Professional Practice: The Part of Virtues and Principles - Essay Example

Professional Practice Student’s name Institution Introduction Professional development is a critical component in the enhancement of effective counselling practice. Over time a counselling professional has to have career goals and objectives which have to be developed in order to enhance the effectiveness of their practice (Oxman et al., 2006). These goals and objectives will usually be related to either the need to attain conventions and standards in the profession and also individual development goals. Professional association and standardization bodies make it a requirement for professionals to acquire certain skills in order for them to advance to higher levels of accreditation. The counselling professional also has their personal professional development goals which for the most part are aimed at improving themselves in order to advance their professional or private practice. While professional and standards bodies impose certain conditions on professionals it is critical for the professional to be self directed in advancement of their professional careers (Naomi & Augustus, 2010). The professional therefore has to be proactive in seeking out learning opportunities through placements and formal learning. This paper will seek to detail my learning experiences, my career plans, areas of interest, what I9 have learnt from placements, challenges faced, specific skills needed for advancement, gaps in knowledge and how I aim to address them Career Plans and Areas of Interest Area of Interest Every professional ought to have an area of interest which will be crucial in how they are going to develop their professional careers. I am very much interested in working with families, children and adolescents. I am interested in working with indigenous Australian communities. Indigenous Australian communities have the highest burden of mental health issues which may be related to high rates of substance abuse in this population (Maki & Tarvydas, 2012). I am interested to work in this population as a counsellor as I am interested in counselling of young persons towards rehabilitation from substance abuse. In this I would also work with families in assisting to change attitudes towards substance abuse. It has been established that parents who are socialized on the negative impacts of substance abuse are likely to have children less susceptible to substance abuse (Sperry, 2007). Career Plans While I have been in college I had not set out a specific career direction. The placement has given me a lot of time to decide upon a career path which would enable me to give the utmost to society and also offer me satisfaction in my professional career. There are different career paths offered in the counselling profession. A counsellor may either be a rehabilitation, substance abuse and behavioural disorder, mental health, educational and career or marriage and family therapists. After finishing my degree I plan to work with the youth especially with regard to rehabilitation of victims of substance abuse. I intend to go to Canada and work with the i9ndigenous communities living there who have characteristics similar to the Australian indigenous communities. Key Learnings from my Placement Placement is an important part for the development of professional practice. I did my first placement with the Salvation Army, Positive Lifestyle Counselling Services. Placement enables the professional to learn of how the real professional workplace works and if they would fit into it (Vasquez et al., 2008). The counselling profession calls for an understanding of the working dynamics between different sectors of the society such as the courts, judicial officers, and the other members of society involved in enhancing counselling practice. During the placement I came to acknowledge and appreciate the role of having good relations and collaboration between the judicial system officers, religious institutions which plays a huge role in the prevention and rehabilitation of persons. Documentation of the backgrounds and nature of persons being counselled in addition to legal boundaries also proved to be important. While the counsellor is generally deemed to be a positive influence on the society, it is important to take into account that they also have to live within certain set social, legal and ethical standards (Hage & Romano, 2010). It is during my placement that I had a good opportunity to familiarize myself with the code of professional practice for counsellors in real life practice. I had to make use of case notes, manage files and the intake process for all persons that were assigned to me. My supervisor was very keen on having me know the culture sex and age of all my patients and ensured that I always made notes which were filed in order to conform to social ethical and legal standards of counselling practice. Challenges Encountered in the Placement Challenges In any type of placement there are usually challenges which the trainee has to deal with. However different persons have different ways of dealing with their challenges at work and hence it is important that the professional has to be adept at person to person interaction (Corey, 2013). People that switch careers usually have different expectations regarding their work and hence are more likely to find it harder to attune themselves to real professional practice. As a person coming from a different field I believe I experienced more challenges than most of my peers. Having joined late I had lesser knowledge of the industry than I believe was expected. Being open minded I found that my supervisor deemed me to be a person that does not respect boundaries. While my supervisor was a good professional who offered a lot of professional advice I believe he did not understand me sometimes even terming me co-dependent which I am not. How I dealt with the Challenges I was determined to learn fast from theory, real cases and the advice I got from my supervisor. It is usually important to have seasoned counsellor and supervisor to guide you through the placement and these I had in plenty (Sue, 2013). However I do believe that there needed to be better communication between me and my supervisors regarding issues of boundaries. I believe that had we met we could have ironed out our differences. However, I accepted that while I wasn’t self dependent I needed to gain more knowledge and be more self directed though I may have been handicapped by being new in the industry. I do believe that had I managed to speak with my supervisor they would have come to know that what they called co-dependency was just a need to obtain more knowledge from persons more experienced than me to better my practice. Skills and Knowledge Needed in Pursuing Career Path Every professional needs to expand their skills in the given career path if they are to remain relevant. I intend to pursue mental health as my major in further studies. Having had placement in which I dealt with rehabilitation and counselling of persons who were victims of substance abuse I came to develop