counselors within the broader health care system. This association was ultimately put together to define and promote professional identity of mental health counselors (AMHCA).”
The paper will summarize the roles and responsibilities of a behavioral health counselor and provide current models of wellness and resiliency. Behavioral health counselors must be able to function in a face-paced primary care environment.
In Jacquelyn Small’s book “Becoming Naturally Therapeutic: A Return to the True Essence of Helping,” I explored what it takes to be a genuinely helpful counselor. Although I do not intend to pursue a career in counseling, her book touches on various topics that may be used by all individuals. Small provides her readers with a check-list of characteristic ranging from empathy to respect to self-actualization that are virtually essential to becoming therapeutic.
Mental wellness is more than the mere absence of mental illness. Mental wellness encompasses positive affect, life satisfaction, psychological and social well-being. (Mitchell, 2011) Seligman postulates that happiness is determined by a combination of set range(50%), intentional activities(40%) and circumstances(10%). (Mitchell, 2011) This show that Amanda can increase her happiness intentionally by as much as 40%. Activity like keeping a gratitude journal can promote happiness. The habit could again be encourage with motivational interviewing (Rollnick and Miller, 1995) and SMART goal
Health psychology is the combination of medical and psychological ideas used to identify how an individual’s mind and body work, using models to help contribute to the maintenance and promotion of health. To truly define a person as healthy they must be in a state of wellness, physically and mentally. A modern definition of health is the WHO constitution of 1948 as: “A state of complete physical, social and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (Wellness, n.d.)
It is a privilege to interview veteran therapists who are exiting the counseling arena after a long career in the profession. I was honored to shadow Lea Keylon, a seasoned counselor, who on the eve of retirement set aside time for a student interview. The enlightening interview opened my understanding to the importance of proper diagnostic coding for insurance reimbursements, the financial struggles of private practice, and the poignant effect of forensic counseling on therapist (L. Keylon, personal communication, March 26, 2010). Lea was eager to share her counseling accounts; however, the excitement of retirement planning could be seen in her demeanor. Private practice requires self-discipline, constant research for legislative changes, peer support and consultation, time management, tenacity, and patience. The encounter with Lea impressed the importance to surround myself with colleagues that are enthusiastic about learning and continuing education opportunities, to hire assistance for time-consuming administrative task, and adequately assess a proper caseload that will sustain my counseling practice and without avoid counselor burn out (L. Keylon, personal communication, March 26, 2010).
Miller, Carol A. (2012). Nursing for Wellness in Older Adults. (sixth edition). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Fain, N. C. & Lewis. N. M. (2002). Wellness: The Holistic Approach to Health. Journal of
Values, Morals, and Beliefs are components that play a role in an individual’s self-identity. The establishment of these components shape human nature, behavior, and the development of an individual’s purpose. The basis of these fundamentals has contributed to my desire to become a counselor. This paper will discuss my views of human nature, factors of behavior changes, goals of therapy, the roles of a therapist, and the counseling approaches that I chose to incorporate in a practice.
Quite importantly, the advent of contemporary technology has brought convenience to the mental health counseling profession. Unlike before, mental health counseling and associated therapies can take place anytime and anywhere and are a crucial ideal for patients with in-person appointments problems. It also allows for anonymity, where patients use a diversity of social network platforms to access mental health care services without necessarily involving others. On the side of patients, technology has reduced the cost of care. Some of the commonly used Smartphone apps are free or comparatively cheaper than conventional care. Similarly, the advent of technology, particularly the internet and myriads of social media platforms, has allowed mental health counselors to serve many people at once. Such an attribute will allow me to offer mental health care services to many patients, including those in remote areas. In addition, technology will allow me to offer 24-hour service to my
Wellness is an essential aspect of counseling. It can be difficult to effectively help a client when one’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being is depleting. When one neglects their own health and well-being they are capable of “burn out”. “Burn out” means that a person has exhausted their wellness and this can likely cause complications in the work place and personal life. It is a counselor’s responsibility to give their clients their highest endeavor, therefore, proper wellness maintenance is imperative. Sweeney and Witmer developed the first model of wellness based on counseling, called the Wheel of Wellness (Myers & Sweeney, 2007).
As we covered in class, there are many factors to personal wellness such as; emotional, occupational, intellectual, spiritual, social, and environmental, etc. The list could go on. Having high levels of wellness in all of these categories is most likely extremely tough and does not happen all at once. At this time in my life right now, I feel that I am beyond happy with my wellness. Achieving this happiness was tough, but I acquired it through difficult life challenges.
The second dimension of wellness is emotional wellness, which has a lot to do with you ability to recognize your own thoughts and feelings and deal with them in a healthy way. There are a lot of ways to do this, such as: understanding and sharing your thoughts and feelings with yourself and those around you, and being confident in your self and the decisions you make. Some well known people who I believe have attained emotional wellness include Ellen DeGeneres and Doctor Phil.
Knowing what each of these dimensions of wellness requires can feel overwhelming. However, one should not be discouraged because of what they lack, but look forward to the improvement we are capable of bringing to our own lives. Becoming more spiritual will always be beneficial. Anytime one can improve their relationship with God one can improve their life astronomically. Emotional wellness is possible even for those who have been through horrible experiences. Practicing emotional wellness can bring healing. Physical and nutritional wellness will lead to a longer, pleasanter life and social wellness will make that life worth living. Sharing a well life with family, friends, and God will make time on this earth an irreplaceable experience.
Most people may associate that health psychology is only to produce solutions for health concerns and not, that it is also to inform the public of measures for good health behaviors. An extremely incr...
Emotional wellness is one the most overlooked part of global health. As counselors, we have a responsibility to our clients to create a healthy environment in which our clients can benefit, but most importantly, we have a responsibility to cogitate our own healthy environment. In order for an individual to effectively manage our awareness, understanding and acceptance of our feelings through our encounters and fluctuations within our life, we must recognize that our emotional wellness is a critical component to these factors. Although life entails disappointments having the capability to be aware and accept our feelings commanding an optimistic outlook implies that we have reached emotional wellness. This paper will discuss the definition,