Free Paper Sample: Career in Counseling

I have not always been good with technological application in my studies. I am more of the library researcher kind where I prefer reading hardcopy research work for my knowledge acquisition and research purposes. I expect online research to be a little bit challenging for me but with all the help available around from either my teachers or fellow students, I am assured of finding aid whenever I come across a challenging encounter.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

I have always been good at expressing myself through writing. Coming from a family where everybody is an ardent reader, I grew up surrounded by books and developed good reading and writing skills. I, therefore, don foresee any possible writing challenges that I may encounter in the course of the program. Evaluating an individuals normal or abnormal behavior

Two perspectives could be applied in this evaluation, i.e.

Individual perspectives- this refers to those personal character traits that may be analyzed to ascertain the behavioral character traits of a given individual. Some of these traits may include; social deviance, emotional distress, faulty reality perceptions (Alexander, & Parsons, 1973).

Systemic perspectives- in the systemic view, behavioral changes may be observed by; unusualness in the self, maladaptive behavior, among other observations.

Abnormal behavior may get defined as a deviation from the common behavioral traits of an individual. Upon the observation of such changes, it is advisable to identify the cause that will guide the solution seeking process. (Alexander, & Parsons, 1973)

However, one individual's perception of normal behavior may be different from another's thus may prompt the observer to consider the behavior as abnormal. As a counselor, it is necessary for one to maintain a clear perception of what is deemed to be normal not to them but by conventional social norms. For instance, I consider gay behavior to be abnormal which is not the case. Therefore, when faced with a situation that involves a gay client, I am required to maintain an impartial approach to the situation.

Therefore, when professionals are trying to establish the particular behavioral character traits in patients, i.e., normal or abnormal behavior, it is crucial to maintaining a realistic perspective that is free of their perceptions. This is essential in keeping a clear approach to the whole problem and avoiding personal opinion from influencing the recommendations or advice given.

Psychopharmacology involves the use of medications in the attempt to impact the neurological functions and behavior. Various drugs are applied each playing a distinct role from the other. (Hillert, et al. 1996) Some of the classes of medications that may be utilized include;Antipsychotic

Antipsychotic drugs are used for patients with either bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Examples of these antipsychotic drugs include; Olanzapine, Aripiprazole, Risperidone among others. The drugs are prescribed by a professional upon the establishment of psychotic symptoms. Some of these symptoms may consist of, extreme mood changes ranging from extreme happiness to ultimate sadness and depression.

Antidepressant

These are pharmacological drugs that work in such a way to reduce depression symptoms or curb mood swings. Imbalance in these aspects is believed to be as a result of malfunctions of neurotransmitters of the brain. Drugs used to treat the condition include; Norepinephrine, Serotonin, Monoamine among others. The drug's effects are gradual, and a physician's care is necessaryAntianxiety

These are the most common kind of prescription psychiatric disorder drugs in the American pharmaceutical industry. The drugs work in such a way as to alleviate or lessen the anxiety feeling that the patient is experiencing. Common antianxiety drugs include; Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines. Common symptoms associated with these drugs include insomnia, agitation, and withdrawal.

Administration of any pharmacological drugs to treat psychiatric disorders should be carried out by a professional healthcare provider, and the prescribed medications should be those that are best suited to handle the existing condition. (Hillert, et al. 1996)

STRESSORS cultural social age

death withdrawal depression Traumatic experience class misunderstanding

Natural disaster displacement Two stressors that meet the defined criteria are class and societal history. Coming from a humble background, my family and I always had a difficult time adjusting in the social setting. Social class was a dividing factor between the community members where members interacted with only those who were from the same class as they. This, therefore, denied me the opportunity to get to interact with other children and get to learn about the various experiences from families of different social classes. However, this shortcoming was compensated in junior high school where attending a public school presented me with the chance to interact with people from various backgrounds and origins. My family would have wanted for me to attend private school, but financial constraints made this problematic. The social class division is evident in such incidents where those higher up the social ladder get to experience and receive better services than those down below (McGoldrick, Carter, & Garcia-Preto, 2016).

My experience will come in handy as a therapist counselor as it has shaped me into understanding that different individuals have their diverse backgrounds that may be attributed to their behavior or ways of coping with problems in life. Bearing this in mind, I can use my experience to determine a client's background where they come from and incorporate it into the treatment program. This could be helpful in the healing process where a patient's personality is infused into the treatment plan.

Choosing a career is not only crucial for the individual studying the course but also for the family he comes from. Younger members of the family who look up to an individual as a role model have their future educational choices influenced by the elder members of the family. (McGoldrick, Carter, & Garcia-Preto, 2016) Pursuing a career that fascinates these young learners increases their interest and also boosts their willingness to strive and work hard to emulate their role-model. Choosing a career path is therefore not only a personal choice but a societal factor that affects not only the learner but also those who surround him.

My choice of career counseling has mainly been affected by my family. Most of the members in my extended family are in either in social work or the medical profession. By taking up a career choice in the same line, I was guaranteed to have established individuals who could walk me through the various hurdles in this field, and I would be advantaged in this line of study. With my choice in my career path, I intend to impact the society in a positive way bringing positive and helpful advice within their reach for the benefit of the community as a whole.

References

Kaplan, D. M., & Gladding, S. T. (2011). A vision for the future of counseling: The 20/20 principles for unifying and strengthening the profession. Journal of Counseling & Development, 89(3), 367-372.