CMHC Curriculum 

Throughout my time at Grand Canyon University and in completing my professional practicum and internship, I have reflected on ethical considerations for the counseling profession and promoting psychological fitness. The chosen artifact for this section highlights the academic standards for ethical boundaries and ethical decision making which satisfy both the American Counseling Association (ACA) and CACREP standards. Revisions to this document included the integration of furthering my understanding of the supervisor-supervisee relationship and the inclusion of relevance towards equine assisted therapy services.  Many times, ethical decisions are made via self-reflection, referral to the ACA Code of Ethics, referral to state board ethical standards, and supervision or consultation with other professionals. I have had the opportunity to carefully weigh ethical dilemmas with peers and professionals in both individual and group supervision which have contributed to my overall growth and development of counseling skills and psychological fitness of professionalism and relational abilities. These opportunities have provided me with knowledge to promote harm reduction for clients and careful consideration of dual-relationships. Over time, I will continue to reference the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiner's requirements, consult with professionals, and seek professional supervision to adhere with ethical requirements, promote ethical decision making, and avoid undue harm to clients. 

As a growing counselor in training, I have noted how my SOLER counseling skills have grown throughout my time at Grand Canyon University and within my practicum and internship. The chosen artifacts denote the SOLER counseling skills at the beginning of the counseling program and includes a summary of my skills at the time of creation. The second artifact includes a reflection of SOLER skills after practice. These artifacts follow the requirement set forth by the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the CACREP common core standards. Growth in my counseling skills and knowledge includes my understanding of building rapport with clients, challenging clients when discrepancies in thought processes and actions are noted, and my ability to create treatment goals which align with SMART goal standards. Recognition of the skills allow for continued development as a future counselor. Through this reflection, I have also noted how the counselor disposition of self-awareness can be applied and evaluated. Self-awareness is applied to SOLER skills because a counselor in training must have the ability to bracket their personal beliefs while in sessions with a client when confronted with differing beliefs. Counselors must still utilized counseling skills to prevent harm from coming to client while being aware of how their beliefs may influence their ability to work with clients. With continuing education and group and individual supervision, I can continue to evaluate my counseling skills to provide quality care to clients and ensure no harm comes to clients. 

My current internship site and my group supervision with Grand Canyon University has provided me with significant exposure and experience with cultural awareness and cultural diversity. The artifact for this section also demonstrates the academic component of this counselor disposition. Both the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the CACREP common standards are highlighted within the chosen artifact to meet each of the standards. The attached paper highlights my personal growth regarding personal bias and awareness of personal culture and cultural experiences from childhood stemming into adulthood. Awareness of cultural diversity has been a continued area of growth and reflection with regards to my ability to embrace the culture of my clients and honor their multiculturalism. Continued self-reflection and awareness is required as a counselor-in-training to ensure harm is not brought onto my current and future clients. The utilization of both individual and group supervision allows me to continue reflection practices and provides me with the ability to assess cultural considerations with clients and how to appropriately choose interventions which may benefit the client. These practices will be continued through my time as a counselor. I will also refer to relevant ethical codes and state laws to ensure ethical practices in the future. Overall, a counselor must assess their culture and how their own experiences with discrimination, or lack of, has an impact on understanding and ability to work with clients of varying backgrounds. 

Acceptance has been one of the counseling dispositions, I feel, I have had throughout my time at Grand Canyon University and while completing my internship. The artifact for this section demonstrates the importance of acceptance when working with populations which may be marginalized within the mental health field or may not have appropriate access to mental health services. Both the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the CACREP core standards are also highlighted within the artifact. The importance and growth within the disposition of acceptance is also noted. Within my current internship and counseling sessions, I continue to demonstrate acceptance through creating a nonjudgmental environment which embraces and celebrates each of my clients differences. The disposition of acceptance can continue to grow through the utilization of continueig education which focuses on mental health services for marginilized communities and the continued use of professional supervision. Counselors must uphold acceptance in order to prevent harm from coming to their clients while allowing clients to feel welcome and heard within the counseling setting. Self-reflection and bias must also be addressed through supervision or personal therapy to prevent undue harm to the client and to ensure the counselor can be impartial to their client's differences. 

Empathy is one of the key counseling dispositions required of counselors-in-training and licensed counselors. The chosen artifact for this disposition demonstrates the standards set forth by the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the CACREP Common Core Area. This artifact also highlights the importance of empathy when working with clients processing bereavement across their life span. The major takeaway from the artifact is the ability for an individual to process and be cognitively aware of grief. For example, babies and toddlers are unable to understand the permanency of grief while those in late adulthood may be les anxious and more accepting that each person passes. A counselor must possess empathy to demonstrate compassion and understanding when providing clients a space to process their grief. This disposition also highlight the importance of understanding the uniqueness of each client, including where the client is in their developmental process. As a counselor-in-training, I continuously utilize supervision, both individual and group, to promote and enhance my empathetic understanding of clients. This training should continue through licensure to ensure no harm comes to clients within sessions. 

