Foundations of Mental Health Counseling – Professional Identity

 

I need this  1/12/18 Friday @ 18:00 EDT 6pm

In this module, you learned about the training, preparation, credentials, and scope of work of clinical mental health counselors. You also learned how the work of clinical mental health counselors is similar to and different from other mental health professionals. The significance of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and other professional counseling organizations in the development and growth of the counseling profession was also reviewed. Understanding what clinical mental health counselors are trained to do, being knowledgeable of the similarities and differences among therapeutic professions, and recognizing the importance of professional organizations in shaping who counselors are today is important to your development as a professional counselor and expression of a strong professional counselor identity.

Counselors continue to advocate for the counseling profession daily in an attempt to gain parity with other therapeutic professionals. It is important for you to have a clear counselor identity to help further counseling’s professional advocacy efforts. As a clinical mental health counselor, you will work alongside other mental health professionals and perform many roles and functions in a variety of practice settings. As you think about what counseling is and what it involves, consider the following scenario.

Scenario:

You are a licensed counselor who just opened a private practice. Marketing and advertising are at the top of your to-do list because attracting clients is an important part of getting your practice off the ground. Your specialty is working with children and adolescents, particularly those who have experienced trauma and abuse.

You are meeting a friend for lunch and agree to meet at his office because it is close to the restaurant. You arrive at his building and while you are waiting for the elevator, you overhear a man and a woman exchange stories about children with whom they work. They describe children who have been bullied, who suffer from low self-esteem, who have attempted suicide, who come from broken homes, and who have limited support systems. Despite these concerns, they allude to the fact that the children live in a relatively affluent part of town. While they are expressing their exasperation over working with so many children with such significant problems, you conclude that the man and the woman are public school administrators. They acknowledge that the students could benefit from professional help but feel like their hands are tied. The male principal states that he asked his school counselor to help but he is not sure the school counselor will be the right person to help.

The elevator arrives. The three of you get in. The man pushes number 25, and you push number 28. You realize that this is a golden opportunity to market yourself and your private practice. After apologizing for eavesdropping on their conversation, you introduce yourself as a licensed counselor who specializes in working with children and adolescents. Immediately after you introduce yourself as a licensed counselor, the female principal asks whether you are a psychologist.

Develop a 60-second elevator speech in response to the female principal’s question. Remember, you have only 30 to 60 seconds in the elevator and this is a golden opportunity to let others know what you do as a counselor and how you could possibly be of help. Before submitting your post, you need to review a 60-second elevator speech video.

Click

here

to view a 60-second elevator speech.

https://search-alexanderstreet-com.libproxy.edmc.edu/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cvideo_work%7C2311779/clip/74156

Tasks:

In a minimum of 200 words, respond to the following:

• Explain who you are (a counselor) and what you do as a clinical mental health counselor.
• Describe how what you do might be similar to and, particularly, how it might be different from other mental health professionals’ work.
• Explain how what you learned in Module 1 will contribute to your professional growth as a new counselor-in-training.

Your discussion should clearly articulate how you conceptualize clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) and should convey that concept in a manner that others might find helpful.

Support your rationale and analysis by using at least two resources from professional literature in your response. Professional literature may include peer-reviewed journal articles you can access through the Argosy University online library resources; relevant textbooks; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (websites ending in .edu or .gov).

Be sure to read all of your classmates’ original posts and respond to more than two of your classmates’ posts. Your responses should be substantive, meaning they should encourage further dialogue and discussion, encourage your classmates to think about other aspects of the topic, compare your response to your classmates’ responses, or ask a relevant question, to better assist you with your understanding. Responses such as “I like/I agree” or “I don’t like/I don’t agree” are not complete enough.

Your discussion posts and all written assignments should reflect graduate-level writing skills and appropriate use of APA style, including in-text citations and references.

