Professional Counselling: Admission Essay

Career Goals and Leadership

I believe your university is nothing short of the best institution that I could join in the pursuit of a master's degree in counseling. My career objective is to be a licensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage and family, therapist. Consequently, my aspiration is to venture into private practice where I will tend to ex-offenders and ex-veteran offenders in a transitional home setting.

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Significant Events That Made Me Seek a Career in Professional Counselling

I have worked at the Texas prison system as a first line correctional officer and I witnessed firsthand how vital counseling is to the inmates. I was called upon severally to come to the aid of the offenders. Once I was assigned to the mentally retarded offender's program in 1997 by my superior to help out a severely depressed female offender who was severely depressed. MRO program is mandated to deal with the special needs of mentally retarded offenders. By use of my excellent communication skills, I was able to prevent an adult female offender from taking her life via the use of a ligature.

Secondly, I was a shift commander in a private federal facility in Washington. Over there, was a scenario where a female offender sliced both of her arms with a razor blade. She had just been sentenced to fifty years in prison for murder. I applied the use of logos to appeal to her emotions thus she accepted mechanical restraint. Through the use of positive reinforcement, I was able to win her heart thus changing her attitude towards life.

Activities Demonstrating Leadership

As a leader, I have been thrown into various situations that forced me to act diligently for the good of the offenders. While at the Texas prison system I was given the responsibility to oversee the annual marriage seminar. It is important to note that inmates had families and lives before they were incarcerated. Imprisonment leads to serious strain on their marriages. Some are divorced and find that their partners have moved on. My role in the seminar was to ensure everything runs smoothly by overseeing the offenders, visitors, and correctional officers.

In addition, I was an institutional re-entry and integration coordinator. My primary goal was to perform a risk assessment on the offenders who qualified to receive aid from the State of Texas. The documents included Driver's license, social security card housing with the Department of the house and urban development, food stamps, veterans, and non-veterans disability application. They are also helped with both short and long-term psychiatric medical assistance. All these are key in helping them settle down and to prevent relapse to what got them incarcerated.

Appreciating Diversity

We are all unique and in our own different ways. Our uniqueness can be due to religion, personality, education, and cultural background. The prison system is also unique and has diversity. It's vital to embrace diversity. I have been exposed to diversity which is pivotal in counseling. I have learned to appreciate and respect other people's cultures such as race and religion. As I pursue my career, with the experienced gained I will be able to cater to the diverse needs of individuals with much ease.

My Experience with Various Cultural and Diverse Groups

My experience with diverse groups can be attributed to the fact that my father is a retired Vietnamese US army officer. During my leadership training, we learned about the Civil Rights Act of 1965. Different groups in the prison were allowed to practice their culture e.g. when it came to worship and the types of food they ate. To maintain peace and calmness in the prisons I would emphasize the importance of respecting each other's values and norms. I would also test them on how they could handle different diversity dilemmas. Furthermore, I told them to think before reacting as anything they do can have a negative effect on their parole. What I taught them helped in reducing hate crimes related to race on the individuals I talked to.

My Personal characteristics for Building Effective Relationships

One of my biggest assets is my listening skills. This personal trait has helped me in establishing a good rapport with the offenders. For an offender to open up I need to feel secure and comfortable. I always keep an open mind and I never interfere when one is speaking. I have found it vital to try to visualize what the offenders are saying to best capture their situation. My listening skills will be critical for me as I pursue a career in counseling. It will enable me to comprehend what the client is saying and adequately reply to her concern.

Anticipated Challenges of Pursuing a Master's Degree in Counselling

As a student pursuing a master's degree in counseling, there are challenges which will interfere with my learning activities. Firstly, there is the situational challenge. The situational challenges entail family and time management. Family can also cause some strain as one has to attend to them. My family will feel left out as most of the times I will be studying. Time management is another critical factor. There is the day to day activities that one is supposed to attend to e.g. do my assignment on time, attend to my family and have enough time left to study. If I do not manage my time correctly I will be forced to sleep late and I will not have ample time to rest and refresh my mind.

How to Overcome the Challenges

Therefore, to overcome these barriers, I will first ensure I create a timetable that accommodates all my daily activities. The timetable will ensure being at the right place at the right time and that one activity does not consume all my time. In the timetable, there will be time also allocated for resting and exercising. I will also look for a side job where I can make some additional income. Despite the fact that I have a disabled veteran spouse, with better communication and understanding we will pull through. The plan will be deemed successful if I graduate and still maintain to keep my family and friends intact. Exhaustion and pressure can lead to some serious health issues. The plan will also be successful if am of good health after my studies. Lastly, life in itself is not a straight path. It is full of challenges and obstacles. With a fluid perspective and some minor adjustments, I will soldier on till I graduate with a master's degree in counseling.