In order to create a successful therapeutic relationship, a counselor must display the disposition of genuineness when working with clients. The chosen artifact for this disposition includes an essay detailing the elements of a successful therapeutic relationship. This essay also details the importance of utilizing counseling dispositions and counseling skills to create successful and positive therapeutic relationships. In my practice as a counselor-in-training, I hope to embody these skills within the field of Equine Assisted Therapy and working with various populations. Both the American Counseling Association (ACA) and CACREP standards are also highlighted in this artifact. As a current counselor in training, I strive to promote honest interactions with my clients and peers to create healthy a healthy working environment that fosters growth in those around me. I also work towards bettering myself through the use of continuing education resources and supervision when incongruence is experienced. This ensures no harm comes to the client during counseling sessions and countertransference does not occur. When licensed, I plan to continue the utilization of supervision, continuing education, and professional standards to provide clients with sessions where genuineness can be achieved. This also decreased undue harm which may come to the client when an incongruence in beliefs or actions may be faced. I truly believe the accompanying quote by Carl Jung accurately depicts the importance of genuineness both in the professional and personal setting. 

Flexibility is one of the key counseling dispositions which a counselor-in-training and licensed counselor must utilize in the professional setting. The chosen artifact for this counseling disposition highlights the ethics in psychological assessments which also consists of understanding and demonstrating flexibility. This artifact also meets the standards set forth my the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the CACREP common core areas. Flexibility consists of the counselors ability to possess an open-mind when working with clients and fostering positive relationships with other professionals in the field. When working with clients, this flexibility can be demonstrated when presented with clients of varying cultural backgrounds and inviting multiple viewpoints and areas of understanding to decrease harm to the client and enhance the therapeutic relationship. In assessment and testing, there are considerations for finding assessment tools which are studied to be effective for varying populations. Many assessments are not a one-size-fits all for every client so it is up to the counselor to choose the correct assessment for their client to obtain accurate data. In a a setting between professionals, flexibility includes being open to varying viewpoints and ways to navigate ethical dilemmas. Continuing education credits and continued supervision or collaboration with colleagues can assist in providing counselors with the opportunity to enhance the disposition of flexibility.

Patience is a disposition which must be considered when working within the counseling field due to much of the uncertainty when working with a diverse client population. It is also a key factor in working with groups, during group design, selection, and the screening of individuals for group. The chosen artifact demonstrates the important considerations for designing and implementing a group. This artifact also satisfies the related standards for the American Counseling Association (ACA) ethical standards and the CACREP common core areas. Patience within the counseling field allows for clients to have a space where respect is offered and self-exploration is encouraged. For the counselor, calmness should be modeled to demonstrate flexibility in varying situations. In the group counseling perspective, a counselor may be faced with difficult decisions in determining who is fit for the group offered, how the group may be designed, and any discrepencies which may occur during the group setting. Each of these scenarios requires patience and continued flexibility. During my practicum and internship, I have had first-hand experience with designing, screening, and selecting a group which fits my clients' current needs. This has required the utilization of the patience, especially when creating groups, due to possible schedule changes and working around client schedules. As a counselor-in-training and future licensed counselor, I will continue to utilize supervision and coordination with professionals within the field to continue practicing and understanding the role of implementation of patience. 

Amiability in the counseling setting demonstrates an individuals ability to provide unconditional positive regard, kindness, and compassion. This disposition is also a key element of the initial interaction with clients when forming a biopsychosocial assessment. The chosen artifact for this disposition demonstrates the utilization of a biopsychosocial assessment in the counseling setting.  This artifact also satisfies the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of th Ethics and the CACREP common core standards. Amiability is also a core disposition when a counselor is faced with difficult or frustrating situations. When this occurs, a counselor must approach the situation with calmness, understanding, and an cordial attitude. If a situation is overly difficult or the counselor feels as though there may be countertransferance, supervision with other professionals is required to ensure no harm comes to the clients. Currently, I utilize both group and individual supervision to obtain feedback and continued understanding in navigating challenging elements of the counseling profession. These supervision experiences allows for the continued effort to provide quality services to clients which promote growth rather than harm. This is something which I will continue throughout my professional career as a future counselor. 

Professional identity in the counseling professional is imperative in providing competent services for clients which prevent harm. The chosen artifact for the disposition of professional identity highlights the importance of the utilization of evidence-based interventions in sessions with clients. This is done through continued education, supervision, and mentorship. The artifact also satisfies the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and the CACREP common core standards. Another component of professional identity includes the engagement and participation within programs of study. This can be accomplished through the completion of programmatic expectations and courses. As mentioned in the chosen artifact, the completion of these requirements an provide counselors in training with skills and knowledge needed for the preparation of future careers. In my current internship, I am constantly utilizing supervision, both individual and group, continuing education trainings, and consultation to enhance my professional identity. After completing the program at Grand Canyon University, I will continue to consult with other professionals and complete continuing education opportunities to enhance my training and skills as a counselor. This ensures that no harm comes to clients and that I am competent in utilizing the interventions and skills within counseling sessions with clients.