a passion for dealing with patients of mental health. Professionalism will be enhanced if a person were to undertake a course of study and career choice in which they are passionate and have a background in (Hodges, 2011). As a mental health practitioner I am lacking in the educational knowledge and skills required to practice. I am required to have a Masters degree and to practice for two years post the masters under a certified or licensed mental health practitioner. The application of micro skills in counselling is one of the areas in which I need to greatly enhance my skills. In my undergraduate learning I have mainly learned skills to do with medical models. In mental health I would have to develop skills and learn psychoeducational models in addition to medical models for assessment and diagnosis. I will also need to adopt a more holistic approach than the ones I used during my placement which are more suited to psychologists, nurses and psychiatrists (Chan et al., 2014). I believe If I practice under a certified practitioner for two years I will perfect these skills. Gaps in Skills and Knowledge New knowledge is always being produced in every field and the counselling field is no different. In counselling practice there are always seminars and educational fairs in which professionals get to learn on new techniques and theories brought forth by researchers. I do believe I will have to be proactive in attending these seminars and workshops in order to enhance my professional practice. It is up to the professional to ensure that they keep themselves up to date on recent developments in their given profession (Oxman et al., 2006). However, professional and standards bodies may impose certain requirements on professionals particularly with regard to licensing and accreditation. Most of what is learnt in college is for the main part theoretical thus making them unsuited to dealing with real life professional practice situations. The theoretical nature o the college education I have received has to be enhanced if I were to be an effective counselling practitioner. I intend to further my education through taking a masters class in the next two years. The Masters class will be particularly useful in that it will broaden my knowledge into development theory as opposed to medical diagnosis and assessment of mental health as opposed to the broader medical theory of general counselling. I intend to immediately embark upon attending of seminars and workshops in Australia before I proceed for my masters. Interacting with other professionals who are more knowledgeable will add to my knowledge and I will become proficient in about a year or two (Naomi & Augustus, 2010). I will also try to enhance my education through practice in other placements I will attend during my masters program and after the program. Reflection on my Competence Competence is never attained in a few years of learning theoretical concepts in college. For a professional to develop in their practice they have to acknowledge the constant need to keep updating themselves in order to remain relevant. A lot of the competence and skills needed in the counselling field calls for sober mindedness and not being emotional in the undertaking of counselling activities (Maki & Tarvydas, 2012). During my placement I found that some situations tended to bring out a lot of emotion in me which I know is very unprofessional. However I do believe that my compassionate and generous nature may work in y favour. Given that I tend to feel a need to help anyone I tend to not have focus in serving one client as effectively as I should. Professionals who are starting out in the counselling careers tend to have lesser competency and may be prone to mistakes particularly those of needing to assist everyone and ending up helping no one (Sperry, 2007). My generosity I do believe is a blessing and accurse since it makes my practice less effective due to lack of focus. However, I do believe that I have a learning curve in which I will enhance my skills and competencies. I believe that over time I will be able to make better informed decisions, be a better communicator in listening and talking with both clients and my superiors. My theoretical foundations will come in handy since I have foundations of clinical counselling psychology which I will incorporate in mental health practice. However I need to work on developing of better relation and finding a balance between seeking information and being co-dependent (Vasquez et al., 2008). Conclusions My work placement with the Salvation Army Positive Lifestyle Counselling Services was one of the highlights of my professional practice. As a person interested in working with indigenous communities on matters of mental health I will have to put in a lot of work towards enhancement of skills and knowledge on coming years. I have learnt a lot from my placement including how to deal with my workmates including supervisors. I have also come to acknowledge the importance and need of having supervisors and counsellors who are more knowledgeable to guide me in practice. The importance of adherence to standards of social, legal and ethical practice has also been learnt. While encountering challenges I found that communication was the best means of dealing with most of those challenges and hence I plan to enhance my communication skills. I would need to further my education through seminars workshops and enrolling in a Masters program in order to be ready for professional practice. These skills I would need to develop over time in practice and more learning which I believe I will acquire in my placements and practice. References Chan, F., Berven, N. L., & Thomas, K. R. (2014). Counseling Theories and Techniques for Rehabilitation Health Professionals. New York: Springer Pub. Co. Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth. Hage, S., & Romano, J. (2010). “Prevention and Counseling Psychology Revitalizing Commitments for the 21st Century” The Counseling Psychologist, 28; 733-763. Hodges, S. (2011). The counseling practicum and internship manual: A resource for graduate counseling students. New York: Springer Pub. Co. Maki, D. R., & Tarvydas, V. M. (2012). The professional practice of rehabilitation counseling. New York: Springer Pub. Naomi, M., Augustus, J. (2010). “Ethics and the professional practice of psychologists: The role of virtues and principles.” Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 21; 107-114. Oxman, AD., O’Brien MA., Kristoffersen, DT., Young, JM., Jamtvedt, G. (2006). “Audit and feedback: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes (Review),” The Cochrane Collaboration, 17; 45-57. Sperry, L. (2007). The ethical and professional practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. Sue, D. (2013). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Vasquez, M., Tanney, M., Sprinthall, N., Schlossberg, N., Mills, D., Hansen, J., Dowd, T., Altmaier, E., Armsworth, M., & Kagan, N. (2008). “Professional Practice of Counseling Psychology in Various Settings” The Counseling Psychologist, 16; 347-365. Read More

