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Hi there, my name is Annette Watts. I am in the Mental Health and Wellness program. I expect to graduate in December with hopes to use my knowledge of mental health in non-profit organizations, local colleges, or faith-based organizations. I have been married to my husband, Renato, for three years and we currently live in El Paso, TX. We love to hike and travel. I have been a theatre arts educator for the past 5 years. I hope to learn specific skills and strategies to help others become more aware of mental health and help them achieve their goals.

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Personal Goal

Personally, I have been both challenged and strengthened by anxiety for most of my teenage/adult life. I affirm the need to have a strong support system and consistency in your life as learning mindfulness and the concept of gratitude has helped me. I have learned to take things day by day and to ask for help when needed. For me, the first step was to acknowledge that I, in fact, did need help. I was a straight A student, active in extracurricular clubs, and had a strong support system yet still struggled to control my anxious thoughts. Seeking help and educating myself on coping strategies helped in identifying specific solutions as well as allowed me to take back control to what I sometimes felt was too overwhelming.

Professional Goal

In my future role as a counselor, knowledge of trauma, crisis, and mental health can help me understand specific skills and strategies to be an empathetic and active listener as well as encourage and empower others to share their voice. I hope to have a better understanding of identifying the needs of those in crisis as well as how to best assist them within my scope of practice.

Course Goal

I hope to discern the warning signs and potential threats that crisis can have on an individual’s wellbeing as well as the community at large and help individuals to gain access to the resources available to them.

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A major takeaway when reviewing the mental health resources provided was how costly it can be for people that have a mental illness. The amount of job loss, financial instability, and emotional fatigue individuals with a mental illness face is alarming. Another was how mental health contributes to overall wellbeing and how many myths there are about mental health. Educating ourselves and others on the overall effects of mental health regarding physical health was eye opening because I feel there is not enough conversation being held on the subject.

One demographic that I am particularly interested in is young adults. I was surprised to learn that most mental illnesses develop between the ages of 14 through 24. One major change is the decision young adults face regarding their future education and career goals. In that same regard, people that have a mental illness often do not know where to begin on their journey of choosing the right school for them and how to access the necessary resources available to them. Taking a tour of your campus, asking your advisor what mental health resources are available and how to access them are all important in planning for your needs. NAMI does an excellent job of putting out helpful resources to anyone that may need them. https://nami.org/Your-Journey/Teens-Young-Adults/Managing-a-Mental-Health-Condition-in-College

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Reference Guide to Mental Health Disorders Artifact

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Reference Guide to Mental Health Disorders Artifact

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A. Watts- Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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Post 1
An Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) can have a profound impact on an individual that can affect their everyday mental and physical wellbeing later on in adulthood. The developmental stage in which the experience occurs is important to consider as well as the coping strategies and support that followed the event (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Further consideration should be implemented on the impact of social norms, social settings, and the correlation of ACEs within specialized populations. What interventions specifically target low-income and minority groups? What cultural considerations are given when considering access to mental health services and the willingness to engage in help seeking behaviors according to the cultural norms within the group? While I agree with the correlation that ACEs have on physical health and possible onset of chronic illness, more research can be done about cultural and societal barriers that can help prevent further ACEs amongst specialized groups.

Traumatic events including natural disasters, loss of a loved one or important person, or helping an individual through graphic details of their trauma can have an effect on others mental and physical health. Something that surprised me was childhood traumatic grief. This type of grief is different as some children will display behaviors such as fear of sleeping alone, withdrawal from clubs or activities, irritability, and physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches. Understanding these behaviors can be tied to a traumatic event is especially important as a parent and educator to ensure the proper resources and referrals are being made to help assess the mental health of the child.  Another type of trauma was traumatic or complicated grief. This type of grief can prolong the grieving process and can include other symptoms such as anger, bitterness towards others, unable to participate in regular activities, and intrusive thoughts. This can cause a person to feel stuck in their grief and may need additional support to begin to heal. Compassion fatigue was also another form of trauma that was surprising. Although it is indirect trauma, it can begin to have impacts on the caring provider’s mental health such as intrusive thoughts and nightmares. Once you recognize the signs of compassion fatigue or burnout it is best to cope with self care or mental health services as needed.

