Life As An HIV/Aids Counselor

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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, ...

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...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.

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