An Autobiographical Excerpt That Paved the Way for an Interest in the Mental Health Profession

I was born in central Florida in the back bedroom of my grandparents house. At the time, my parents and three older siblings were living with my grandparents while working on building a new home. My family ethic background consists of Hungarian on my father’s side of the family and German predominately on my mother’s side of the family. My parents and siblings were Christians, so it was no surprise when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior into my life at the age of six. My father was bi-vocational as he worked for the public school system as a guidance counselor and developed a passion and ministry for planting churches. As a six-year-old, I remember setting up “church” in various places (country club, schools, and sometimes people's homes). Going to church on Sundays was not just an expectation, but actively serving in church was always considered a norm for me from early childhood. One of the major perks of having a father who is a pastor is that there is a is an ever-growing network of other ministries and meeting missionaries around the world. I have been well-acquainted with several missionary families who serve all over the world, and this is something that I will always be grateful for!

My parents have always valued, and striven to live within, the parameters of a Biblical lifestyle. Home education was a large part of what they saw as the best option for their five children. Being homeschooled from Kindergarten through high school was one of the greatest gifts that they could have ever given me. There were always numerous extracurricular activities and socializing opportunities for me which I also appreciated.

One of the things that I am learning to be cognizant of is that some people in differing ethic backgrounds may consider me to be highly privileged since I am a white middle-class male. Honestly, I am working on understanding how people of other ethnicities perceive me exactly, so this has required humility and plenty of vulnerability. I’m always willing to listen to other people’s opinions and ideas. One of the strengths that I believe I possess is compassion for people in general.

Compassion is a gift from God, but it is also a burden daily too. I am reminded of the scripture that talks about how Jesus was said to be a “man of sorrows.” I am believing that many people who work in the counseling profession would likely agree that they deal with many great sorrows due to helping carry other people’s burdens on a daily basis. I am also reminded of one of my favorites verses which is Psalm 68:19 which states, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Any person, from any country or origin could be put in front of me and I am curious to learn about their story and empathize with their struggles, life experiences, and aspirations.

Working in student affairs and academic advising at a local state college over the last eleven years has given me great experience in interacting with people from all over the world. There have been countless times where I had the opportunity as an academic advisor to stand up for, or advocate for, students who were getting poor service from other staff, or caught in the middle of confusing college policies.

Working in the counseling profession, however, would allow me to help in deeper ways than I am permitted to in academic advising role. It is inspiring to see how licensed counselors can help others see that they are powerful individuals, with numerous strengths and that there is always hope to press on toward a better future!

Having grown up in a Christian household in the southeastern part of the United States, gives me the understanding of any clients who are also Christians. The nice thing about the Christian worldview is that it promotes respect, love and compassion - all of these align perfectly with the tenants of the counseling profession! Obviously, not all clients will be of the Christian worldview and that’s something that all counselors must understand. Part of being a multiculturally well-developed counselor is treating each client as a unique masterpiece. Seeking to become aware of any personal biases or personality differences with any group or sub-group of people would seem to be of high importance for the counselor who is in training. Biases have to be set aside and the client must become the sole focus for the counselor in order to help them to the best of their ability.

It is good to learn that mental health counseling is becoming more and more normalized by younger generations as they are recognizing their need for mental health counseling. I think all people, at some point in their lives, can utilize the resources and empowerment that a licensed mental health counselor could potentially provide!

If you are considering seeking a degree to become a licensed mental health counselor, then I encourage you to take some time to write your part of your autobiography. Your personal story may shed some light on your motivation for entering this field of work!