In regards to children and their susceptibility to trauma, I believe that the environment in which children are in is out of their control. They do not have a say in what they will and will not experience within their home or family system. They depend on others for basic needs and therefore are subject to tolerating any experience that is presented.  In addition, the knowledge of coping strategies and skills is limited for children due to limited life experience and circumstance. In order to help lessen the effects ACEs can have on children and families its important to include social and emotional learning in curriculum in public education, healthy relationship programs, and parenting classes (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Another helpful strategy is to ensure children have access to caring adults and after school activities such as big brothers and big sisters as well as after school clubs, sports, and classes.

I think that all professionals should be aware of the effects that trauma can have on physical and mental health. Understanding that work performance and learning capabilities can be dramatically hindered due to trauma is important to consider in the workplace for better working conditions and to help promote the wellness of families and children. It truly is a complex system and one will affect the other. In order to produce effective results, you need effective people. If trauma is preventing a person from being effective then it is in the professionals best interest to address the trauma and ensure the proper measures are taken to work through it in order to benefit their personal and professional life. I do think health professionals would greatly benefit from training of the effects of trauma and how to assess for trauma, I do believe that awareness of mental health and its effect on physical health can help reduce stigma amongst the community at large.

Post 2
For this assignment, I chose the documentary Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich. I know of Jeffrey Epstein due to his sex offender charge, island controversy, his death, as well as the many victims he affected. I’m interested to see what other effects or indicators may have been present in his early childhood experiences as well as the choices he made later in life. I want to see how trauma affected this individual that in turn affected many others.

Post 3
Netflix’s Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (2020) is about the investigations into the sexual misconduct and trafficking of women by Jeffrey Epstein and associates. It highlights the way these women were used and abused by money and how it personally affected the survivors after experiencing their trauma. It also sheds light on Mr. Epstein’s personality and how he got away with his trafficking ring and exploitation of young women through his financial power and influence with celebrities, politicians, and the government.

I learned that predators, especially narcissistic predators, tend to prey on vulnerable individuals and identify specific needs within that individual in which they can manipulate and control them into participating in what they want them to. They also ensure that the victim is isolated and left feeling powerless in which the only option is to give in to the demands of the abuser. Fear and financial power are a dangerous combination because not only does it allow the victims to be manipulating and persuaded but the authorities as well. When a backdoor agreement is completed even with substantial evidence presented then it begs the question of how many people are doing the exact same thing and getting away with it simply because of their financial power and silencing their victims through fear and manipulation and how do we find justice?

Personally, what was most eye-opening was the amount of people that were involved or at least witnessed something peculiar but chose not to speak out or help the victims. These events happened consistently and repeatedly and yet no one felt the need to speak out. When the victims and their lawyers began to speak out, they were met with harassment, threats, and coercion. That too was eye opening as it shows the level of control this individual felt they had and would outwardly state that they could do what they wanted and get away with it. Another thing that was interesting was a part in the documentary where Mr. Epstein was directly asked if he had been abused as a child and chose to evade the question. Regarding Adverse Childhood Experiences by the CDC (2019), more information on his background would be able to shed some light as to how he became a narcissist as well as how he began abusing women throughout multiple decades of his life. If he had support and strategies to help him engage in appropriate relationships throughout his history things may have been different for Mr. Epstein.

This documentary has supported what I knew about Jeffrey Epstein but has also raised many questions concerning his death as well as his financial assets to include his private island. It saddens me that people can have a private island that has been implemented in a trafficking ring and yet the property has not been turned over to the authorities and the public as well as the survivors of abuse from that island do not know if there are other victims still being held there.

Post 4

In my chosen documentary Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (2020), you saw the effects of sexual assault, trafficking, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The testimony of the survivors describing feeling scared, confused, helpless, and overwhelmed by the situation as well as feeling shame, guilt, and anger years after the trauma shows the psychological effects this trauma has had on their everyday life.

