Assignment Task:
My parent initially wanted me to become a nurse after high school, but I opted to study pharmaceutical technology in college instead. Although I found a well-paying job in that field, I wasn't satisfied. As a result, I made the decision to quit and embark on a journey of travel, exploring various countries and their cultures. Beginning in Moscow, my travels eventually led me to London, where I made the choice to return to school to study nursing, although I didn't end up practicing it. During my time in school, I received advice from numerous individuals to pursue professional counseling to become a counselor.
Ultimately, I found myself in the United States; I went to school and became diagnostic medical sonographer. I practiced in that field for a few months, but it still didn't fulfill me. I then transitioned to becoming a domestic violence advocate with a non-profit organization, and later became a counselor with a youth services organization. While working there, I discovered that children from domestic violence homes were also victims of domestic violence themselves.
This experience motivated me to change my focus and become a counselor with the Collier Youth Services organization, also a non-profit. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to make a meaningful difference in the lives of these youths, and it has fulfilled a significant part of my identity and purpose.
Since a young age, I've been actively involved with the youth in my church. Throughout my career, my work has consistently revolved around supporting and guiding young adults. Even while providing support to survivors of domestic violence, I maintained a focus on assisting young adults. This experience enabled me to establish a strong understanding of the mental and emotional aspects of youth care. Witnessing the impact of domestic violence on survivors, especially children, I became deeply committed to creating a healthy and supportive environment for their recovery and growth.
The work I am currently doing with at-risk youth has deepened my understanding of the challenges within the community. It has motivated me to seek training consistently to serve their needs better. This led me to pursue a degree in psychology, which allows me to provide targeted support to another vulnerable group within the community. Every step I take in my educational and professional journey is driven by this unwavering dedication to helping those who have faced adversity create a positive impact in our community.
I am originally from Ghana, West Africa. I spent most of my life in Western and Eastern Europe before eventually settling in America. This diverse life experience has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of cultural competency, enabling me to approach others with respect for their cultures and values. And I understand how socioeconomic status and cultural norms influence access to education. Specifically, my parents emphasized the role of education in breaking the cycle of systemized oppression and social mobility. Their dedication to my education, regardless of the many obstacles they encountered, played a significant role in my academic decisions
Becoming a clinical mental health professional was not a decision I made lightly. I believe God divinely orchestrated this path; His timing has been perfect. Every experience and challenge have shaped me for this vital role. Over more than a decade, my career in this field has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding. Instead of being discouraged by the obstacles I have faced, I have felt increasingly empowered to make a meaningful impact on the lives of young adults, guiding them through their struggles and growth
I'd like to express my gratitude to Mrs. Lorelei McGivern, now Briggs, who is a licensed clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She was the program manager of the Transitional Housing program at my organization. Mrs. Briggs recognized potential in me. She used my weaknesses to empower me to become who I aspire to be. In addition, I want to acknowledge Dr. Gean Peterson, who played essential roles in my family's growth, and my wonderful husband and family for their unwavering support. Another person I'm grateful for is Dr. Autumn Philips, my college professor. She provided impactful critiques and empowered me to excel, especially in her three classes. Her constructive criticism inspired me to pursue a career in mental health counseling. The support and encouragement from these individuals have been crucial for someone like me who is venturing into professional counseling. I am genuinely grateful for their guidance and inspiration. While I was volunteering with 180 Turning Life Around, an organization that serves domestic violence survivors, I received an unexpected phone call at my workplace from a youth organization called Collier Youth Services. This opportunity further motivated my passion for working as a youth counselor with at-risk youth.
This experience reinforced my belief, experiences, and interests in working in this community.
However, one major life event that impacted my career choice was becoming a mother, for which I am grateful. Becoming a mother made me more aware of what young adults go through, especially at-risk youth. The kind of family I wanted to raise and the values I wanted to instill in my children also made me more focused on social and economic issues that affect young people. This joyful life event significantly influenced my choice of academic and career path, leading me to pursue a career related to mental health psychology and gearing towards clinical mental health Counseling, focusing on bringing about positive mental health changes among young adults.
My philosophy is to honor each person's worth and culture while promoting diversity, personal differences, and individual needs with respect and responsibility for the environment. "Just Love" also focuses on objectives, manages obstacles and distractions, and sets healthy boundaries, including learning a habit. I will commit to learning habits and set expectations that will make a positive, long-lasting change to achieve my goals. I will focus on the mission of counseling and advocating. Spirituality plays a crucial role in treatment as it relies on a higher power or being to help overcome weaknesses and human challenges that we cannot ordinarily overcome ourselves. I was born and raised in a Christian home, which helped me understand and expand my knowledge about spirituality. My faith and spirituality align with human services. However, I will not impose it on anyone and will provide a nonjudgmental environment in my workplace while giving room for faith and spiritual growth. I also aim to raise awareness with my clients and pray for them, believing that with God, all things are possible. In relation to other life roles, developing open communication skills and establishing relationships with other professionals is essential. However, learning more about open communications, boundaries, and conflict resolution and using these skills in professional relationships with colleagues and other professionals will help me collaborate on adequate treatment for the client. This approach will facilitate brainstorming together to achieve the common goal of helping the client.
Reflecting to my previous job working as a domestic violence survivors before joining present job with At-risk-youth, I consistently centered around supporting and guiding young adults throughout my career. Even when I provided support to survivors of domestic violence, I maintained a focus on helping young adults. However, I was completely inspired to pursue a career in professional counseling after witnessing the impact of domestic violence on survivors, particularly children, during my work with domestic violence organizations
However, my strengths, have proven my ability to adapt in various positions, from being a mother to work, school, internships to part-time work, and to my current role as a student. My detail-oriented and organizational skills have continuously enabled me to handle projects effectively and fulfill deadlines. My area of weakness is the inability to set healthy boundaries as a mother. I sometimes mix the role of parenting with work environments, amounting to youth seeing me as a mom and not a staff member, which sometimes does not make them uncomfortable. I am actively working on this aspect and will continue to improve. My area of interest lies in working on my weaknesses and collaborating with diverse groups of people, especially children and at-risk youth, to empower them through their resilience.
When I consider both jobs, I find that my previous role as an advocate for domestic violence survivors left me feeling emotionally drained daily. And sometimes go home with vicarious trauma. In contrast, my current role of working with at-risk youth brings me a sense of fulfillment. I am able to make a positive impact and be a part of their success stories. Despite the differences, both jobs are fulfilling in their ways. Working independently hinders open communication, shared decision-making, growth, and change in my current job. Conversely, my previous job involved teamwork and a collective effort.
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