Submission Details:

• By the due date assigned, post your responses to this Discussion Area.
• Through the end of the module, respond to more than two of your classmates’ posts. While responding, comment on the parts of your classmates’ speech that are similar to and different from your speech. Provide constructive feedback to each of your classmates and describe what you might consider incorporating into your own speech after reading theirs.

Grading CriteriaMaximum PointsQuality of initial posting, including fulfillment of assignment instructions8Quality of responses to classmates6Frequency of responses to classmates2Reference to supporting readings and other materials2Language and grammar2Total:20 

Counseling has evolved over the years and, in many ways, is still in its infancy as a profession when compared to other mental health professions like psychology and social work. This module will provide a historical overview of the what, when, why, and how of professional counseling. The important contributions of key figures will be discussed, along with the impact of federal government acts and professional counseling organizations on the identity, preparation, and scope of work of professional counselors. This module will also explore the future of counseling as a profession. It will also identify vulnerable populations and issues of concern. Finally, this module covers various topics related to professional identity.

In the early 20th century, before the term “counseling” was coined, the concept of informally “helping others” was introduced. This module provides a chronological overview of how the idea of helping others at a critical point in the country’s history evolved into what we call today Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC). Understanding the origins of the profession, and how past historical events shaped the profession, may help you evaluate future problems from a different frame of reference (Heppner et al., 1995). Knowing the past of a profession, according to Heppner et al. (1995), is also believed to help counselors-in-training plan better, with anticipation, for the future direction of counseling. It can also be argued that the more one learns about a profession, the more one can readily identify with that profession.

One notable event in the history of counseling occurred in 2009 when the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) made the decision to create a unique specialty, clinical mental health counseling (CMHC). The decision was made after it was determined that students from community counseling and mental health counseling programs were competing for the same jobs. Essentially, this meant they were doing the same work. The decision to combine the two specialties is one example of the important role of CACREP.  

The services provided by clinical mental health counselors, and the settings in which they work today, overlap with other therapeutic professionals. This module will highlight the training, philosophical beliefs, licensure requirements, and scope of practice differences and similarities among various therapeutic professionals. In this module, the professional organizations that help shape the identity of clinical mental health counselors are introduced and the various practice settings in which clinical mental health counselors work are explored.

As you study the material in this module on the history of and professional identity in clinical mental health counseling, pay particular attention to the role of government and the role of professional organizations in the development of the profession. Consider how these entities have shaped what counselors do and the focus and emphasis of CMHC today. Also, note how government and professional organizations have influenced training, funding, and standardized practices. Pay particular attention to how your training as a clinical mental health counselor may differ from that of other mental health professionals. Also, note the similarities in training, scope of practice, credentials, and work settings.

This may be a good time for you to explore what your training will involve if you are not 100% sure. Ask your instructor or faculty advisor if you have questions. At the end of this module, your understanding should encompass what Argosy’s CMHC program requires, what your state requires, and what the counseling profession has deemed important as it relates to your knowledge, skills, and abilities. This module is just the beginning of conceptualizing the identity of clinical mental health counselors. Future modules will introduce information that will add to your current knowledge and to what you glean about CMHC after you read this module.

 

Reference:

Heppner, P. P., Kivlighan, D. M., Wright, G. M., Pledge, D. S., Brossart, D. F.,Bellatin, A. M., . . . Krull, L. A. (1995). Teaching the history of counseling:Training the next generation. Journal of Counseling and Development,73(3), 337–341.

Origins of the Profession

A review of the counseling literature unanimously lauds vocational guidance and planning as the catalyst and precursor to CMHC in the 21st century. Before the term “counseling” was ever used, people sought to help each other out of need and as a good humanitarian gesture during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution marked a period of transition in the United States that brought people together from a variety of backgrounds. Learning to live and work side by side required help. Additionally, the Industrial Revolution brought with it a new focus on employability and the vocational needs of youth and young adults. In hindsight, while career counseling is a specialty in counseling today, the influence of vocational planning on mental health counseling is sometimes hard to conceptualize.

