Counselors Career Responses

 

 

1) Preconceived ideas

As a therapist, it is important to treat each client as an individual.  There will always be methods or treatments, which suit your personal style, that you will use most.  It is essential to keep an open mind to insure the best treatment plan for the client.  According to Ph.D., Strickland, and Wyner (2019), no pain is typical and it is necessary to individualize all treatment procedures.  I am an advocate for alternative methods of treatment.  I feel it is important to explore all options and provide the clients with comprehensive information to ensure a plan that is comfortable and successful.  A counselor that did not agree with a form of treatment may need to be aware of their biases and seek consultation with other counselors on how best to serve their client.

Alternative Treatments

It is important for the counselor to have a solid foundation in a variety of alternative treatments.  They need to maintain an up-to-date list of options and methods that can be looked into further if need be.  Due to the nature of neuropathic pain, unexplained pain, or somatic pain it is important to explore all options for relief.  These types of pain are the primary reason clients with mental disorders seek treatment (Ph.D. et al, 2019).  The client may have a number of factors involved that are causing their physical or psychological pain.  Clients may be resistant to traditional treatment methods and need something that is more alternative in nature.

Expanding awareness of alternative therapies

In order to expand your awareness of alternative therapies, a counselor can consult with others in their field to see what has worked best for them.  Natural forms of treatment can broaden your scope of knowledge and they often involve alternative forms of medicine for both the body and the mind.  Another great source is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) which provide information on complementary health approaches (NAMI, n.d.).  NAMI provides information on alternative treatment methods that can be used instead of, in addition to, or combined with traditional methods (NAMI, n.d.).  Through a collaboration with medical professionals, using both traditional and non-traditional methods we can discover new procedures for providing relief to our clients and build a more comprehensive treatment plan.

I have personal experience with alternative medicine.  I had a child that was allergic to corn syrup resulting in behavioral responses.  Through alternative medicine that addressed gut flora and removing foods that she was sensitive to we were able to give her some relief from the mood swings and she felt more stable.  I do not follow all of the ideas around natural medicine; however, there is much information on how the body works and simple things you can do to improve your lifestyle.

#2

Preconceived Ideas

As counselors we must always be aware of our biases, values, and preconceived notions. Per the ACA code of ethics (2014), a counselor should not impose personal values and beliefs upon their client. This applies to thoughts and feelings surrounding alternative and complimentary treatments. Each client is an individual and thus should be treated as such when addressing complimentary or alternative treatments. I believe it’s acceptable to have a personal preference in regard to treatment, but your preference should not hinder the satisfactory treatment of a client. Sinacola, Strickland, and Wyner stress the importance of individualized care for all because pain, illness, and discomfort are never to be considered typical (Sinacola et al., 2020). I have an overall positive outlook on pursuing complementary and alternative care because I have never personally experienced negative outcomes from complementary care. I think that my positive outlook would make me more likely suggest alternative or complementary care for my clients.

Alternative treatments

Maintaining up to date knowledge in effective treatments for mental health issues is a large part of being a well-informed counselor. It is essential to investigate any and all potential sources of relief because of the characteristics of neuropathic pain, unexplained pain, and somatic pain. The majority of patients with mental problems seek treatment primarily to alleviate this kind of discomfort (Sinacola et al., 2020) As time goes on and different ways to deal with problems are uncovered, it is crucial that we are fully informed on all of the numerous therapy options that are available. As we work to assist our clients, we need to first gain an understanding of their needs and reservations about treatment and then match them with the therapeutic approach that is most effective for them. A client with excessively addictive behavior may not benefit from prescribing medications; we must be prepared to provide them an alternative technique so they may receive the necessary assistance.

Awareness

The most effective method of raising one’s own awareness of alternative treatments is continued education. Staying informed about new discoveries within the counseling space as they pertain to alternative and complementary treatment methods. The National Alliance on Mental Health and the American Counseling Association are great resources to start with on a journey for continuing education.