Becoming a Mental Health Counselor for a patient with HIV/Aids is a position of dignity that can be often skewed or unwarranted due to the negative realm our society has placed upon the diagnosis. The main function of the HIV/Aids counselor is to be supportive of his or her infected and affected clients, to listen to their problems and to empower them to solve their problems and better their lives. These abilities can come easy for some; harder for others. I, as an HIV/Aids counselor, will embrace my future clients that seek my services. Support and empowerment should be an underlying task for any counseling profession, but particularly when working with a client who has HIV/Aids.
When beginning my career as a counselor, I will be faced with clients who have the diagnosis of HIV/Aids. This confrontation poses different issues for me personally and professionally that I will need to address as my career advances and I become more immersed and educated in the career. As a gay white male, many of my clients will have assumptions of me that are easily influenced by societal views. These assumptions, as a therapist, will need to be addressed and transformed into an understanding of HIV/Aids and the varying factors/ways of contraction and the ability to live and cope with the illness.
Treatment aside, I do not believe that I would have any hesitation to take on clients with HIV/Aids. I do believe in HIV/Aids and believe that all therapist should be aware of the infection and its’ ability to affect anyone. “If a mental health practitioner believes HIV infection doesn’t occur in his or her community and therefore fails to learn how to address it appropriately with clients, he or she does a grave disservice.” (Winiarski) I do, however, ...
... middle of paper ...
...as if I may have HIV or a fear of contracting the disease due to my similar lifestyle; ultimately leading towards the distress of early mortality.
Conclusively, I have particular interest in educating my client. I believe that the promotion of safe sex education, HIV/Aids education, life coaching, and coping abilities is an extremely influential factor in dealing with chronic illness. I want to be that counselor that is able to demonstrate to my client how to talk about HIV/Aids to loved ones, friend and colleagues, and to deal with feelings of loneliness, depression, powerlessness and suicide; all possible through consistent education.
Works Cited
Walker, G. (1991). In the Midst of Winter: Counseling Families, Couples, and Individuals with
AIDS Infection. NY: W.W. Northon & Co.
Winiarski, M. Understanding HIV/AIDS Using the Biopsychosocial/Spiritual Model.
There are many issues that interfere with the health and happiness of those within the Gay and Lesbian community. The National Association Position Statement on Gays and Lesbians is as attempt to abolish such issues within the social work practice. One place that individuals of any sexual orientation practice should feel safe is with those who have chosen the field of social work as a means to helping the oppressed. Social workers must be aware of their own personal beliefs and values when it comes to the fear of and the misrepresentation of working with this divers group. The consequences of not dealing with such issues and may have a latent manifest in dealing with the Gay and Lesbian population, and if not addressed prior to working in this field, maybe devastating to a client.
Same-sex marriage is now legal, spouses now have rights to pension benefits, continued insurance coverage, immigration laws are applied, as well as the right to tax filing status. Most people are allowing themselves to be more educated when it comes to homosexuality. Nurses who are more empathetic and compassionate tend to be those who work among PLWHA, or people living with HIV and AIDS, and are associated with lower feelings of psychological distress. There are also several studies that depict the more negative attitudes of health care providers towards patients with HIV/AIDS for reasons such a general fear of working with the terminally ill, perceptions of personal risk, being professionally adjudicated upon, fear of contracting the disease, and the unwillingness to work with patient populations including but not limited to homosexuals and intravenous drug users. These findings are consistent with Allport’s social psychology theory of intergroup contact (SOURCE), a theory that describes a weakened prejudice caused by increased contact with “an out-group” leading to a more positive attitude toward that group. In regards to nurses, it was found that the perception of stigma related to HIV influences their job satisfaction significantly. Research has also shown that
Melchert, T., & Patterson, M. (1999). Duty to warn and interventions with HIV-positive clients. Professional Psychology Research and Practice, 30 (2), 180-186.
Harm Reduction theory is an approach that was originally and successfully used when counseling HIV positive clients. When using the Harm Reduction approach during drug treatment, the counselor approaches the issue of substance abuse as a something more than just an issue to be cured. The intent of Harm reduction therapy is not to completely eliminate the client’s use of drugs, but instead focuses on minimizing the physical and mental harm that can be associated with the ongoing abuse of the given substance. The strategies used during this type of therapy emphasize management of the clients drug and alcohol use. In many cases teaching the client this type of drug management approach has been shown to reduce harm to the client, people closely involved with the client, as well as to the community. (Miller, 1996)
HIV has many psychological aspects which can impact on the way a patient behaves. Stigma and non-adherence are just two aspects associated with the disease. Many individuals have negative attitudes towards people with HIV and this can result in HIV patients suffering from discrimination. Bad quality healthcare and patients being fearful of seeking treatment are just two of the outcomes of stigma (Mandal, 2013). It has been known for healthcare professionals to withhold treatment, breach confidentiality and isolate HIV patients when not necessary (Engenderhealth, 2004a). Homosexual men have always been at the forefront of HIV stigma and in 1985 Dougal et al conducted a study about homophobia on 128 nurses and physicians. The results showed that ten per cent felt that homosexual men were responsibl...