One testimony of the victims in the documentary described her experience as gut-wrenching and disgusting. She also stated how even when returning to her room she barricaded the door, cried herself to sleep, and had nightmares of what had occurred. Due to the abuse occurring to many survivors at a young age, some as young as 14 years old, it led them to turn to drugs, alcohol, and even incarceration. It not only affected their life but affects the lives of those around them to include loved ones. Some survivors also had siblings that were also involved in the trauma which left anger and guilt amongst family members.

Therapy was mentioned as a resource by one survivor who had later went on to become a therapist herself. One program such as dating matter or safe dates could have greatly benefited these individuals in processing their trauma and developing strategies to work through and heal (CDC, 2019). Most of these traumas occurred during their adolescent years and if the victims would have come forward to a school counselor or family member, some may have gained access and resources to help them work through their trauma.

Regarding my role as counselor, ensuring they have a safe space to talk would be of utmost importance. Checking in on them and helping them find a licensed therapist to work through their signs and symptoms is also important. Providing access to programs and groups for survivors of sexual assault and following up with them will be essential within my scope of practice.

References

Berlinger, J. & Patterson, J. (Producers). (2020). Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich [Television Series]. Netflix: RadicalMedia.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Leveraging the Best Available Evidence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Guide to Mental Health Disorders Reflection

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Guide to Mental Health Disorders Reflection

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Upon completing this reference guide, I felt it helped me see the similarities and differences amongst disorders and just how complex identifying and assessing each is. There are key differences but many have similar symptoms such as mood changes or inability to concentrate. Furthermore, that made me realize that understanding each in more detail can help me in my future role ask specific questions to get a better understanding of which resources or referrals need to be made. This will definitely help inform my decisions on where to lead individuals that may need additional resources if presenting these symptoms. This will also help identify early interventions before affecting physical health or causing symptoms to worsen or be left untreated. I think this is a great resource for quick reference.

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ACA Code of Ethics- Provides practical information for counselor decisions regarding best practices, education, referral processes, informed consent, and other counselor related situations and topics. https://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Clarifying Values & Referrals
https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/ethics/ethics-columns/ethics_october-2016--values-and-refferal.pdf?sfvrsn=d222522c_4

Termination & Referrals
https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/ethics/ethics-columns/ethics_may_2017_terminations-and-referrals.pdf?sfvrsn=ea25522c_6

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Reading the material and viewing my chosen documentary really opened my eyes to the effects that trauma has on an individual and their everyday lives. One event can change the course of action on an individual and lead a trajectory of violence, fear, and continual abuse if no intervention is present. This also shows me how important it is to be able to identify the signs of trauma and how to help victims. Taking timely action is critical and every outcry is to be taken with the utmost care.

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We live in times where the ability to correctly identify and confront personal bias is of utmost importance, especially in the counseling profession. Being aware of your personal culture and identity as well as being open and curious about others culture and identity can help foster genuine and congruent counseling relationships. Trust is essential within the counseling relationship and counselors must be aware of any barriers that may hinder that trust and thus an effective relationship.
https://ct.counseling.org/2016/01/multicultural-and-social-justice-counseling-competencies-practical-applications-in-counseling/

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Independent Learning Assignment- Project Restore Reflection

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Independent Learning Assignment- Project Restore Reflection

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Upon completing this assignment, I learned how the effects of trauma have a widespread impact on individuals and communities. The current COVID-19 Pandemic has led to significant stressors for students and educators. Students have lost access to mentors and adults due to isolation and have obtained more responsibilities at home to help parents and working conditions. Educators have had difficulty addressing student needs as frequent contact has been diminished due to remote learning. Understanding the effects of trauma and recognizing stress and burnout can help combat potentially harmful mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.

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Upon completing this assignment I learned how the topic in which clients come to counseling or seek help is truly the tip of the iceberg. One things leads to another in this interwoven tangled web of needs, wants, and barriers. In order to truly address client goals it appears its the counselor's role to help clients carefully untangle their webs in order to clearly see what they would like to accomplish in counseling. I enjoyed this assignment and the practical use within the counseling relationship.