Choosing career at the earliest stage in life is one of the aspects that determine the future. Notably, there are various factors that determine one’s career choice such as passion, employment prospects, and advice from career educators, counselors or family members. Critical to underscore is that the need to make well informed career choice cannot be underestimated. One of the benefits of making career decisions is that one is motivated to become committed in achieving the highest performance standards. Further, through career choice, one is able to utilize individual strength toward a specific life goal. The objective of this essay is to describe a career-related decision in my psychiatrist counseling career, highlighting the benefits gained from the experience, and applying constructivism theory.
An Upcoming Career-Related Decision
In my life, I anticipate becoming a professional psychiatric counselor in future. I just have to make a career-related decision in order to perfect my career choice. I always admire to work with clients with mental problems. My dream of becoming a psychiatrist counselor made me to develop friendship with professor Peterson Michael. He is a tutor at one of the Universities in the United States. He is also my neighbor whom I find it easier to meet and share my experiences and dreams with him during holidays than some of my friends. My cousin, Collins Lin, has mental illness and I am the one in charge of him while at home. I take care and engage him in different ways in order to understand his needs. My cousin and professor Peterson have provided me with experiences, which have positively contributed to my career development
My experiences with my cousin have made me to belief that my career towards counselling is baffling. When I started my journey towards a counselling career ten years ago, I was struck by lack of clear and streamlined pieces of advice. I kept on wondering if I required a Bachelor’s degree, a diploma or a Master’s degree in psychiatric counseling.
I could not understand the difference between a psychologist, psychotherapist and a counsellor. I still did not comprehend the difference between a psychoanalytic, a psychoanalyst and psychotherapist. This issue made me engage in personal studies, therapy, training and personal investigation in order to develop a good understanding of the various routes into the counselling profession. My experience with professor Peterson has made me to identify some of the paths I need to undertake towards my counselling career. I need to acquire skills in cognitive behavioral therapy, counselling, psychiatry, psychotherapy and counselling psychology, as noted by Sommers-Flanagan and Sommers-Flanagan (2018). I still do not understand the course I need to specialize so that I get equipped with competent counseling skills
Notably, Collins has always thanked me for the attention I give to him. Despite his mental condition, we have a well-established relationship. He enjoys talking to me and always follows my instructions. My parents find it difficult to calm him down while I am away. Sometimes my mother is forced to call me over the phone so that I communicate with my cousin to calm him down. One day, Collins approached me and whispered: “I trust you”. I feel deeply privileged when someone trust me.
Professor Peterson made me comprehend that psychiatric counselling requires appropriate training in a recognized regulatory body. He enlightened me that a professional counsellor training takes three to five years and can be a diploma or degree level. Sommers-Flanagan and Sommers-Flanagan (2018) note that qualification requires a minimum number of client hours acquired through a work placement. The professor informed me that training begins with an introduction to counselling and takes up to three months, though it can be waived if the student has some previous experience. The student then applies for a certificate in counselling skills for one year, followed by a diploma in counselling, which takes two to three years. Alternatively, a student can make a choice to train through a university counselling degree.
The courses in the training are rooted in academic theories such as constructivist, which informs the way counselling is conducted in practice. The professor insisted that there are many counselling theories with different theoretical approach. When I become a counsellor, I will choose a suitable approach that will impact on my style of counselling and the way will be working with my clients. The professor reminded me that despite of my experience with Collins, I should expect intensive and emotionally-triggering training courses in counselling.
Despite of all meaningful experiences with both Collins and professor Peterson, I still could not make a choice towards my counseling career. I was left in a dilemma in making a decision on what I exactly wanted that could make me a counselor. I was confused whether I needed to specialize or to generalize in my counseling course. I did not know the specific group of people that could make my clients. Work with couples or families, groups or individuals, children or adults? Pursue cognitive, psychoanalytic or humanistic behavioral training?
Part 2
The Benefits and Insights Gained from This Activity from The Perspective of a Client
The role of course content in helping me undertake this assignment cannot be underestimated. At this early, the content materials have played an instrumental role in broadening my knowledge on the differences existing among various professions in this field such as counseling, psychology and psychiatry. Together with the above experience, the course materials and lessons will help me make a well-informed decision of the carrier that I wish to take going forward. On the other hand, theoretical aspect of the course materials was critically important as it helped me know how to deal with my cousin and Mr. Peterson. Notably, I was able to practically apply the theory in my engagements, which shaped my skills in counseling profession.
Constructivism was one of the main categories of theories that were covered in the course. According to Constructivism theory, humans are meaning-makers in their lives and essentially construct their own realities (McIlveen " Schultheiss, 2012). Through the course material and the experience, I was able to realize the need to make decision on the career choice. In practically applying the theoretical materials in this assignment, I noted the importance of seeing the strength not only in my cousin, but also at an individual level, instead of only focusing on weaknesses.
