My Thoughts As A Counselor About Providing Support To Clients/students

My philosophy of counseling begins with building rapport with clients/students of all backgrounds and willingness to enter into an individual’s experience along with them. Building healthy counseling relationships with clients/students while collaborating with families and professionals. My objective is to be unbiased, effective, and advocate to provide effective guides for clients/students. I entered this field because I feel that I have a mission to effectively guide clients/students in life choices and careers endeavors by leading as a counselor and upholding ethical standard and commitment of lifelong learning. My role is also a platform where I have the opportunity to inform my clients/students about policies, rules, confidentiality, and how to find resources. I am bilingual which will help me in the long run to help Spanish speaking clients, students, or even their support systems to understand me if they only speak Spanish.

I believe in the holistic healing because Socrates considered the whole person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Counseling in any setting and environment is a pathway for healing and growth where clients/students have the opportunity to explore self-awareness in a safe environment. As a counselor it is important to build a healthy counseling relationship, where I can guide the client/student in discovering their patterns of behavior and themselves overall.

As a counselor, I will facilitate many aspects in providing support to clients/students to solve their problems while being empathetic, genuine, respectful, and understanding for any issues or concerns brought up to my attention. I am aware of my characteristic to carry out my responsibilities as a counselor and have the ASCA National Model to follow. I will strive for the client/student to make their own decisions and choose the path they want to take based on their set goals to be achieved. Building a healthy counseling relationship with my client/student means that I can have the ability to interact with the client/student where they can feel safe, accepted, and welcomed every time to come speak to me about their personal life, problems, and just someone to listen to them without judgment. I will strive to use integrative and eclectic therapy approaches to best fit the needs of the client/student. I feel that Albert Ellis’ cognitive behavior and Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic therapy are essential techniques to use.

I as a student, have interned and worked in the college setting at Los Angeles City College in the office of Special Services working with various grade levels of students. I worked with a few middle school students, many high students, and college level students. The population was really diverse in ethnicities, cultures, and age groups. Experiencing the diversity at Los Angeles City College gave me the exposure to experience how each person is unique and contributes a different perspective in the classroom and office setting. As an alumni, intern, and worker for Los Angeles City College I need to share my experiences with others about diversity to convey to my clients/students that it is important for them to be open to learn from others’ cultures for there to be respect and appreciate different points of view and beliefs. My role as a counselor is to take the time listen to all my clients/students and think more about their experiences, about their story, and where they come from instead of just their immediate situation.

I believe in being an advocate and treating all my clients/students with equity. According to Lee and Goodnough (2012) equity is an elimination of systematic barriers which creates in this case a culturally responsible school environment. Overall this applies to any setting because all policies and practices build social capital, shape expectations, and guarantees access to necessary services whether it is in a school setting or office setting. Equity is based on performance and participation outcomes and not on race, income, language, status, gender, or other demographic variables. As a counselor I have to be fair and treat everyone with equality and provide equal opportunities to all my clients/students. To be able to accomplish this I have to have the proper training and skills to provide quality services to all individuals. Equity branches out to me advocating for my clients/students by treating them equally, listening to them, supporting them, and providing the proper counseling services for the various and different circumstances and situations they may be facing.

In conclusion, my philosophy as a counselor is to work with clients/students who are unique, worthy of unconditional acceptance, regardless of his or her personal struggles or circumstances. I strive to provide the best services in any setting and guide my clients/students with confidence to have opportunities to succeed in society and as human beings. As a counselor, I have the responsibility to provide vital services for clients/students to cope with circumstances, promote mental health and use methods to help ensure success.

As a counselor is vital to collaborate with students, clients, educators, families, and professionals. I should not look for shortcuts instead I will be collaborating with all participants involved with the client/student. Working together as a team can give me a perspective I have not yet seen from the client/student and as Freud has stated in the psychoanalysis theory people in the clients/students’ lives impacts the struggles and circumstances a client/student may be going through. Having involvement from the family and others creates a support system as Joshi, Eberly, & Konzal (2005) stated the family and counselor can work together to reach the goals of client/student.