Careers in Psychology

Mental Health Counselor Professional History with Integration of Class Activities The ability to inspire trust, respect, and self-confidence, along with a powerful desire to help others are key characteristics of mental health counselors. For someone to be a certified counselor, typically, a Masters Degree is required, but requirements differ from state to state. The job perspective for mental health counselors is positive as more opportunities are available than certified graduates. The mental health philosophy focuses on holistic health, or balanced life as a primary construct.

However, the present mental health design and the tenure in universities are driven by systems that emphasize the importance of promotion, accolades and identification as a procedure by which an expert is analyzed as successful. By sticking to this procedure, I could be overly considered as having a powerful identity in the profession. With the current system, male experts may remain at higher levels of top management roles in mental health agencies. A pattern towards disproportional male institutional management is furthered by research.

Studies show that male gender role objectives are not grounded on a similar level of balance between their personal and career life. This is because of spousal support and lack of cultural expectations regarding domestic liability (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2013). Incorporating Results of career assessments Recently, various researchers and authors have emphasized the need for a holistic approach to mental counseling, which incorporates career and mental health problems. As such, one crucial element in the incorporation of career assessments and mental health counseling is my expertise and training within the setting.

Various counseling centers oversee the research, instruction and evaluation. This field requires that I must have at least a degree or a master's degree in mental health counseling. Such a staffing trend matches well with the mission of providing training and supervision, which incorporates attention to career and client's mental health issues. While considering other settings, it is necessary to ensure employees have appropriate credentials to oversee client's mental health issues.

Without doubt, as a mental health counselor providing direct services to clients, this is a mandatory part of the supervision. With such a training oriented career service environment, I will be able to successfully incorporate my career and mental health counseling. This will be achieved through application of concepts and theory in counseling. This approach enables me to integrate the notion of client's readiness for career services depending on their capability and complexity of the scenario (Duane & Crace, 1996).

Cultural Limitations or External Factors Perhaps the greatest limitation to the profession comes from within as counseling has been globalized. Worldwide governments have identified the significance of mental health. As a result, many factors like cultural recognition, socioeconomic position, migration record, age, gender, religious beliefs, and physical capabilities; have a powerful effect on an individual's way of life. Based on these factors, individuals may be members of several subcultures. An individual's culture is carefully connected to health beliefs, value systems, and communication.

Cultural pluralism is an actual viewpoint of this section: cultures are different, but one is not naturally better or worse than any other person. Culturally qualified experts should recognize the tremendous effect of culture. Hence, I must understand that all individuals are engrossed in their own culture -- with its associated values, behaviors, and attitudes; which guides their professional and personal communications (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2013). However, human nature is such that everyone tends to be ethnocentric.

What we ignore is that the next person, who could be from a different culture, also may be ethnocentric. This awareness or lack of, is especially crucial when counselors work with patients who come from different cultures. Career Theory Most forecasts on counseling theory have concentrated on the deep entrenchment in the society of the managed care and medical model, as well as our increasing reliance on psychotropic interventions. Hence, when forecasts are evidence-based and brief, cognitive-behavioral approaches will control the long-term strategies for mental health care.

I believe that if I acquiesce to this status quo, I will be contributing to the death of the career by becoming unnecessary in a field overcrowded with healthcare practitioners. However, if professionals can unite behind their identity as a career that is uniquely holistic, strengths-based and based in the wellness, they will have the capacity to turn the tide. A cultural pattern important to note is that, because of developments in healthcare technological innovation, individuals are living together and our ageing population is increasing (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2013).

Later, the practice will need theories that react to the needs of seniors by dealing with religious dimensions of existential and living problems such as death, meaning, and isolation. Additional Resources As a mental health counselor, one must have the strong desire to help people and instill confidence, respect, and trust. Both independent work and teamwork skills are needed. They must adhere to the code of ethics as stated by their licensing and certification organizations.

As a mental health counselor, I will encounter daily problems that can cause stress and often require high levels of both physical and emotional energy. Education and training requirements for mental health counselors differ from state to state. That said, for licensure I need a Masters.