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My name is Mercedes Gutierrez and I am currently enrolled at ASU in the Professional Counseling program. My goal is to eventually become a licensed grief counselor and work in rural areas. I am positive this course will provide me with both the basic and in-depth knowledge to understand the role crisis and trauma play in a persons mental state, as well as be beneficial for me in counseling the bereaved.

As someone who is interested in Professional Counseling, an LPC certification is required, and further information can be found for the State of Texas here: https://bhec.texas.gov/texas-state-board-of-examiners-of-professional-counselors/

Ethical Codes followed by most counselors can be found here: https://www.counseling.org/resources/ethics

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In unit 1, we began by introducing ourselves to our classmates, as well as reflecting on our goals for the course. We were also provided a plethora of material regarding mental health concerns. It was then that I began reflecting on my prior knowledge as well as stating new information. The new information I gathered from the material was that more than half of Americans go undiagnosed with mental health issues. The new article I found which was my own independent research covered grief and how to identifying factors.

This unit provided me an opportunity to both reflect and look at new information. It was also a great opportunity to connect with peers and open a line of communication. Additionally, this is the unit where we submitted our initial padlet and chose our groups.

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Phillips, Lindsey. “Untangling Trauma and Grief after Loss.” Www.Counseling.Org, May 2021, www.counseling.org/publications/counseling-today-magazine/article-archive/article/legacy/untangling-trauma-and-grief-after-loss.

Cohen, J. A., & Mannarino, A. P. (2011). Supporting children with traumatic grief: What educators need to know. School Psychology International, 32(2), 117–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034311400827

National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). Course Index. Retrieved from https://learn.nctsn.org/course/index.php?categoryid=11

Office on Women’s Health. (2025, January 31). Dating violence and abuse. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/other-types/dating-violence-and-abuse

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2025, March 28). Behavioral threat assessment and management.

https://www.dhs.gov/behavioral-threat-assessment-and-management

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, January 18). Preventing teen dating violence.

https://www.cdc.gov/intimatepartnerviolence/teen-dating-violence/fast-fact.html

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This assignment consisted of various mental health disorders, including Depression, Anxiety, Psychosis, Substance use, and Eating Disorders. For each disorder, we focused on defining the basic definition, causes, and importance of intervention. We then defined each specific type of disorder based off thorough research. APA references were listed as well as in-text citations and any helpful resources I found along the way. Useful references are included within the attached file, which are beneficial to my future role as a Professional Counselor.

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In this unit, the main focus was practicing our communication with classmates and sharing thoughts and ideas. This assignment was conducted through a discussion padlet in which we had two posts to complete. The first post focused on the ACE studies, different forms of trauma and their examples, the susceptibility of children to trauma, strategies for grief or trauma, and my opinion of if health professionals should be educated on trauma assessment and effects as well as the importance of basic trauma knowledge in my future professional role of grief counseling. The second discussion post was focused entirely on choosing a documentary which observed trauma in some form and being able to identify how we think trauma and/or grief may be involved. It also asked for a reflection on our initial thoughts before we view the film we chose. Overall, these discussion posts focus on the different aspects of identifying and understanding the role and long-lasting affects of trauma. The third discussion was a reflection of the documentary after viewing it, as well as various questions reflecting the knowledge on trauma we gained.

The fourth discussion was a reflection on our observations of trauma in the documentary which would be applicable in our chosen fields.

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In this assignment, we were asked to complete a Psychological First Aid training which took around 5 hours to complete. During this training, we were provided information on identifying trauma specific to post-disaster scenarios. Videos and interactive activities were included throughout the training, as well as questions to test my knowledge along the way. I had not any any previous training with disaster responses or identifying sign of trauma, but this training allowed me to gain a basic understanding of appropriate aid. Though I do think I could use more training in this area, I appreciated the opportunity to learn about something I have had no previous experience with.

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This assignment was an opportunity to work with others in the course, as well as view different styles and perspectives on dating violence. Everyone involved in the presentation was efficient and helpful when deciding on method of communication, assigned responsibilities, and completing the assignment in a timely manner. Regarding direct materials, my assigned questions were to define dating violence (otherwise known as Intimate Partner Violence), identify mental health components and threat assessment models, and address identifiable at-risk behaviors. My other group members addressed Multi-agency collaboration, organizations for crisis prevention, protocol for collaboration, Universal Screening Assessments for Dating Violence, referral processes, cultural competencies, special populations, and community awareness. In conclusion, the goal of our presentation was to provide a comprehensive and applicable structure for identifying, assessing, and responding to Dating Violence (or Intimate Partner Violence).

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The ABC model was an opportunity to evaluate a case study and understand how to better achieve a client relationship, break down problems, and identify affective actions for the counselee and counselor. In the first section of the assignment, I was tasks with identifying words or phrases which suggested physical, emotional, social, and cognitive areas. In the next part, I used the rapport building steps to explain how I would build that relationship and provided specific examples of what I might say. Then when breaking down the problem, I specified the issues with the client and possible general options of treatment. Once the issues were broken down by physical, emotional, social/relational, and mental/cognitive needs and issues, I then moved onto action steps. Here I broke down what the counselee and counselor would need to do step by step in order to work toward a common goal.