Career Plans While I have been in college I had not set out a specific career direction. The placement has given me a lot of time to decide upon a career path which would enable me to give the utmost to society and also offer me satisfaction in my professional career. There are different career paths offered in the counselling profession. A counsellor may either be a rehabilitation, substance abuse and behavioural disorder, mental health, educational and career or marriage and family therapists.

After finishing my degree I plan to work with the youth especially with regard to rehabilitation of victims of substance abuse. I intend to go to Canada and work with the i9ndigenous communities living there who have characteristics similar to the Australian indigenous communities. Key Learnings from my Placement Placement is an important part for the development of professional practice. I did my first placement with the Salvation Army, Positive Lifestyle Counselling Services. Placement enables the professional to learn of how the real professional workplace works and if they would fit into it (Vasquez et al., 2008). The counselling profession calls for an understanding of the working dynamics between different sectors of the society such as the courts, judicial officers, and the other members of society involved in enhancing counselling practice.

During the placement I came to acknowledge and appreciate the role of having good relations and collaboration between the judicial system officers, religious institutions which plays a huge role in the prevention and rehabilitation of persons. Documentation of the backgrounds and nature of persons being counselled in addition to legal boundaries also proved to be important. While the counsellor is generally deemed to be a positive influence on the society, it is important to take into account that they also have to live within certain set social, legal and ethical standards (Hage & Romano, 2010).

It is during my placement that I had a good opportunity to familiarize myself with the code of professional practice for counsellors in real life practice. I had to make use of case notes, manage files and the intake process for all persons that were assigned to me. My supervisor was very keen on having me know the culture sex and age of all my patients and ensured that I always made notes which were filed in order to conform to social ethical and legal standards of counselling practice. Challenges Encountered in the Placement Challenges In any type of placement there are usually challenges which the trainee has to deal with.

However different persons have different ways of dealing with their challenges at work and hence it is important that the professional has to be adept at person to person interaction (Corey, 2013). People that switch careers usually have different expectations regarding their work and hence are more likely to find it harder to attune themselves to real professional practice. As a person coming from a different field I believe I experienced more challenges than most of my peers. Having joined late I had lesser knowledge of the industry than I believe was expected.

Being open minded I found that my supervisor deemed me to be a person that does not respect boundaries. While my supervisor was a good professional who offered a lot of professional advice I believe he did not understand me sometimes even terming me co-dependent which I am not. How I dealt with the Challenges I was determined to learn fast from theory, real cases and the advice I got from my supervisor. It is usually important to have seasoned counsellor and supervisor to guide you through the placement and these I had in plenty (Sue, 2013).

However I do believe that there needed to be better communication between me and my supervisors regarding issues of boundaries. I believe that had we met we could have ironed out our differences. However, I accepted that while I wasn’t self dependent I needed to gain more knowledge and be more self directed though I may have been handicapped by being new in the industry.

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