Running head: SELF-ANALYSIS
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Self-Analysis
University of Phoenix
Self-Analysis
As a child growing up in the inner city of Los Angeles, exposure to dysfunction in the community was normal. Seeing children growing up in homes where the parents were missing in action, working full-time, dealing with substance abuse issues, on my block was a very common. As the years went by, the dynamic did not change very much and if anything, the plight of youth in the community became worse. Gang violence was a huge issue in the late 80s early 90s and many children were sucked into a false sense of security by joining a gang. As an adult looking back, I can see these issues clearly; however, as a child this was my way of life. Knowing that I always wanted to somehow help improve my community and create opportunities to learn from history has led me down this path toward counseling. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2011) people interested in counseling should have a strong desire to help others and should be able to inspire respect, trust, and confidence. This is an opportunity to give back to my community and affect the lives of children, families, neighbors, and friends. The purpose of this paper is to explain why I want to seek a counseling degree as well as compare and contrast my own personality characteristics with commonly accepted or “ideal” counselor characteristics. I will also analyze how my personality characteristics will affect my counseling approach and style. I will identify, describe, and apply relevant transferable skills and then realistically project myself in a postgraduate counseling setting and discuss my professional duties.
Reasons for Seeking a Counseling Degree
There are many reasons for me seeking a counseling degree, the first of which is growing up in an environment where I was frequently exposed to gang violence, physical, and mental abuse, and I am a victim of sexual abuse. Drugs and alcohol...