I gained several benefits and insights from the activity from the perspective of the client. I got a lot of information from my experience with both professor Peterson and Collins. I came to understand that helping people with certain problems is a process and can take months or even years. I now understand that counsellors are in for the long haul, as a counsellor in need to work with patients with humility. The activity made me to understand that each day of working as a counsellor is different since clients themselves are different. Different clients have their own priorities and problems. Hood, Johnson, Sommers-Flanagan, Sommers-Flanagan and American Psychiatric Association (2017) observe that it is the duty of a counsellor to find the best solutions and approaches for a particular situation of a client.
The activity taught me the responsibilities of typical counselors. I learned that as a counselor I need to create an environment that encourages patients to talk freely about their issues, experiences, emotions and problems. The activity equipped me with knowledge on how to carry out evaluation on a patient’s mental and physical condition and the way of assisting patients when they are encountered with crisis problems. The professor also taught me how to create and maintain records of clients and ensuring that all information is accurate and remains private and confidential.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Activity
As a professional practitioner, there are several advantages that the activity made me to realize. According to McIlveen and Schultheiss (2012), counselling profession gives a counsellor an opportunity to help others. As a counselor I require exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. Just as I did to Collins, I had to indulge in a continuous communication before he could tell me what he needed. One needs to have a strong desire in helping other people for him or her to be successful in the counselling profession. A counselling profession offers a way of empowering other people in making positive life changes (Hood et al., 2017). As a professional practitioner, I need to see clients improve their lives in a satisfying and rewarding manner.
Another advantage from the activity is the understanding of how to deal with clients who are violent. Those clients with mental illness sometimes become violent and difficult to control or calm them down. According to Sommers-Flanagan and Sommers-Flanagan (2018), violence is part of the client with mental problems. My experience with Collins from the activity equipped me with some skills on managing the dangers when working with psychiatric patients.
As a professional practitioner I discovered that there are some disadvantages from the activity that I undertook. The activity made me to develop some fear for my counselling profession. I almost lost hope in pursuing counselling as my career. The activity exposed me to the most challenging experiences about the counselling profession. I realized that a counsellor cannot change things more for his or her clients that they want it for themselves. As a counsellor I just have to be patient and realize that every client goes at their own pace. Sometimes I have to be willing to accept the times when clients are just not ready, that means I have to stay stuck a little bit longer as I try to find solutions to the client’s problems.
Another disadvantage from the activity is when I learned that a professional counsellor has to work in a stressful work environment. As a professional practitioner, I have to work with following a specific working schedule such as 9-to-5 schedule. Working as professional counsellor in a hospital or a mental health facility requires a twenty-four-hour care environment. Hood et al. (2017) note that sometimes a counsellor has to spend weekends and nights attending to their clients.
Application of Constructive Theories to My Experience
My experience with Collins in the activity gave an opportunity to offer constructive therapy unknowingly. I had acquired skills of guiding my cousin to keep him calm whenever he became violent. The experience enabled me to have a deep awareness of the client. Therefore, client and therapist are supposed to ensure that they are collaborating as equal participants in trying to interpret issues and assist each other in the counseling process (McIlveen " Schultheiss, 2012). in a reality that is socially-constructed, constructive therapists hold specific beliefs and view their relationship with clients as a way of creating meaning through having conversations.
At a personal level, it was through effective communication that helped to successfully deal with the mental condition of Collins. I only focused on the strengths of my cousin and never looked at his deficiencies or mental illness. This experience affirmed the observation made by Hood et al. (2017) that a counsellor has to focus on the future and be optimistic and hopeful about the ability of the client to improve positively.
Conclusion
Based on the above information, it is clear that learners should be encouraged to make well-informed career choices. Undertaking research on various issues should be emphasized in this process. Specifically, future counselors need to be aware of the task and responsibilities that they will be expected to undertake. Personal experiences and course materials are some of the sources that one can consider when making career choices. As noted above, my experience with my cousin and professor Peterson and the course content played a pivotal role in this assignment.
References
Hood, A. B., Johnson, R. W., Sommers-Flanagan, J., Sommers-Flanagan, R., " American Psychiatric Association. (2017). Assessment in counseling: A guide to the use of psychological assessment. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
McIlveen, P., " Schultheiss, D. E. P. (2012). Social constructionism in vocational psychology and career development. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Sommers-Flanagan, J., " Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2018). Counseling and psychotherapy theories in context and practice: Skills, strategies, and techniques. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley " Sons.