I am currently a full-time employee at Bridging Access to Care. I work in the Social Support Services Department and have held various positions within this Department including Community Follow-up Worker, Case Manager Technician, Case Manager and now Supervisor. I worked directly with the HIV/AIDS and high-risk population (intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men (MSMs), incarcerated/recently incarcerated, etc.) coordinating services based on a client-centered model to meet the needs of individuals and families of this population. I am currently the Supervisor for the AIDS Institute Case Management Program where I am responsible for overseeing the delivery of case management services that include assistance with navigating the system to obtain concrete services. These services encompass but are not limited to entitlements, referral to agencies that assist with identifying appropriate housing, referral to medical, mental health and substance use services. I also, oversee treatment adherence services which support clients in their readiness to begin (ARV) antiretroviral therapy and maintain adherence to their prescribed medication for treatment for
Sometimes individuals consider becoming counselors after overcoming some major life challenge such as addiction or a history of bad relationships. Perhaps an individual has encountered a particularly effective counselor or therapist and has a desire to follow in those footsteps. Others may have had a bad experience with counseling and concluded that it can be done better. People do not think of this work so much as a job, or even as a career. More typically, a constellation of life experiences that demand explanation and a sense that others seek one out for assistance and emotional sustenance become driving forces leading one toward the counseling profession” (An invitation to). .
As well as, remembering that mental health may or may not play a role in these conflicts. The counselor must first assess his or her own views regarding sexuality. Working with clients apart of the LGBT culture, the counselor should not consider homosexuality unnatural or immoral. A counselor has the skills necessary to create a positive and nonjudgmental environment, and will not feel uncomfortable discussing issues related to homosexuality. It’s important for counselors to support clients in the coming out process at a pace that is healthy for them. Also, to help the LBGT individual identify who they are, and assist in developing their coping skills. With the help of support groups and the counselor, many conflicts can be resolved (Sue & Sue,
... tutoring, advising, and volunteer opportunities, I have developed a strong sense of leadership, confidence, and responsibility. A career in medicine will not only strengthen such attributes, but provide me with an ongoing opportunity to learn, not just from books, but also from patients; and to educate and serve those individuals as well. Though my journey began under dismal circumstances, I believe those experiences will specifically enable me to better understand quality of life issues in the under-served populations of my geographic region.
My vision as a practitioner scholar in the field of psychology lies in clinical counseling. As a clinical counselor
Sexual relationships between counselors and clients should never ben permitted due to the power associated with the counselor’s role with clients. While ethical guidelines vary between different counseling associations as to whether it is acceptable for counselors to have sexual relationships with clients after the professional relationship has ended, in many cases these relationships continue to be prohibited. This standard is held because some believe that the powe...
When HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) was first discovered as a disease in 1980, the affected individuals were stigmatized to the extreme. HIV/AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) was first reported with homosexuals and IV drug users, which led the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to label the disease as Gay-related Immune Deficiency, as “gay” individuals were synonymous “drug users” due to their similar activities in the 1980’s (Stine 22). However, it soon became clear that female population were just as susceptible to contracting HIV as males.
...ry medical treatment. Obtaining medical treatment, and counseling will give HIV positive employees the correct knowledge about their condition. This will also help HIV negative employees in receiving facts about the virus and ways to protect themselves.
In some schools, teachers of HIV and sexuality education are prohibited from mentioning topics such as intercourse, homosexuality, or condoms. (SIECUS Internet) In contrast, a comprehensive HIV and sexuality education program features a thorough and accurate curriculum that examines such subjects as human development, sexual behavior and health, relationships, and society and culture. This type of curriculum explains the facts of HIV and sex, and does not leave room for misunderstanding and misinterpretation by the students. Less than 10% of American students receive comprehensive sexuality education throughout their school years. (SIECUS Internet) This paper is going to discuss the characteristics of a successful, comprehensive HIV and sexuality education program that is so badly needed in our schools today. It will also look at community and parent/child programs also available.
There are many values that I examined in this course. As a future mental health counselor, I accept and value all that I have absorbed to make my future career a reality. Most importantly, I have learned to do what is ethically right when it comes to obeying all state laws. The responsibility of a counselor is to gain an understanding of their client background and develop a strong counselor-patient relationship. I have reexamined that making choices that are appropriate and not jeopardize losing my license as a result of not being responsible for my client. Overall, the information learned in this course will forever imprint in my passion as a mental health professional.