When reflecting back on the resources provided in unit 1, I still have an overwhelming feeling of lack of knowledge. However, I am hoping to remedy that as we move forward. In my introduction in the discussion board for this unit I stated that my biggest take away after reviewing Mhanational.org was the percentage  of people who suffer with mental illness and do not receive any kind of treatment. I had also read on Mental Health First Aid that ‘Of adults in the United States with any mental disorder in a one-year period, 14.4 percent have one disorder, 5.8 percent have two disorders and 6 percent have three or more.’

My goal as I move forward is to be steward in helping to make resources more readily available to all who need them. I think there needs to be more effort to reach those in need. We often assume that because we live in a digital age that everyone has easy access to information. However, I think it is important to take into consideration other factors such as transportation and levels of literacy. Can people physically get to the resources or to the tools that get them there? Can people read the information given to them? Do they know of places to go where they can have assistance in reading and understanding the resources that are provided. 

Kapil, R. (2019, February 6). 5 Surprising Mental Health Statistics. Mental Health First Aid. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2019/02/5-surprising-mental-health-statistics/

While completing the Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders I was able to gain a broad perspective of the scope of each area of disorder. For example, prior to completing the assignment, I was not awarded the range of depression disorder. Depression doesn't fit in a nice neat box that can be solved by one particular type of treatment. It is important to understand the details. The treatment is in the details. 

Depression Test. (n.d.). MHA Screening. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/depression/?ref=http://depression-screening.org&show=1 

 

I know that when I begin my opportunity to counsel individuals, there is no doubt that I will work with individuals who have experienced trauma at some stage in their life. Much like the individuals that it affects, trauma is experienced, perceived and processed differently. It is important to understand types of trauma, how it affects people at different stages in their life. It is important to understand how trauma grows with an individual. After reviewing the ACE study, I realize it is important to understand the physical effects trauma has on a person. If the trauma is not addressed quickly, individually and tailored to that person's needs, then it cannot be effective. 

Another type of trauma that stood out to me, and is important for me to be aware of as a future counselor is secondary traumatic stress. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network states that from 6% to 26% of therapists working with traumatized populations, and up to 50% of child welfare workers, are at high risk for secondary traumatic stress or the related conditions of PTSD and vicarious trauma. It will be vital for me to continuously practice self care for my own personal health for myself and my family as well as to the people I am helping in order to maintain a professional and objective provider of services. 

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, April 3). Preventing adverse childhood experiences | Violence prevention | Injury center | CDC. Www.cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Facestudy%2Ffastfact.html

Peterson, S. (2018, February). Introduction. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. https://www.nctsn.org/trauma-informed-care/secondary-traumatic-stress/introduction

Psychological First Aid

I really did enjoy going through the Psychological First Aid (PFA) training modules. Anyone at any given time can faced with dealing with a traumatic situation.  In our various environments, whether at school or at work we are called to go through different drills in order to prepare us as best they can for traumatic situations. Situation such as bad weather and tornado drills, fire drills, and now active shooter drills. It is always important to be prepared. However, we often do not consider the aftermath of event that may occur. There are seemingly countless scenarios that can play out during and after a traumatic event. More importantly, there are countless types of reactions that can occur. 

I think that sometimes we think that we already know how to address different situations simply by offering a caring hand, listening ear, and basic assistance. However, it not always so cut and dry. People do not process information and situations in the same ways. For example a child is going to be effected differently than an adult. Or, a child who has already had a traumatic experience in their life may react differently than a child of even the same age, who has never experienced a traumatic event. Additionally and adult with a wife and children is going have different needs and assistance than an adult who is single with no children. I felt like the PFA was extremely detailed in the way it addresses so many varied human reactions, personalities as well as physical and mental needs of victims. I also appreciated that fact that it doesn’t just address the needs of the victims, but also of the helpers who are often victims themselves. 

Peterson, S. (2018, March 29). About PFA. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. https://www.nctsn.org/treatments-and-practices/psychological-first-aid-and-skills-for-psychological-recovery/about-pfa

My biggest take away after studying the materials about the ABC Model of Crisis Counseling is that as a counselor working with a client, you cannot address him or her with a “cookie cutter” scripted approach. Clients must feel comfortable and be given the opportunity to earn your trust. This is vital when counselling a person who has had a traumatic experience. Dr. Kristi Kanal details the basic ABC approach from basic attending skills that include good eye contact, verbal following and interested posture. These approaches are all designed to encourage conform and develop rapport with the client. Dr. Kanal talk about how these important because it shows the client that you are interested and want them to continue talking. She also addresses various questioning techniques such as using open-ended questions that, “invite the client to explore more of what they have spontaneously shared with categories imposed by the interviewer.” The ABC Model also stresses the importance of paraphrasing. This is when the counselor restates in their own words what the client has just said. This help to establish empathy because it shows that the counselor is really listening to the facts and thoughts the client is sharing. Counselors should also state a reflection of the client’s feelings, particularly when the client begins to get emotional. For example, if the client begins to cry while sharing some information. They might say, “This is clearly very painful for you to share. Or, if a client is showing anger while he or she is describing a situation that happened, the counselor might say, “I can tell that it made you very angry when that happened.” Finally, it is important for the counselor to summarize all the information and facts together. Not only does this show the client that you were listening purposefully and want to be there and help, but also, it allow the client to listen back to the information from the little bit of another view. Just hearing the information out loud may encourage some realization and open the door for some deeper perspective and conversation. 

 

The ABC Model of Crisis Counseling, The ABC Model of Crisis Counseling: Working with Loss and Grief presented by Kristi Kanel, fl. 2015, in The ABC Model of Crisis Counseling (Alexandria, VA: Micro training Associates, 2016), 59 mins