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Project Three
Thomas Wilson
Southern New Hampshire University
PSY 108: Introduction to Psychology
Malgorzata Borawska
July 1, 2024
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PSY 108 Project Three
Connections to Emotional Intelligence
As a Chemical dependency counselor, I will be working with those who are at a low point in
their lives. I must remain aware of my thoughts and emotions to assess their situation from a
neutral position and not allow personal feelings toward them to cloud my assessment of the
extent of their addiction. People who are suffering from addiction sometimes are victims of
abuse, and emotional regulation will be needed to help keep me from burning out from the
emotional stress. It will also help when the people I am helping have committed abuse that may
make it difficult to want to help them.
The job description lists conducting group and individual counseling sessions and providing
consultations to community supervising officers regarding mental health and drug abuse.
Empathy will be needed throughout all aspects of this job but most importantly when working
with individuals or groups to overcome their addictions. Another EI tool that I will use is ethical
judgment, I will need to make analytical decisions about clients' progress and their mental health
and report to their supervising officer. I will need to remain aware of my emotions when
working with clients, who may not be able to control or understand their emotions due to
addiction, emotional immaturity, or the stress of community supervision. It is important to not
allow the emotional state of others or affect my emotional state if I am to not only counsel
addicts but also preform the clerical duties of the position. When working with people who are
under community supervision or incarcerated a person needs to expect a level of conflict or
confrontation as so much of the client's independence is stripped away. Clients may not want to
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participate in counseling or get into fights with other clients during group counseling, therefore it
will be crucial to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.
Connections to Psychology
The theory of emotion which was discussed in chapter one will be one of the most useful
theories in this position. The ability to understand emotions will help to find courses of action to
help clients heal the pain that contributed to them becoming addicted to substances. Clients may
not always have the words to properly express their feelings and a counselor who is well-versed
in emotions can help them to understand and address their emotions and past traumas.
Strategies to Increase Emotional Intelligence
I feel that working on my self-awareness will be the most beneficial to my performance as a
substance abuse counselor. I would make sure to speak with my coworkers and ask for feedback
on my performance and attitude when not working directly with clients. I would also keep a
journal which would allow me to express my emotions and thoughts healthily. Working with an
array of people from different backgrounds and with different circumstances would help with my
ethical judgment. Improving my EI skills will help society as I will be able to help those who are
suffering from addiction to lead healthy and productive lives.
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References
