To be a substance abuse counselor you must be compassionate and not judgmental in this type of field, as I took this course it has help prepared what to expect as I start my journey in the workforce. Before, I had chosen this field I had to rethink of how seriously I want to be in this field and why I choose to be in this field of work. I know that myself and other people that choose this field as well have been around family and own family that is going through and there are so much that we can learned and take back to help other people that is in substance use. Not, just myself learning in substance abuse, but also learned other types of abuse as well, and this has taught me on how to help other that is this type of situation. Since, I have took this course there was so much to learned in the area of substance use, its talk about so much I never thought that this pertained of what people do that is on drugs. As I sit in class I seriously think this is where I want to be it has help me focus on helping people due to the fact is that, I have been dealing with this for a long time with my ex-husband and see what drugs do there mind and there behavior, and therefore how it changes there whole demeaners. This gives me a motivation on helping people that is using.
The course has taught me the roles in each chapter and what is needed to become a good therapist or counselor. Each chapter talk about the models and the recovery approach, so you can learn and understand on how to solve and help with the problem that the client is having. in the class what I have learned from my professor, when she specifies in class you should not say that you have sympathy for people, you should empathy. This is my weakness always feeling the sympathy, now my strength is what I learned in class is to be able to help clients. This has taught me on how to gather information on client, on what is appropriate and not appropriate. In class learning about countertransference is that it could be in a negative or a positive, its can be difficult to encounter, its not easy especially when you try to counsel a client but instead you know that you try to encounter your own personal experiences. Countertransference is very difficult to understand, especially when you are counseling a client and you come into a conclusion that you have a similarity issue as the person you are counseling. By going to school in this field it teaches the knowledge, tools, and skills to use in the future to become a good counselor.
According, to multicultural in the counseling field you will get all form and shapes of different diversity of people that comes your ways. Being a good counselor we have to understand other people values and belief, although, you might have your own belief and you might have to keep it to yourself, because your belief and values its might be your client and you do not want to make them feel bad of what they belief in, even though you disagree we are not to make judgment we are their to listen to our client and not to pass judgment. This is not just only belief and values but the belief which include all genders, that are identify as a human behavior. In class learning it is giving us the tools, skills, and learning on how to proceed into the process on how we as a counselor can learned on how to relate with people that are coming from a different diversity, although it teaches if you have a problem working with client that coming from a different diversity and you can not work with that client, then this is not the field for you.
Boundaries is also important to learned in this field must learned and set boundaries with the client. Because sometimes you will get a client that want to take control or manipulate and be twisted in that manners, to get what they want or ask for if you can write me out a paper to to give it to so and so therefore we as a counselor have to be careful of what we write or give the clients. This why need it is important to know for your sake and the client that there are boundaries and their things that we are limited to do as a counselor. To know the important of the ethical rules and regulation what the acceptable tools and that you can uses to guides yourself in this type of field, this give you all the knowledge that you need to know in learning to where you can protect yourself form any types of situation.
Understanding all the ethical form when working toward as a counselor of what is appropriate things to do or inappropriate things to do and know what boundaries that you need to know not to cross the lines. By learning all the ethics code, it given us the opportunity to practice and use it in a proper way. This is teaching us how to be professional in the field and learned what proper tools use, such as inform consent, client confidentiality, ethical responsibility of a client. Since, I had been in this course I have learned so much in what this field is required. Therefore, I know what my weakness and my strengths are for me to become a good counselor. This has giving the capabilities to learned and know what types of resources that you can shared the information with your client, because it is good to know all the resources that you can because in this filed, you want to be able to send or referred your client to for them to goa and get some types of resources.
In my conclusion, I have learned how to use the tools in a positive way and a negative way. In a positive way is that you want to be firm in every decision and discussion that you and your client will have a positive outcome and not the negative outcome of it all. This is important because this what we will be working on in everyday life with client that comes and goes. The things are that I love to talk and listen all the times to other people problem and I am always put other people need before mind. But in this field its not all about yours need, it about the best interest of the client needs. I have a weakness that I need to learned on the touchy feeling part I have a problem everybody I see I love to give them hugs, so this is what I also need to work on because I do not want to put myself in a situation that is going to get me in trouble in this career of work.
I was shocked of all the things that I listen to the professor and did not know that this is a big issue, just by hugging on someone. Well maybe it’s okay to t hug or be touchy on your friend and family member but there are rules as you become a counselor that you must know these boundaries and be cautious of the touchy feeling.
References
- Maass, K., Swan, M., &Aldorf, A.-M. (2017). Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs about Inquiry- based Learning after a professional Development Course—An International Study. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 5(9),1-17. Retrieved from http://proxy.deltacollege.edu:8080/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1150550&site=eds-live&scope=site
- Myers., M., Salt, R.N., (2019), Becoming an Addictions Counselor: a comprehensive text (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones &Barrett Learning
- Fanelli, D., Costas, R., &., Lariviere, V. (2015). Misconduct Policies, Academic Culture and Career Stage Not Gender or Pressures to Publish, Affect Scientific Integrity. PLos ONE, 10(6), 1-18 https://doi.org/10.1371/Journal.pone.0127556
