Interview Report
Many students are often confused about the subject that they should focus on and the potential employers that they will get. Within the mental health careers, there are many opportunities that require different licensure, skills, educational qualification, earning potential, and overall philosophy (Metz, 2016). Having the right knowledge regarding the available opportunities helps the students to compare and contrast various options before deciding the one that is right for them. Getting information from professionals who are already practicing can provide first-hand information regarding career choice. This report provides a brief summary and analysis of the interview response by an addiction counselor who works at a rehabilitation center.
Brief Summary
Mental health counselors have the sole responsibility of helping people to cope with their mental and emotional issues. Their roles include client assessment, counseling, record-keeping, and reporting. For the addiction counselors, the main clients are those who have drug dependence or substance use disorder and the family or other people that have been impacted negatively by their addiction. The interviewee’s theoretical orientation is Rogerian, which emphasizes empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard. In addition, she also uses behavioral and cognitive-behavioral models while counseling some clients.
The interviewee stated that, like is the case with most jobs, there are many pluses and minuses to being an addiction counselor. The biggest positive outcome of the job is that it provides an opportunity to help individuals to be sober and regain a sense of purpose in life is very fulfilling. Hence, the greatest plus is the gratification that comes from helping people. In addition, a person trained in this profession will land a job faster than in other professions. The salary is also enough to afford some basic needs.
There are also some negative sides to being an addiction counselor that the respondent mentioned. To start with, there is a high potential for work burnout and job-related stress due to the nature of clients. Also, the job is not as financially rewarding as others, such as psychiatrists. The other major drawback, both for an addiction counselor and mental health specialist in general, is that the work is always emotionally exhausting. The interviewee mentioned high levels of job-related stress as well as work burnout. The vision that the counselor had was to become a private provider by starting her own organization within the next five years.
Commentary
Choosing a career is a significant aspect for students, which should consider different aspects such as passion, career outlook, and education. In this regard, selection of a career should be made when a person is well informed so that, like the interviewee, they will have a sense of fulfillment while working. Intrinsic motivation to be a part of a specific career is more relevant compared to the drive that comes from the outside, more so in jobs that are very demanding. People who choose their work without compulsion always love and enjoy what they are doing regardless of the challenges faced.
Mental health providers directly contribute to a high quality of life among people in society. They are part of the helping profession that is needed by the current society. Notably, there is an influx of people with depression, stress, and anxiety due to the demands of contemporary society. Moreover, an increase in the number of people with chronic disorders such as cancer and emerging diseases such as the Covid 19 has caused more people to have emotional challenges (Palmer et al., 2020). The implication is that the need for mental health professionals is ever-increasing.
Moreover, there are people who resolve to drug use when they have stress, hoping that they will forget their problems. To their surprise, what began as a casual routine leads to dependence and starts affecting daily functioning, such as personal hygiene, job, and family relations. A person may feel insignificant and lose hope in life due to critics who see their negative behaviors as a failure. The addiction counselor, thus, makes the people feel that they can reform and become useful members of society. In turn, the counselor also feels a sense of fulfillment knowing that their contributions have transformed a person whose right to live will become a motivation to the people that are still struggling with addiction.
Different theoretical paradigms exist to guide psychologists in their therapeutic dealings with their clients. For the interviewee, her default model was Rogerian therapy, although she also used behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral models when counseling her patients. Thus, it is relevant to always have a specific brand that a mental health specialist identifies with. However, given the differences in complexity and nature of the mental need that different patients present with, being pragmatic is prudent. Moreover, even when dealing with a single case, concepts from different theories can apply at different stages of the counseling process. In addition, the psychologist should always seek to be up-to-date with theoretical changes because new evidence is ever emerging.
One of the factors that people consider when making a career decision is the current and future outlook. Expectedly, humans have a need for financial security and independence, which makes them look for a job that will ensure they are able to cater to their basic needs without struggle. For instance, the interviewee correctly stated that her work sustains her economically. According to McKay (2019), the median annual salary of a mental health counselor is $44,630, which is equivalent to $21.46 per hour. Depending on the qualifications of a person and the organization that they are working they can earn more than $72,990 or less than $28,240 (McKay, 2019). The wide range of salaries indicates that there is an opportunity for growth and personal branding if a person desires a better monetary reward.
Additionally, there is also a plus of the job being stable because there are many people in need of mental health care. A person who is qualified to work as an addiction counselor will always have a job. As such, a person can gain experience faster and even start their own organization to help more people and create employment, just as the respondent stated. There are also more people joining the profession because of their desire to promote positivity among patients struggling with psychological disorders. However, like most helping professions, the work is always emotionally demanding. There are clients who will always be problematic and those that will never appreciate the help that they get. Furthermore, listening to heartbreaking stories from the clients and their relatives may be emotionally taxing to the counselor. Therefore, it is essential for mental health professionals to have regular supervision and social support.
References
McKay, D. R. (2019). Mental health counselor job description: Salary, skills, & more. The Balance Careers.
Metz, K. (2016). Careers in mental health: Opportunities in psychology, counseling, and social work. John Wiley & Sons.
Palmer, K., Monaco, A., Kivipelto, M., Onder, G., Maggi, S., Michel, J., Prieto, R., Sykara, G., & Donde, S. (2020). The potential long-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on patients with non-communicable diseases in Europe: Consequences for healthy ageing. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 32(7), 1189-1194.
Appendix 1: Interview Questions
Please describe the work that you do and the setting in which you do it
My primary role as an addiction counsellor is to help clients cope with psychological illness and achieve their optimal wellness. My therapeutic relation with the patient involves different practices. First, I have to conduct an in-depth assessment to understand his family background, medical history, drug use and abuse among others. I also provide counselling using different skills to help clients confront their incongruencies and adopt a better lifestyle. I also have to report and file progress of each client. With regards to my work setting, I work in a drug rehabilitation center.
Who are your clients?
Most of my clients are people who are addicted to alcohol or other drugs such as opioid, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine and heroin. In addition, their family members or other people who have been affected due to living with individuals who have substance abuse disorder.
What is your theoretical orientation with these clients?
My theoretical orientation is Rogerian. I mean, I tend to embrace the concepts of Carl Rogers theory which emphasizes empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. I also find behavioral and cognitive behavioral theories especially relevant to people who are drug dependent
What do you see as the pluses and minuses of your current position?
The fact that I help individuals to be sober and regain a sense of purpose in life is very fulfilling. Hence, the greatest plus in this job is the gratification that comes from helping people. This job is also stable because there are many people in need of mental health care. Moreover, I earn a decent amount of money from the job that affords me a relatively good life. The minuses of working as an addiction counselor include high potential for work burnout and job-related stress due to the nature of clients. Also, the job is not as financially rewarding as others such as psychiatrists.
What do you see as the pluses and minuses of the field of mental health counseling?
Th responses here are not much different from those of the previous question. The pulses include fulfilment due to the feeling of helping people enhance their quality of life. Also, there is a high demand for the job, hence a person can find employment easily. With regards to the minuses, this job is emotionally taxing, especially when the addict refuses to change.
Where do you see your work trajectory going?
In five years, I wish to start my own rehabilitation center. With regards to mental health in general, I think there is a rise in demand for the job. Many people have psychological issues and the trend of drug addiction continue to rise. I also think that more people will join this career in future.