If we consider some of the early theorists associated with vocational guidance and planning, we learn that they often emphasized individual choiceand the use of a holistic approach. Consequently, its influence on mental health counseling is more readily observable. Autonomy, or freedom of choice, is one of Kitchener’s five principles of morality that counselors are encouraged to take into consideration when working with a client (Kitchener, 1984). Early vocational theorists understood people’s ability and right to choose what was best for them, specifically as it related to choosing a vocation. Clinical mental health counselors wholeheartedly embrace this concept today along a continuum of client issues.

As you begin to explore what counseling is, you will learn in later modules that counseling is considered dynamic and multifaceted. Instead of focusing on one dimension, counselors consider all aspects associated with the whole person, including biological, psychological, physical, social, and spiritual aspects. Again, we are able to see here the early influence of vocational guidance on counseling in the 21st century.

As you read about the origins and the historical roots of counseling, see if you are able to connect the past with the present, with what you understand about counseling in the present day.

Reference:

Kitchener, K. S. (1984). Intuition, critical evaluation, and ethical principles:The foundation for ethical decisions in counseling psychology.Counseling Psychologist, 12, 43–55.

Pioneers

Numerous individuals are credited with contributing to the development of the counseling profession. Pioneers in the area of theory, measurement, and career counseling, in particular, are well cited throughout counseling literature. It is important to note that some of the contributions made by these pioneers had a direct impact on counseling, while others had a less-than-direct, yet notable, impact on the development of the profession. Regardless of the extent of the impact, it can be argued that these forerunners were instrumental in conceptualizing and defining the work of clinical mental health counselors in the 21st century. The philosophy of counseling and its emphasis on prevention, growth, normal development, wellness, empowerment, and treating the whole person can be traced back to early pioneers who focused primarily on helping children and young adults identify vocational interests (Newsome & Gladding, 2014; Wright & Heppner, 1990).

The contributions of Frank Parsons, one of the earliest pioneers in the development of counseling, date back to the late 19th century, around the late 1890s. Leonard Miller, Donald Super, Robert Hoppock, and David Tiedeman (Wright & Heppner, 1990) are other pioneers mentioned in the era of career planning and vocational guidance. Jesse B. Davis is another forerunner who is hailed for his contribution to counseling’s emphasis on prevention. Davis, a former superintendent, introduced the concept of school guidance to help children prevent problems by focusing on character education (Newsome & Gladding, 2014). School guidance activities are still implemented in schools around the country today, particularly in elementary and middle schools, in accordance with the delivery of the American School Counseling Association’s national model.

Edward Strong, Frederic Kuder, and John Holland are noted for their significant contributions to the field in the area of measurement. You will have an opportunity to learn more about their contributions to counseling in your career counseling class. Similar to Davis, their contributions are as present today as they were decades ago. Theorists such as Carl Rogers and Albert Ellis, to name a few, are also revered as having a significant impact on the field of counseling.

As you read about the pioneers in counseling in this module, keep in mind that there are too many to mention them all. Consequently, only a select few are highlighted. You may learn more about the individuals who played a part in shaping the counseling profession by reading the following chapter from the book listed in the Reference section:

· Our Beginnings in Career Counseling: Understanding Our Professional Roots and Goals

Reference:

Wright, D. M., & Heppner, P. P. (1990). Our beginnings in career counseling:Understanding our professional roots and goals. In P. P. Heppner (ed.).Pioneers in counseling & development: Personal and professional perspectives (pp. 1–3). Alexandria, VA: American Association for Counseling and Development.

