discussion week 1 mental health

by

When you first considered counseling as a

career
 path, what did you imagine it would be like? You may not have asked yourself that question yet. Now is the time to consider what your future career might be like on a day-to-day basis.

Imagine these details: the clients you see yourself helping, the location of your workspace, the coworkers you interact with, and how you might become an advocate and agent of social change. With this clear picture in mind, you can better prepare yourself for developing the skills and professional identity of a mental health counselor.

For this Spark Discussion, contemplate the details described in the paragraph above (and feel free to go beyond them—the sky’s the limit), and prepare to share your

vision
 for your future as a mental health counselor.

To Prepare:

  • Review the Course Introduction and Syllabus.
  • As you prepare for this Spark Discussion, keep in mind that your focus should be professional and not personal in nature.
  • Consider your motivations for becoming a counselor.
  • Imagine that you have completed your Master’s program and you have become a fully licensed mental health counselor.

Post the following:

  • Describe your motivation for becoming a counselor.
  • Describe your vision for your future role as a counselor. Include as many details as possible, including
    • the clients you will counsel;
    • how you are helping them change;
    • the setting where you will counsel; and
    • how you will serve as an agent for social change.
  • Feel free to go beyond these questions if additional details emerge for you.

resources

American Psychological Association. (2010).
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

  • Introduction (pp. 3–7)
  • Chapter 3, “Writing Clearly and Concisely” (pp. 61–86)

Walden University. (2017). Welcome to the Writing Center. Retrieved from
http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter