The Long and Winding Road: The Life Experiences and Resiliency to Become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor

It is important for counselors to be knowledgeable about how their life experiences influence their work as counselors. One’s life experiences may have influenced why someone came into the profession, sparked an interest in a certain population, or caused the counselor to come into counseling for the wrong reasons. This paper gives a background of Jenessa’s life and some of the experiences that influenced her decision to become a counselor. It also includes her results on the Strong Interest Inventory and PHQ-9, feedback from her friends, a theoretical conceptualization, and a reflection of this writing process