For the counselor interview assignment, I had the privilege to interview Mrs. Wendy Lynne Brien at Martin Counseling. Martin Counseling is located in Katy, Texas and offers services to children, teenagers, families, and adults. The counselors and licensed professional counselor (LPC) interns offer children and teen psychotherapy, individual adult psychotherapy, couples therapy, family therapy, group psychotherapy, and therapeutic weekend intensives.
Mrs. Brien attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. On May 15th, 2010, Mrs. Brien graduated with her Masters in Education. Shortly after graduation, Mrs. Brien became a school counselor for five years while interning at Martin Counseling. Once Mrs. Brien completed her internship, she became an LPC (69470) at Martin Counseling.
Mrs. Brien stated, “You can not be all things to everyone. It can be challenging when the clients attempt to tell you what you are going to do during counseling sessions. Therefore, I try to be candid, but professional with my client’s.” Mrs. Brien also suggested that matching schedules can be challenging as well. For instance, couples may have agendas that conflict with one another, which can hinder future counseling sessions. Overall, counseling has been a rewarding profession for Mrs. Brien. For many years, Mrs. Brien has been fascinated by the differences and similarities among her clients. Mrs. Brien also admires how courageous the majority of her clients are. Mrs. Brien suggested, “It takes a lot of courage to open up to someone you do not know.”
According to the American Psychological Association (2012), mindfulness is a moment-to-moment awareness of an individual’s experience without judgment. According to Mrs. Brien continuing education coincides with mindfulness. This is why Mrs. Brien practices yoga, which helps her focus, relax, and reduce stress. Mrs. Brien also consults with other counselors and professionals for insight and understanding. Lastly, Mrs. Brien attends a monthly networking program about mindfulness with the goal of preventing burnout.
Mrs. Brien essentially works with children and adults who suffer from attachment issues. Therefore, Mrs. Brien focuses on rebuilding cognitive and personal relationships among her clients. During counseling sessions, Mrs. Brien prefers to use cognitive behavior therapy, trauma-focused, person-centered, and a technique called “theraplay”. In regards to the latter, Brien asserted that “theraplay is beneficial for foster children and children who have an attention deficit disorder (ADD)”. For example, Mrs. Brien will blow bubbles and instruct her client to pop the bubbles with their elbow or their knee. This particular activity enhances joyful engagement and trust in others.
In the near future, Mrs. Brien would like to focus on the psychosocial needs of immigrants. For many years, Mrs. Brien has worked with several refugees that struggle with trauma and attachment issues. While Mrs. Brien worked as a school counselor, there were students who suffered from deportation, gang violence, and domestic and sexual abuse. For example, there were students who suffered from attachment issues due to parental or family deportation. Many students were frightened to attend school as a result of their parents being deported before they returned home from school. Lastly, Mrs. Brien will continue to encourage and support first-generation college students in a few school districts (in particular, Alief ISD, Cy-Fair ISD, and Katy ISD).
Martin Counseling offers reasonable prices for their clients. Counseling services are typically offered Monday through Friday from 8:00am-8:00pm. However, the hours of operation may vary due to the counselor’s availability.
During the interview, Mrs. Brien spoke about the legitimate fee adjustments and how services are offered to high income and low-income individuals. Martin Counseling also offers immigration services, follow-up counseling, and referrals for individuals who live out of the country. Luckily, there are not any programs that need to be developed at Martin Counseling.
Although several counselors are well connected with many professionals, Martin Counseling is a for profit center. This is likely due to the fact that, as Mrs. Brien points out, “Martin does it all; plumbing, fixing a light-bulb, and sometimes, each employee will rotate taking out the trash.” For that reason, a majority of the counselors refer to Mr. Martin as the “handyman.” Each individual is on a contract at Martin Counseling. Therefore, it is mandatory for each counselor to work 20 hours a month. However, there are several LPC interns who work under the supervision of Mr. David Martin, himself.
Lastly, it is essential for everyone to communicate with one another. During emergencies, Mr. Martin suggests volunteer opportunities for each employee. For example, a few counselors volunteered to reach out, help, and encourage families who were affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Before the interview, I was greeted with love and enthusiasm. Each employee, including Mrs. Brien, were professional and provided warm hospitality. Mrs. Brien’s clinical setting was perfect, in terms of the size of her office and the number of personal items that she chose to display. I realized that Mrs. Brien did not have any family portraits and her purse was hidden beside her chair. During the interview, I realized a lot in terms of building my self-confidence to face the challenges of an LPC. I began to experience a lack of confidence in my ability to apply the appropriate theories and techniques in handling client problems. For example, I worry about not knowing how to help my client solve critical issues such as suicide thoughts and tendencies, premarital sex, drug addiction, and bullying. Furthermore, I began to experience the lack of skills in questioning, especially in probing or exploring the root of my client’s problem. As Mrs. Brien and I progressed through the interview, my level of anxiety decreased. However, my self-doubt in counseling skills and the application of theoretical knowledge will take a longer time to overcome.
