Table of ContentsBecoming a CounselorPersonality Traits of CounselorsApproaches to CounselingTransferable Skills in CounselingCounseling: A Dream Career?According to the Dictionary of Professional Titles, the definition of a counselor is one who “provides individual, marriage and family counseling services to adults and children, to help clients identify personal and interactive problems and achieve effective personal, marriage and family development and adjustment” (Counselor, Marriage and Family, by 1) A counselor, therefore, is someone who seeks reward by genuinely helping people enrich their lives. To better understand my reasons for becoming a counselor, I will compare and contrast my personality traits, determine my counseling approach, identify my transferable skills, and describe my future in counseling. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Becoming a Counselor What makes a person preoccupied with the dark side of the human psyche? What makes some people choose to help those who are hurting, hurting, or dysfunctional? This is certainly a “special type” because the average person prefers to minimize the psychological suffering of their peers and avoid prolonged contact with individuals in difficulty (Norcross & Farber., 2005, 939). Many researchers claim that counselors experience more emotional distress in childhood. than most people. This heightens their awareness of psychological pain in themselves and others and influences their career choice. Other researchers suggest that counseling is attractive to those who believe themselves to be incompetent and ineffective in their own lives. This feeling of powerlessness provides the opportunity to exert control and influence over their clients' lives. Finally, researchers believe that many counselors fill their psychological void by choosing the counseling profession (Farber, Manevich, Metzger, & Saypol, 2005). My reasons for becoming a counselor are very personal and stem from my caring and compassionate nature that wanted to “pay it forward.” Diagnosed in 1997 with bipolar disorder after suffering in silence for 15 years, I regained my sanity and my place in society thanks to effective drug treatment and the help of my therapist. Realizing that many people with mental illness were not as fortunate, I wanted to serve those less fortunate by advocating and empowering people to reach their full potential. Very curious and fascinated by people, I wanted to understand how people think and behave. I also wanted to help them face life's challenges and motivate them to make changes in their lives. Additionally, I wanted a fulfilling and rewarding career that would enhance my personal development and have a positive impact on society. Personality Traits of Counselors The eight most important qualities of an effective counselor are "psychological health, genuine interest in others, capacity for empathy, personal warmth." , personal power, self-awareness, tolerance of ambiguity and awareness of values” (Parrott, 2003, p. 25). Other important qualities are a sense of humor, high energy level, self-confidence, neutrality, flexibility, analytical thinking, creativity, enthusiasm, compassion and honesty. In addition to these qualities, I believe I have the following personality traits that would make me an effective counselor: I am caring and compassionate.I am patient and understanding. I have strong communication and interpersonal skills. I am culturally aware, tolerant and open-minded. I am ethical, moral and discreet. Approaches to Counseling Based on a client's needs, approaches to counseling are numerous, ranging from basic active listening to solution-based listening. Some of these approaches include cognitive, behavioral, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, Adlerian, person-centered, gestaltic, humanistic-existential, and integrative/eclectic (All about counseling, n.d.). Cognitive This approach aims to help the client resolve their problems by identifying and changing dysfunctional thoughts, behaviors, and emotional responses. This theory focuses on changing subjective perceptions and distorted thoughts by eliminating negative thoughts and distortions. BehavioralThis approach emphasizes the idea that behaviors are imbued with conditioning. Acquired through interaction with the environment, conditioning is associated with learning that occurs through rewards and punishments or stimuli and responses to behaviors. Psychoanalytic/PsychodynamicThis approach focuses on the belief that human behavior is the result of interactions of unconscious drives and forces on a person. Changing problematic behaviors, feelings, and thoughts requires uncovering the true meanings and motivations and resolving them. Adlerian This approach focuses on changing impractical and insurmountable perceptions that can lead to self-destructive behaviors, disappointment, discouragement, and failure. The goal of this theory is to increase social interest, modify self-destructive behaviors, and effectively solve problems. Person-centeredThis approach focuses on the principle that people are oriented toward self-actualization and disconnection from their personal potential leads to emotional disorders. It emphasizes and provides confidence in the client's ability to control their own positive direction. GestaltThis approach emphasizes the present moment, for example "here and now", and encourages the client to become aware of their own feelings and behaviors to take personal responsibility. for feelings. The aim of the theory is to help clients become aware of what is being experienced accurately versus simply interpreting events and to enable them to identify and change their thoughts and behaviors. Humanistic/ExistentialThis approach focuses on the idea that everyone is intrinsically good and has the potential to make a contribution to society. This theory emphasizes rational choices, individual free will, personal growth, and the concept of self-actualization. Integrative/EclecticThis approach believes that no counseling theory or approach can integrate the personality of every person. Therefore, it mixes elements of different approaches and adapts them to the treatment needs of each client. Although I appreciate the different approaches to counseling, I feel more drawn to the cognitive approach because of my personal experience with the theory and its application. the skills and abilities acquired through any activity in a person's life (work, classes, projects, parenting, hobbies, sports, etc.) that transfer and apply to what a person wants to do in a future job. Transferable skills are essential to succeed in today's competitive marketplace. These are skills that are applicable from job to job and to a variety of work contexts.,.