Interview a Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Interview a Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Abstract

For many years, individuals have had their own perceptions of mental health counselors. Some individuals may even think that this is an easy job. This professional is often overlooked and underrated as many individuals in need of this type of service are overlooked. While conducting this interview there were many exciting job descriptions of the LMHC that this counselor-in-training interviewed. This individual interviewed gave some ideas as to what they provide to clients on a daily basis, they often have twenty-three or more clients. This discussion was intense, rewarding, and heartwarming. In conducting this interview, it gave a difference in the outlook of the mental health field from the outside in.

Interview Questions

1. What experience have you had that makes you feel capable of being a LMHC

2. What has been the most rewarding experience?

3. What have you done to keep abreast of current practices in counseling and psychology?

4. What is the counseling theory that you most closely follow?

5. How would you handle an irate client?

6. How do you know when to refer a client to another professional?

7. What new programs have you initiated?

8. How do you fit your schedule into the day?

9. How do you handle stress?

10. How do you handle criticism?

11. What is it that you like about working with clients?

12. What do you bring to this position that is unique?

13. How would you deal with counselor/client personality conflicts?

14. What do you think the role of the counselor is in assisting the prevention of abuse/violence?

15. Give an example of when you motivated others.

Interview a Licensed Mental Health Counselor

For many years, the role of the mental health counselor has been to work behind the scenes working to assist and provide the much needed assistance for special clients, or under privileged families and their siblings. This interview was extremely interesting, as this LMHC was willing to provide answers for the various questions asked of her. She has been working in the field of mental health for 25 years. Other positions held; social worker, rehabilitation counselor, child protective services, domestic abuse counselor, case manager, group home counselor, psychiatric unit worker, and now owns a private practice, licensed mental health counseling office (Dunn, 2013).

She stated that it is immense and rewarding to assist families with young children, and to assist disabled individuals to access resources for additional support. She stated that personally, achieving the goals of being a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and National Certified Counselor, are very rewarding (Dunn, 2013). She continues to attend workshops on counseling theory cognitive-behavioral, and to keep up with her continuing credit education in order to keep her license in good standing (Dunn, 2013). By remaining calm and allowing the client an opportunity to vent/discuss the reasons that they are upset can give the client time to calm down and the counselor time to determine what steps are necessary to assist the client to calm down and to remain calm (Dunn, 213). When dealing with an irate client the second step is verbal de-escalation if this does not work, you can have a partner walk with the client as you are usually the source of their anger. In addition, it is never a good idea to be in a building alone with