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Ebony Ballard

Program: Professional Counseling M.A.

Goals:

1. Personal Goal: Enhance my work-life balance so that I can travel more.

2. Professional Goal: Obtain my professional counseling license and apply to work as a Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC)

My goal for this course is to develop the knowledge and skills needed to assist others as they heal from their past traumas. I am a military spouse who works with military families, so becoming a Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) is a natural transition from a school counselor. This contractor position will offer the opportunity to travel to different military installations around the United States and the world, serving military families.

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While assessing my prior knowledge on the subject of trauma, I realized that several aspects of my childhood were considered traumatic. I realized that this course will bring up many of those memories. I became more aware of the things that trigger me and the boundaries I will need to set for myself. I hope to use my experience to provide a nonjudgmental and encouraging environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their experiences. My future work as a professional counselor is to help others in a way that helps them grow and heal from their traumas.

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This reference guide serves as an easily accessible source of information on the most common mental health disorders. The definitions come from the DSM-5-TR and the American Psychological Association. As a professional counselor, I will refer to this guide regularly when seeing students and clients.

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Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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Texas Administrative Code for Professional Counselors

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Texas Administrative Code for Professional Counselors

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TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS

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The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics is the latest revision of the ethical standards that guide the practice of school counseling. School counselors abide by these ethical standards to ensure that they treat students with dignity, maintain confidentiality, and foster a nurturing and culturally sensitive relationship.

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After this assignment, I have viewed trauma in a different light. In the past, I have watched documentaries purely for their entertainment value, not realizing the people's experiences led to traumas. Seeing the full impact of a person's life on display, while entertaining, allowed me to view the people from the perspective of a counselor providing therapy and finding ways to help them heal.

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Obtaining the Psychological First Aid certificate was a meaningful endeavor as an aspiring professional counselor. I plan to use this training when needed in emergency crisis situations or when an individual is experiencing a personal crisis. The skills that I learned in this training are useful in my role as a school counselor. The goal is to lessen the harmful effects of the traumatic event, help individuals heal, and lessen the long-term effects.

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Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online_Certificate (1)

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Human and sex trafficking is such a tragedy in our country and many others, and the trauma inflicted can last a lifetime. Our group researched how to identify when a person is being trafficked, how to assess them, and interventions needed once the person has escaped being trafficked. We also identified the most vulnerable populations in the hopes of targeting prevention strategies to reduce the likelihood of human and sex trafficking. As a school counselor, my goal is to be able to identify students who are being trafficked and provide early intervention, as I learned through my research for this project.

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Human and Sex Trafficking Crisis Prevention Plan

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Using the case study on Melynda provides a guided perspective on how to properly conduct a counseling session and provide assistance in a crisis situation. The resources provided in the lesson and from my independent research guided me through this assignment and will serve as a resource in my future role as a professional counselor.

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Therapist Aid is an amazing website with resources for different social and emotional issues. I give students worksheets on the topics that we discuss to assist them further when they leave my office. The site also has videos and interactive tools. The membership is affordable but well worth the investment.

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© 2023 Therapist Aid. All rights reserved

Disclaimer: The resources available on Therapist Aid do not replace therapy, and are intended to be used by qualified professionals. Professionals who use the tools available on this website should not practice outside of their own areas of competency. These tools are intended to supplement treatment, and are not a replacement for appropriate training.

Copyright Notice: Therapist Aid LLC is the owner of the copyright for this website and all original materials/works that are included. Therapist Aid has the exclusive right to reproduce their original works, prepare derivative works, distribute copies of the works, and in the case of videos/sound recordings perform or display the work publicly. Anyone who violates the exclusive rights of the copyright owner is an infringer of the copyrights in violation of the US Copyright Act. For more information about how our resources may or may not be used, see our help page. Therapist Aid has obtained permission to post the copyright protected works of other professionals in the community and has recognized the contributions from each author.

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Therapy Worksheets, Tools, and Handouts | Therapist Aid

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Free worksheets, treatment guides, and videos for mental health professionals. Topics include CBT, anger management, self-esteem, relaxation, and more.

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The American Counseling Association is a professional organization specifically for the counseling profession. I currently hold an active membership for continuing education credits, a magazine to keep me up-to-date on counseling-related matters, and liability insurance. When I become a professional counselor, I plan to maintain my membership with them for their ongoing continuing education units and liability insurance.

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American Counseling Association | A professional home for counselors

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Living in a diverse community means there is a diverse set of needs. In Killeen, TX, we have a large military installation, 54 schools, three hospitals, and two colleges. Our socio-economics, race, and ethnicities vary widely as well. This community changes with the military installation, bringing in and out families of all sizes. As a school counselor and aspiring professional counselor, my role is to provide social and emotional support to students and families, which often requires a referral to outside agencies for assistance. This list offers every aspect of living, from food and shelter to legal and healthcare needs. When students or families share details about their struggles, I often provide them with this list to review while directing them to a specific section on their needs.

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Students

Self-referral through walk-in or email

Parents

Refer their child through phone, email, or in-person

Teachers

Refer students through email or in-person

When students or parents reveal a need that is outside of my scope of practice, I refer them to see their pediatrician for a mental health referral, provide the community resource list, and direct them to the appropriate section, and/or get permission for refer the student to (Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicne (TCHATT).

TTCHATT is a free service and an approved service provider for Killeen ISD that provides mehtal health services for students whose needs go beyond the scope of a school counselor to provide regular therapy for students.

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Abnormal Psychology is an online, interactive textbook that mirrors the DSM-5-TR for mental health disorders. It provides instant feedback when answering questions at the end of each module, videos, and a glossary of terms. This is the one resource I will continue to use for the rest of my studies and as a practicing professional counselor. It is absolutely a resource that I recommend to my friends who are also pursuing licensure.

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Abnormal Psychology | Simple Book Publishing

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This courseware includes resources copyrighted and openly licensed by multiple individuals and organizations. Click the words “Licenses and Attributions” at the bottom of each page for copyright and licensing information specific to the material on that page. If you believe that this courseware violates your copyright, please contact us.

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Being culturally competent means being aware of other cultures' differences while still treating them fairly and without bias. It means respecting the differences that make us all unique while tailoring our teaching and counseling practices to fit their needs. When educators and professional counselors understand and respect different cultures, we can avoid stereotypes and discrimination that harm the student's social and emotional well-being.