Discussion Thread: Professional Networking and Fieldwork Preparation
After completing the assigned Learn items, respond to the prompts below. Make sure to
support your discussion with the chapter readings and integrate a Christian worldview or
biblical theme in your response.
A. Discuss the importance of professional networking while you are in training and after
you are licensed.
B. Identify at least 3 potential fieldwork sites in your community (name and website) and
provide a brief description of the services they offer and populations they serve.
C. To prepare for the Module 8: Week 8 Discussion, request an interview with a licensed
counselor at the site, and confirm the name of the counselor, their counseling credential
(e.g., LPC, LMHC), and the interview date/time in this discussion. Propose 1-2 questions
to the ones below to ask during your interview:
oHow do you define the professional identity of a counselor as compared to other
mental health disciplines?
oWhat is the most rewarding part of being a counselor and what is the most
difficult?
oWhat theoretical models do you use? And
oWhat words of wisdom do you have for someone who is in their first course of a
master’s degree program in counseling?
Professional networking is extremely important while you are training as well as after you are
licensed. While you are in training, professional networking can open doors for possible
opportunities in the future. Having connections with people in your profession can build
connections, create mentors as well as gaining professional contacts that can help guide you
and give you advice while you are on the path to licensure. Maintaining and updating your
professional network as a licensed professional is also crucial. Having a professional network as
a licensed professional can help you when you need outside opinions, possibly create new
referrals and clients and lastly these networks can diversify your niche. In the age of
professional networking sites such as LinkedIn, professionals can network with other
professionals from all over. Research on social networking sites (SNS) designed for professional
purposes (professional networking services [PNS]), such as LinkedIn or Xing, has shown that
users of these platforms report higher informational benefits, that is, (timely) access to
resources and referrals to career opportunities, than nonusers do. (Utz & Breuer, 2019). In my
opinion, there is not a one size fits all approach to networking. It is great to have interpersonal
networking relationships with colleagues, professors, and community groups that you can
speak to face to face, but it is also important to have connections to other professionals via
PNS.
After researching 3 potential fieldwork sites in my community, I found many that offer a
number of beneficial services for many different and diverse populations. In my community
Darsey, Black and Associates, Clinical Mental Health Services serves an array of individuals.
Darcy, Black and Associates offer Mental Health Evaluations, Substance Abuse Evaluations,
Parental Fitness Evaluations and much more. Darcy, Black and Associates offer therapy for ages
5 years and older.( https://www.dbamh.com/Links to an external site.). Another site in my
community is Recovery Place. Recovery Place caters to Substance Abuse, as well as co-occurring
mental health or behavioral diagnosis populations and offers both inpatient and intensive
outpatient services as well as detox. At Recovery Place clients are offered medical monitoring,
group counseling, psychoeducation, individual counseling, and case management services.
(https://www.recoveryplace.org/Links to an external site.). Lastly, Malinda Graham &
Associates, Inc is another great site in my community serving the youth and their families.
Malinda Graham and Associates provide core services including family training/counseling, 24-
hour crisis intervention, behavioral assistance and many more.
(http://www.mgacommunityservices.com/Links to an external site.).
To prepare for week 8, I have secured an interview with Rochelle Cass Jones, LPC. Rochelle is a
licensed professional counselor who is currently working with the Substance Abuse population
at Recovery Place. Our tentative date for our interview is September 23, 2024, at 5:30 pm. A
few questions I would like to ask during the interview with Rochelle would be,
1. How do you handle a situation where a client is resistant to therapy? What is your approach
and how to you engage and build rapport with a resistant client?
2. How do you maintain your own mental health and prevent burn out?
References
Utz, S., & Breuer, J. (2019, March 1). The Relationship Between
Networking, LinkedIn Use, and Retrieving Informational Benefits. Retrieved from National
Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6444899
