A personal goal for me is to watch a professional baseball game at every Major League Stadium. A professional goal that I have is to get my School Counseling certification.

I'm married and have two kids. My oldest graduated from high school last year, and my youngest will graduate next year.

From this course, I would like to get a better understanding of trauma and how it affects both adults and children. As a teacher, it is important to know and understand how trauma can affect the students in our classrooms, and in my future role as a counselor, knowing how to help students and or parents who have experienced trauma will be vital.

I currently live outside Fort Worth with my wife and our two dogs. I have two children from a previous marriage. My daughter just graduated from high school and is now in college pursuing her nursing degree. My son is a junior in high school.

From this course, I hope to learn more about how trauma affects the human brain. In my own life, I have dealt with a great deal of personal trauma, and as a veteran, I have seen the effects that trauma has had on soldiers returning from conflicts. As a school counselor and future LPC, I would really like to focus on how to help people who have experienced trauma.

After reviewing the materials, I would have to say that the two things that stuck out the most to me were that depression was the leading cause of disabilities and that almost half of Americans, 46% suffer from some mental health condition. I knew that mental health was an issue, and as someone who has struggled with mental health myself for more than half of my life, I did not realize that it was this bad.

I thought I had a pretty good knowledge; however, after taking the Deconstructing Stigma Mental Health Quiz, I discovered that I really did not know anywhere near as much as I thought I knew. While I did get a couple of the answers right, there were many other questions that I was way off the mark on when it came to the sheer number of people it affects and the amount of money that is lost.

While I am currently a teacher and working on becoming a school counselor, I want to transition into private practice, focusing on mental health for people who are dealing with trauma. This is something that I have felt a need and calling to do for more than 20 years, and I am finally focusing on that and working to make this a reality. Even though I have dealt with trauma in my life, my experience is minimal, and I hope that this course will allow me to scratch the surface of these topics at least

, allowing me to focus my own research to continue learning after this course has ended.

During my research, I found the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. This training is designed to equip individuals with the ability to identify and respond to mental health and substance abuse challenges, including crises. To learn more about this course, follow the link: https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/get-involved/mental-health-first-aid/.

This training is significant because it is a form of mental health first aid, similar to first aid that is used in physical emergencies. This training is both practical and evidence-based, and has been responsible for training millions, making it especially relevant in today’s world of rising awareness about trauma’s impact on mental illness.

Research site like the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) showed me the need for early intervention, which can improve outcomes and reduce chronicity. This reinforces the counselor's role in advocating for accessible mental health resources.

Additionally, I gained practical tools and insights into the NASDTEC Code of Ethics for Educators, which emphasizes creating supportive environments. This knowledge will help me identify at-risk students and integrate trauma-informed strategies in my future counseling role.

The assignment has made me more aware of trauma-informed practices and early intervention. For instance, The Ted Bundy Tapes examined PTSD and secondary trauma, emphasizing coordinated support, while Wartorn 1861-2010 underscored the need to destigmatize mental health issues.

Additionally, the ACE studies linked childhood trauma to long-term health outcomes, reinforcing the need for systemic interventions. These insights will guide my future work in promoting trauma education and support in the counseling field.

One key strength was our early assignment of content leads, which fostered accountability and expertise in areas like the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire. However, integrating content was challenging, requiring careful attention to transitions and narrative flow.

Overall, our collaboration mirrored the crisis response principles we studied, highlighting the importance of mutual respect and communication. This experience taught us to manage a complex, research-driven project within a tight timeline.

Section A: Building Rapport

Establishing rapport was crucial for de-escalation. By validating Steven’s feelings of anger and abandonment, I ensured he felt heard, highlighting that connection is key before addressing issues.

Section B: Analyzing the Problem

Breaking down Steven’s situation into four categories (Physical, Emotional, Social/Relational, Mental/Cognitive) revealed how trauma affects him. Notably, his father’s aggression connects anger with physical behavior, and Steven’s verbal abuse risks perpetuating family dysfunction.

Section C: Creating a Plan

I developed a plan with “Steps Steven Needs to Take” and “Steps The Counselor Needs to Take.” The priority was a suicide risk assessment and a no-harm contract—the cognitive intervention aimed to challenge the beliefs behind Steven’s abusive behavior.

Overall, this experience illustrated that the ABC Model serves as a comprehensive framework for ethical and effective crisis intervention.