Mental Health Counseling» Essay Paper

Mental health counseling is one of the most important professions as it involves helping people with mental conditions to cope up with life normally. Note that this people have conditions that make them act, feel and behave indifferent to other people and therefore may feel neglected when not taken care of in a proper manner. It is also a matter of concern that due to the indifferent behaviors and activities, most people are scared of them, further heightening the already existing psychological torture being experienced. Note that even though such people appear to suffer loss of cognitive and reasoning function, they still need to have someone with whom they can feel secure with. Initially, the people with mental illnesses were locked up but emergence of mental health has brought morality and sanity in treatment (Palmo, Weikel, & Borsos, 2006)Mental Health Counseling» Essay Paper

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Roles of a mental health counselor

Mental health counseling falls under two main categories which includes prevention and promotion of mental health and treatment of disorders and dysfunctions. Note that intervening the conditions earlier makes it possible for cure or stopping the deterioration of the condition. It would be very important for medical practitioners. It should be noted that primary prevention programs used by mental health counselors is basically aimed at a mass rather than individual oriented. Note that psychologists and mental health counselors use their knowledge on human behavior to identify and treat the conditions affecting the individuals. It is mostly dependent on cognitive abilities of the infected individual.Mental Health Counseling» Essay Paper

Although mental counseling has not been incorporated in healthcare for a long time, it has proven to be quite important in treatment especially because psychologists have been used to help discern whether the conditions are caused by emotional factors or other infections. This is a very important development in medicine that can help in enhancing other conditions but which can lead to other mental discoveries. It should be kept in mind that one can suffer mental illnesses as a secondary infection of another disease but they can also suffer other disease conditions due to mental illnesses. It is therefore important to bear in mind that health care and mental care will always go hand in hand. The most important thing is that mental health patients are no longer prejudiced and neither are they locked out somewhere like it used to be before the coming oof mental health counselors.

Mental health theories

To offer effective treatment to patients of mental conditions, it is important for the practitioners to fully understand what the condition is like including the causation and how it can be eased off. This are all constructs in theories. One of the most common used theory in mental health counseling are based on the constructs of mental health and addiction (Ries, 2007). This indicates that there are patients with mental health conditions that suffer dual disorders and therefere the physicain faces dual diagnosis. In this people, the attempt to seek professional help not only becomes confusing but also bewildering and therefore elevate their problems. It is notable that this people suffer problems arising from within themselves as a result of their psychiatric conditions but also due  incidences of substance abuse. Note that most of the people suffering from mental illnesses are habitual abusers of substances. However, this should not be misconstrued to mean that all drug users suffer from mental illnesses or rather that all who suffer mental illnesses are substance abusers. It is notable though that subsatnce abuse is a risk factor in development of mental illnesses. This is why medical practitioners dealing with mental illnesses are also experts in treating substance abuse(Ries, 2007).

Importance in mental health management

Most of the people suffering from mental illnesses sometimes fail to seek medical assistance due to the prejudice thatexists in the community. Sometimes it is due to the stereotype and theirstatus in the community. It is important therefore for mental health practitioners to understand the theories of treatment  mental health management. Note that one of the most important thing in mental health counseling is creating a good rapportwith the patient and thus building trust. By using this menthod,the practitioner is likely to get to understand the cause of the mental problems.it is worth understanding that although medications are used concurrently with counseling therapy,they are  mostly for mood mood stabilizing otherwise relief comes by manipulating the psychology of the patient,identifying the cause of the  condition and easing it.Mental Health Counseling» Essay Paper

As indicated by the procedure the lifestyles that one leads,which is influenced by family members and other societal influence are what culminates to mental illnesses. The mental health counselor will need toidentify this stressors  before any other approach is taken so that they can be able to restore normalcy of mentality to their client. Note that there is need also for the counselor to understand the lifestyles of the person and his society so that he can know how to assist the client in coping with the situation (Seligman, 2004).Mental Health Counseling» Essay Paper

Sometimes, professional counseling will depend on the status of the people suffering from mental illnesses and this will therefore call for different theories and practices in the management of the condition. Situations like in war may affect families of military men and thus they may all suffer from one mental condition or another. The basic thing for the counselor to do is to forge a relationship with the client (Committee on the Qualifications of Professionals Providing Mental Health Counseling Services under TRICARE, Board on the Health of Select Populations, 2004). There is a need for a mental counselor to deliver, this has led to governmental regulation in training and registration of counseling professionals.Mental Health Counseling» Essay Paper