Master of Counseling Program - Personal Statement Example

Personal ment - Master of Counseling Program Introduction There are a number of incidences in my life that I can say have led me to the choosingof this particular career path. These happenings helped me realize what I wanted to do with my life and helped me know the best way to do it too. One major experience I can attribute to helping me make this decision occurred on one cold morning at the UC Irvine Gavin Herbert Eye Institute where I happened to be accompanying a man on his medical follow-up visit with his ophthalmologist to assist with interpretation. The time was 7:09am and the wall clock’s second hand ticked fastidiously as if racing with the “tippy-tap” sound of the receptionist’s keyboard as she typed away on her computer. The hanging TV set up in the corner of the medical lobby was broadcasting a news reporter who in a solemn voice talked about the immense loss in Newton, Connecticut and the green cushioned wooden chairs around the room remained mostly vacant on this cold morning. Occupying the seats beneath the TV in the corner, we sat together seeming out of place in the monotonous lobby of the Eye institute. Here the Vietnamese middle aged man who looked no older than my father got the opportunity to talk and know each other a little better. The man was dressed in a thin navy jacket and bore the expression of inexplicable sadness depicting an individual who had traveled the old beaten path of life on his lonesome for many years. Though we were sat inside, there was still a chill in the air and as I drew the lapels of my coat together, I asked my client if he too felt the cold. The real question that I wanted to ask him however was “How long ago did you truly feel happiness?” We engaged in light conversation as we waited for his 7:30am appointment with the doctor and breezed through the usual topics such as the November weather and breakfast (or lack there of). We discussed the gravity of his glaucoma contributed by his diabetes and several conversations later, I got to learn of the various trails and tribulations that had continuously laced his life. I could see the emotion in his eyes as he spoke of his parents’ emotional neglect, estranged siblings, loss of friendship, and his unemployment resulting from the deterioration of his eyesight. His gaze occasionally steered to the news reporter on the TV as if to bring his thoughts back to the present and away from the painful past. From the folds and snippets of his challenges and adversity, he shared with me his insightful perspectives on how to deal with change and the proverbial making of lemonade from the lemons that life bestowed upon you. The appointed time was shortly upon us and I followed him to the doctor’s office to provide him with my interpretation services. As we said our goodbyes an hour later, I was filled with awe and admiration for this man as I recognized his strength over adversity. Here was a man who endured many hardships, suffered from depression, crippled by the lack of love, and yet personified an immeasurable strength and profound intellect. It was 8:42am when I walked out of the clinic and one question consistently resonated in my head, “What more can I do to help this man?” That question in itself, has solidified my resolve to pursue a Master of Counseling with emphasis on Marriage, Family, and Therapy. Education Background I graduated in the year 2009 from Chapman University based in Orange County California with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. This degree consisted of course work that I believe is extremely relevant to the education path that I wish to pursue today and will assist me in better understanding the framework of the studies that will await me in the Master of Counseling course that I wish to pursue. Personal Biography My family has also been a big help in making this decision, especially my mother who after moving to this country at the late age of forty has fought the many barriers in her way such as linguistic and economic limitations to attain her own Masters in Counseling. I believe the various problems I have faced in my life including my parent’s divorce, the economic problems that followed such as the house foreclosure have made me stronger and more determined to succeed in life. This will be my drive if I get the opportunity to take up this course in your prestigious institution as I am determined to help others face their problems and provide the support that was sometimes lacking in my own life due to unavoidable circumstances such as my mother’s illness. Strength and Weaknesses I believe that I have various strengths that will play a large in helping succeed in this course. Some of these strengths are: Empathy – I am able t easily relate with individuals and the problems that they are going through and I feel the need to help them through their struggles. Keen observation – I am able to notice things in people that others may not as I am a keen observer of human behavior. Coupled with professional training, I believe this characteristic will help better serve the people who come to me for help. Endurance – I have been through a number of problematic situations in my life, but this has not stopped nor discouraged me from getting to where I am today. I am always striving for personal growth as well, and I am determined to succeed in life. As any other man, I also happen to have my weaknesses as well. I consider my biggest weakness to be the fact that I tend to get emotional at times over situations which may affect my performance. This can be seen from the poor grades I achieved in 2007 which was as a result of the multiple domestic problems I was facing at the time such as losing our house through foreclosure, the divorce of my parents and my mother’s diagnosis of breast cancer. I am however working on better controlling my emotions so that they will have less of an effect over my performance in the professional field. Understanding of the Counseling Profession I can honestly say that I have a good understanding of the counseling profession due to a number of factors that work to my advantage. Two of the main factors include my past work experience as well as my education background which I had mentioned earlier. In relation to my career background, I have worked as a Mental Health Caseworker for the Integrated Community Services (ICS), which is a pilot project offering bi-directional services so as to integrate physical and mental healthcare. As a caseworker, some of my duties included the screening and assessment of potential clients, the establishment of case management short term goals for clients that I worked with, offsite case management such as medical visits with clients for interpretation purposes, the facilitation of support groups for various issues such as how to cope with depression and providing clients with referrals to the community resources that they may need. I am also computer literate and knowledgeable with programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook which will help me in my research and production of class assignments. As a result of my experience as a Caseworker, I am also familiar with some medical terminologies that are related to the Counseling profession and thus this will help me in the understanding of the lessons I am about to take. I have also owned a business, and I believe that this has enabled them to learn how to deal with responsibility and duty which play a big factor during my time as a student as well as in my career in the future. I owned a LLC trucking company and as the man in charge of running operations there were a number of duties that were set on my shoulders which ensured that I developed the psychological capacity to take hold of the elements that surrounded me and mould them into a practical representation of success not only in a particular situation, but with future similar endeavors that represented a similar path. Owning a business ensures that one is given the opportunity to grow and develop into a man in charge of his destiny for it teaches you the valuable lesson of responsibility and the consequences relating to said matter. As a business owner, the success of your operations depend upon the reliability that the business able to have on you to bring them out of potentially erroneous situations that may result in the succumbing of said operations should one fail to utilize the opportunities available to them wisely. It teaches one valuable attributes such as the old adage of thinking fast and staying on one’s toes to ensure that they are not caught off guard by any problematic developments that may prove to be a nuisance in the success of the business. In other words, a situation that may play the role of the proverbial thorn in one’s backside so to speak. I have also served as a patient service coordinator which has familiarized me with the workings of the medical industry which works together with the Counseling sector in some cases. I believe tat my experience will come in handy in such situations. Long Term Professional Goal My long term goal in the professional realm is to be able to assist others with the problems that they may be facing in their lives and especially provide these services to the underprivileged of the society. I aim to provide my future clients with a source of support that will allow them to deal with their troubles in an effective and sufficient manner that will ensure that they do not resurface again in the future. I wish to ensure that any individual I may meet the acquaintance of along the path so fondly referred to as life does not come out unchanged from our encounter and that this change is one that is for the better and not the latter. I hope to provide a semblance of hope in the end for those who may feel that are continually trapped in a whirlwind of mishaps and unfortunate circumstances that may seem like they will never end. In simple terms I would like to play the part of a pillar of support for all my potential clients and provide not a means of escape from their problems, but of resolution and victory. I hope to be able to learn how I can help one defeat the inner demons they may be fighting against in their struggle for the ever elusive satisfaction in life. In conclusion, Shauna Niequist said “When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” I hope to be able to do this through using the challenges I have faced in my life t help me grow and helping my clients to do the same with the issues that they may face. Read More