Question: My journey into counseling is based on my mom being diagnosed with mental illness when I was five years old. Me being in foster care and living with different family members and experiencing every form of abuse from the age of 5 until 18. I had anger issues and I was passive aggressive. I used comedy as a way to take the focus off me but it was mostly in school towards those who offended me. As an adult I went through a process of forgiving which lead me to wanting to help others.

PC 6106 Foundations of Mental Health Counseling

Required Assignment 1: (200 pts)

Description of RA 1:Professional Development Project

In this assignment, you will develop a professional development plan and submit a 6-7 page reflection on the process.

Professional Development Project

Students will:

(1) interview a licensed professional counselor (i.e., not a social worker, marriage and family therapist, psychologist, case manager) currently practicing in the field about their position, responsibilities, credentials, training, involvement in the profession, specialty area, job market, self-care strategies, and advice to you as a counselor-in-training;

(2) explore the ACA website, in terms of benefits, structure and content; and

(3) identify licensing requirements (e.g., exams, hours, training) for the state in which you plan to acquire your license (i.e., contact the state/review the website) and certifications you plan to acquire (e.g., Registered Play Therapist, Nationally Certified Counselor);

(4) describe your journey into counseling ("Why Am I Here?").

The professional development project reflection paper should be 6-7 double-spaced pages:

(a) summarize interview (including interviewee demographic contact information) and what you learned about the profession from the interview(2 pgs.),

(b) review benefits of ACA membership (1/2-1 pg.),

(c) summarize the licensure requirements in your state and create a plan and timeline for acquiring your professional counseling license and any additional certifications (2 pgs.), and

(d) describe your unique path to the decision to becoming a counselor ("Why Am I Here") (2 pgs.).

Your final product will be a 6-7 page Word document written in APA format. Your paper should be written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.