Evolution over the Years

A small glimpse into how counseling evolved over more than a century illuminates how counseling progressed from informal helping in the late 19th century; to vocational guidance and character education in schools at the turn of the century; to working outside of school settings; to a focus on military personnel and testing; to government’s recognition of counseling as a distinct profession; to the role of professional organizations in bringing awareness to and streamlining what counselors do and what they are required to know. Along the way, a number of important events like the Great Depression, World War II, and the establishment of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) impacted how counseling was conducted over the years. Additionally, the major influences of key characters such as E.G. Williamson, Frank Parsons, and Carl Rogers, are credited with further developing the counseling profession of the 21st century.

As you study, keep a mental note of the historical events that took place and take a moment to revisit your program of study for the CMHC program. As you review your program of study, namely, the course work that is required for completion of the master’s degree in CMHC, pay particular attention to how history has shaped what you are responsible for knowing in the 21st century. With this in mind, also think about the events of the 21st century that have shaped your program of study. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; the war in Afghanistan; Hurricane Katrina; and even the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have influenced the counseling profession in countless ways. What else do you feel may impact the future practice, training, or philosophy of CMHC? As mentioned earlier in the lecture, it is believed that the more you know about the past, the better prepared you are to anticipate the future of counseling (Heppner et al., 1995).

Reference:

Heppner, P. P., Kivlighan, D. M., Wright, G. M., Pledge, D. S., Brossart,D. F., Bellatin, A. M., . . . Krull, L. A. (1995). Teaching the history of counseling: Training the next generation. Journal of Counseling and Development, 73(3), 337–341.

Clinical Mental Health Counselors

People sometimes ask, “What is the difference between a counselor and a psychologist or a social worker?” Students often enter a CMHC program with the same question, and some leave never knowing the real answer. The reality is that clinical mental health counselors and other therapeutic professionals provide similar services across various practice settings today. Mental health professionals learn the same theories and same counseling techniques and interventions and provide individual, group, and family and couples counseling. They are also trained to conduct assessments and provide diagnosis. So what is so different? You may see more similarities than differences between helping professions, but for the development of your professional identity, it is important for you to have some understanding of what sets counselors apart from other therapeutic professionals.

Much like counseling, there are a number of specialties within the field of psychology. Psychology is mentioned often because questions are mostly raised about the difference between counseling and psychology rather than about the difference between counseling and other mental health professions. Counseling psychology is one specialty area in psychology where clinical mental health counselors see the most similarities. The similarities are related to philosophical beliefs about people, their problems, and the best way to help, as well as similarities in the scope of practice, meaning the services that each provides (assessment, diagnosis, counseling, and consultation).

Historically, counseling has focused on prevention, wellness, empowerment, and helping ordinary people with ordinary developmental concerns to help themselves through education. As an expert in consultation, Caplan (Mendoza, 1993) said it best when he said you teach people how to fish while you give them a fish. The thought behind Caplan’s idea is that you help people with an immediate need and you also give them the tools to later be able to help themselves. Caplan’s analogy of fishing is what counselors describe as psychoeducation. Counselors often help and teach clients at the same time.

Psychologists, historically, focused on studying and understanding dysfunctional behavior (pathology) and/or disease in people. Psychology developed out of a biomedical model while counseling came from a developmental model. Psychologists were trained to work with those clients who presented with “less-than-ordinary” concerns and who demonstrated more deep-seated psychological issues. Social workers, historically, took a systems approach to understanding people and their problems. As such, their approach to helping involved connecting people with needed community resources and working to change the environments that adversely affected clients’ well-being.

Today, clinical mental health counselors are trained to work with clients who present issues along a continuum, from situational to developmental and then to pathological. Clinical mental health counselors today also focus on the whole person, which involves systems thinking. It is no wonder that some people are not quite sure who they should choose when looking for a professional helper.

As you review this module, make a mental note of the ways in which you perceive the philosophical beliefs, education and training, credentialing and licensure, and scope of practice differ between a clinical mental health counselor and a therapeutic professional.

Reference:

Mendoza, D. W. (1993). A review of Caplan’s theory and practice of mental health consultation. Journal of Counseling & Development, 71(6),629–635.