Professional Counselor

I an a professional counselor. My graduate degree is in Social Work. I am licensed as an Advanced Clinical Practioner (MSW-ACP). As a student, I was exposed to the theories of human behavior and counseling. All focused on the same thing, the development of a style of interaction that allowed a therapist to assist and guide an individual through a crisis or through a portion of their life that they felt needed intervention.

When I began working as a VIST Coordinator, I found myself as having a dual role. The veterans I interacted had significant sight loss, and many had additional problems due to factors such as aging, loss of loved ones, substance abuse, homelessness, acute and chronic disease, or other conditions.

In my role as VIST Coordinator, I have to guide clients through the sight loss rehabilitation process. I also have to provide triage services and refer them to other sub-specialties to address other issues that need intervention. Though I am a trained degreed counselor with advanced clinical practice certification, I have to also realize there is other specialist in a rehabilitation team. I feel a large part of my role as a case manager is to ensure veterans are referred to the appropriate care provider.

I feel my own sight loss and having personally gone through the adjustment process allows me to have insights that contribute to effective counseling. Along with my professional training and development, I feel my own life with vision loss as well as my experiences going through VA blind rehabilitation adds credibility to my therapeutic interventions.

Over the years, I have learned to become a better listener and observer and to really strive to hear what the client is expressing.

Over the course of my professional career I have been asked to supervise interns and act as a resource for students and new professionals in the field of Social Work. This type of counseling is not within the realm of therapy, but does represent mentoring, which is a more informal form of counseling.

In the role of a mentor I have been challenged to provide guidance, but still allow the individual to struggle, develop, and ultimately develop more advanced skills in their profession. I believe over the years I have improved my ability to guide others, to help them recognize their strengths, and assist them in working on areas that could be improved.

The following are my formal activities connected to the application of fundamental principles and techniques of individual counseling:

Student and Family Activities:

My Professional Activities:

The results of my efforts:

Over the years as a clinical social worker and now as a VIST Coordinator, I have developed a counseling style that is eclectic and works for my interventions with individual patients. Being both a consumer and a provider has given me a unique insight and sensitivity into the restorative process. After 30 years of clinical experience, I feel I am qualified to provide a full range of services to blinded veterans including counseling them and their significant others. My experience has also enabled me to appreciate other special services that are available and to triage VIST veterans to others services within the medical center and community as needed.

I am still called upon to mentor new professionals in the Social Work Department. In 2003, I co-mentored an Intern in VIST from VA Vocational Rehabilitation.

 

Highlight of Results

South Texas VIST Program has: