Since I was first accepted into the graduate clinical mental health counseling program, I highly anticipated my first experience of actual counseling. I never expected the difficulties I would face upon my first encounter counseling a client. With my client unaware of the reason for being referred to me, asking “what brings you in here today?” turned out to be the wrong question to ask. The more appropriate way initiating a counseling relationship begins with introductions and obtaining background information from the client increasing the trust level between client and the counselor. During the session, I detected my “machine gun questions” meaning I never provided my client adequate time to respond before I asked another question; as a result,…
My clinical experience so far has been quite interesting, because I learned basic clinical procedures and preventions that I know will benefit me as a nurse in the near future. During lab, we discussed infection control, personal hygiene, and isolation precautions. These procedures impact my personal health and wellness, because I need to ensure that I am using the proper techniques in order to keep me safe. Also, I know that it is important to make sure my patients are not at risk of developing hospital associated infections.…
Most little girls dream of being a ballerina when they grow up, I was the little girl who dreamed of medical school. Anyone who was brave enough to ask got my vehement no when asked if I thought that the college, subsequent medical school, and training would be too much school or that I would get bored. I decided very early that to be a doctor was one of the most exciting things that a person could chose to be and my fantastic pediatrician was the initial spark for this love of medicine. The care that I could see him exhibit in his daily operations as well as the ease at which he interacted with patients and parents alike inspired me. His knowledge was fascinating and I longed to have that level of understanding of the human body.…
February started with a caucus of my own: my car broke down and I got sick all at the same time. I won't be able to go to class today. I've already texted and emailed my students. I've also send assignments to cover. I am sorry for this last minute call as I honestly thought I was going to be able to make…
A well known violinist from Minneapolis, Minnesota; Lana Lombardi, died in a car crash last Tuesday on her way to Orchestra Hall. Lombardi was driving her blue Honda civic to a Christmas concert when she was hit on the driver’s side in an intersection by Bryan James who was driving a black Ford pickup truck. Lombardi was rushed to the hospital with her whole left side crushed. She suffered sever cranial damage, 11 broke ribs, and a punctured lung. She was admitted to the ICU and doctors immediately started surgery.…
As a child growing up in Rhode Island, the smallest state in the Union, the idea of a vast planet brimming with civilization and culture was more like something out of a fairy tale than it was reality. So, when my father announced that we would be leaving the country to go to Scotland, the home of his and my ancestors, my world began to expand at a rapid pace. This trip could not have been timed more perfectly. The summer of 2007 marked the end of fourth grade, my first year at Saint Mary Academy Bay View.…
A few years ago, I have decided to go to my health professional and have my numbers checked. Although my numbers still fall in the "normal" range, they're still low for someone my age. If my memory serves me right, it was around 260 or so. I knew that something has to be done, my low testosterone level doesn't only affect my sexual life, but my life in general. I always feel tired, anxious, and unsatisfied of my body.…
Mayfield High School sophomore Emily Claire Byrne suffered an unrecognized mood disorder for 9 whole years. Today, Byrne has overcome her struggle for almost 4 years now. This tragedy all started at the age of 3 when Byrne and her mom Maggie Byrne were about to go on their vacation to the Bahamas. On their way there,Maggie noticed something was wrong.…
My two careers that I am interested in is being a Family & General Practitioner and a Psychiatrist. I am also interested in other careers but these two are my top choices. I chose these two careers because the pay is high, they interest me and they fit into my goals for the future. Being a Family & General Practitioner interests me more than a Psychiatrists because it is similar to being a nurse but it pays more. Helping people with their medical conditions and injuries also interest me.…
My interests in counseling is fuel by hurts and pain of people I observed throughout my lifespan. From the time I could speak, I saw family members, being taunted, by traumatic event that occurred throughout their lifespan. As I watched the hurt and pain of others consume them, I watch them suppressed the pain, in a harmful matter. For the future suppressing the pain, like substance abuse became an unconscious systematic coping method for stressors. Furthermore, as years progressed the hurt and pain presented itself through violence, verbal, and physical abuse.…
Introduction When deciding upon a profession to pursue it takes a lot of deep thought and careful consideration prior to making a decision. For me, I put a lot of effort into my decision to pursue a career in mental health counseling. I became interested in mental health counseling after my friends, family and co-workers told me that I am usually easy to talk to, understanding, and a good problem solver. The more and more I heard these things about myself the more it made me think of how I could put these skills of mine to good use.…
Do you know what you will be doing five years down the road? For me, it is hard to imagine myself as a therapist though I do share an interest in helping people. The reality is, you can plan for many things but you never can fully predict where life will take you. As a therapist I can identify some potential strengths and weaknesses that I bring to the field.…
Most of my Junior year experience was awful. It’s already a dreadful year, as at my school you start experiencing the dreaded AP courses, you have to start looking at colleges, you’re being bombarded with more and more responsibilities, and everyone feels as though they’re on the brink of explosion. Tensions are high, the ideas of being calm and stress free lost to the wind. For me, I had to deal with another issue that was more stressful than all of my other problems combined: illness. Over the course of the year I missed 38 days, which doesn’t include the many days I came to school sick due to familial pressure.…
The sickness that I live with is one that some would find excessively appalling, making it impossible to talk about; so I kept it to a whisper. This sickness I thought was to embarrassing to talk about, making it impossible to seek help, left me feeling alone in the dark. This sickness ruined friendships, without me realizing it. This sickness that made getting out of bed a struggle for me. This sickness made it impossible for me to see a positive future, until the day I stopped calling myself “crazy” and began to grow from what we all call, depression.…
The First Clinical Experience It was an early morning in April. My friends and I arrived 45 minutes early to our long term care facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. The three of us sat in my car and anxiously awaited stepping foot into the care facility as we had no idea what to expect. I began to wonder what the patients would be like and how I would care for them.…