Professional Planning Portfolio

RUNNING HEAD: Professional Planning Portfolio

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Professional Planning Portfolio

Psychology has been my course of study for four years now, and I am glad that it is

coming to an end. I have learned many things that will help me in future as I get outside school

probably to seek a job and continue with further studies. This term paper describes what I have

been doing for the past four years and the goals that have been met so far. A description of my

immediate, long-term and lifetime goals are given in the paper to provide a guide to what I want

to do after finishing school. The paper has also analyzed the course goals that we have been

using to study and how best I have met them throughout my study period. The last section of this

paper contains search results for graduate school programmes that are most appropriate for me

after finishing school. A recommendation page from various people has also been provided in

the last section of the paper.

Document 1: Personal Statement of my Goals

Personal goals help individuals in achieving their lifetime dreams. Without goals in life,

the organization becomes a problem. Goals help to keep people focused, and they can be able to

manage their time well. I have come up with three goals that I intend to follow throughout my

career to ensure that I become successful in life.

Immediate goal: To start a Bachelors degree in Human Resources. Human resource

management is an organizational function that deals with managing, recruiting and directing

people to achieve organizational goals. Well, trained human resource personnel can lead

organizations or businesses into the realization of its dreams thus achieving success. I have

thought well about this dream and realized that apart from providing counseling to people, I can

lead thus human resource course will equip me with knowledge on how to do it. The goal is

realistic because I have already finished my college study of psychology thus it will be the next

Professional Planning Portfolio

step. During my course, I have been involved in extracurricular activities, and one of them has

been an organization of the school football team. During the activity, I realized that I am capable

of coordinating fellow students and making things happen faster. Two years back our club won

the best club awards of the year courtesy of my leadership. It made me special, and since then I

developed an interest in organization thus human resource management could be a better option

to sharpen my skills.

Long-term goal: To find graduate programs in counseling or human resources. I have

figured out my two careers in life that are going to help me reach my destiny. Psychology as my

primary course and Human Resource as my supplemental course will boost me in life and I will

stick by them all the time. My long time plan is to find a graduate programme that will put me at

a higher chance to work in big organizations. Apart from the dream o working in better

organizations, the primary reason I chose the course is to provide effective counseling to clients

with psychological problems thus helping them overcome the life challenge. A graduate program

will help me have more competent skills that will be most valuable when offering guidance and

counseling to patients. A graduate program after my Bachelors in Human Resource will also give

me skills to manage organizations and other human resource functions thus becoming successful

in life. Although it will take time now that I have not enrolled in the Bachelor's degree, I will

work hard to ensure that I achieve the goal since I am young.

Lifetime goal: To be employed in a medical facility providing counseling to employees

or people. I chose psychology because it deals with the mind of human beings and once you have

knowledge on how people get to be who they are; it becomes easy to offer to counsel. Since I

was young, I dreamt of becoming one of the best counselors to people. People face various

challenges in life that require assistance, but sometimes nobody understands them. Through

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learning, I have been able to provide counseling to my fellow students on various issues to

include drug abuse, pregnancy, and financial problems. One of the best counseling sessions I had

was in the third year when I managed to convince my friend to keep her pregnancy irrespective

of her insisting on terminating it. I used a different approach to life and convinced her that it was

not the end of life but the beginning. When I see her happy today with her child, I feel motivated

and think of the many people outside there who need my help.

I have taught the best place to work and realized that a medical facility is the best. Not all

people visit the doctors for psychological advice. However, disease and sickness bring a lot of

challenges to the human life. Many people who are ill or have their loved ones in hospital

experience psychological problems thus need attention. In combination with human resource, I

will be able to offer guidance and counseling to the employees and others thus achieving my

dreams. My lifetime goal remains vital to my career, and I will not deviate to anything else that

will push me away from achieving it. I have already managed to complete my college course of

psychology, and soon I am heading to a Bachelors degree in Human resource management

making my dream realistic.

Document 2: Reflection of Educational Experience using Program Goals

The study of psychology is made simple through the creation of programme goals to

guide students during the entire course period. Without the goals, the study will not be focused,

and important aspects of learning can be easily left out. I have been guided by the programme

goals so far in my study and have managed to meet them fully throughout the study period.

First goal: Apply major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and

historical trends in psychology to prepare for graduate studies or careers in which psychological

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training is relevant. The goal has helped me to study the course material well and identify the

areas that are key to the programme. Major concepts of the course include psychological theories

and background information about psychology, mental disorders, and personality disorders

among others. I have been able to learn how people get affected mentally and how they perceive

the world. The first part of learning psychology was difficult because understanding the concepts

is not easy. The structure of the mind gave me challenges to differentiate the three parts, Id Ego

and Superego. I remember during the first assessment, I scored low marks because I did not

practice well. However, the subsequent assessments have been made easy because I practiced

well. Mental status examination gave me a challenge at first, but with practice, I have managed

to conduct several assessments that have been good.

In the third year, we researched compliance of medication by psychiatric patients, and the

results found indicated that many people do not get well faster because they fail to take

medication. The research has helped me a lot because now I know what most patients lack and

through the research, we have managed to conduct several follow-ups for patients taking

medications at home. Counseling has been the other area where I have managed to be an expert.

Psychology is more of reading the mind of people and providing appropriate advice that will

benefit the individual. Counseling is one of the areas that I have managed to be perfect, and my

long-term goal is to become a competent counselor providing relevant advice to people in need.

In my papers on counseling, I scored good grades thus showing how I have captured the topic

well. Through the knowledge acquired, I am assured that my graduate programme will be easy as

I can understand what psychology is and able to offer good counseling to people.

Second Goal: Apply basic knowledge of research methodology, statistics, measurement,

guidelines, ethical standards, laws, and regulations to design, participate in and to evaluate

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research in a variety of contexts. Psychology deals with many topics outside class work like field

study and research methods to be able to link what we have learned in class and the actual

happenings in the society. It is good to understand that the law governs psychiatric procedures

thus considerations are made before undertaking any research in facilities or the community. The

relevance of research to my career goals is that it identifies the areas that one stress during

sessions and problems that people face about psychological disturbance is concerned. We

recently researched why women seek psychological counseling more than men in the United

States. It was a descriptive study where we used questionnaires to collect data. The findings from

150 respondents showed that more women seek to counsel than men do. With the above

knowledge, I can know how to handle families that have problems with couple counseling and

not individual counseling.

The second part that has been captured in the course is the ethical considerations in

psychology. A psychologist is supposed to use ethics in guiding people. Respect for the rights of

the affected people is necessary according to the law. I cannot forget I found myself in hot soup

when I conducted a mental status examination and went to share the findings with my

colleagues. I did not realize that the patient was still around and I had difficult times trying to

convince him that all was well. From then I learned that confidentiality is important. The other

ethical principles that I have been able to use throughout the course include beneficence,

veracity, and nonmaleficence. Evaluation of research has helped me know how research is

conducted and how in future I will be able to do research. My immediate goal is to do a

Bachelors degree in Human Resource, and the research knowledge I have acquired will be useful

in conducting other research in the respective areas in future.

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Third goal: Apply knowledge of human behavior to inform personal growth,

communicate effectively, solve problems, make decisions and interact with individuals,

communities, and organizations. Human behavior is the most interesting part of psychology that

I have learned. I feel satisfied with the knowledge I have on understanding why people behave

the way they behave. The first part that helped me understand human behavior was the structure

of the mind. The conscious, unconscious and semi-conscious mind is an interesting topic because

the ideas that people have come from the three parts. The behavior of human beings is guided by

the Id, ego, and superego. When more psyche energy is towards the ego, people tend to behave

differently, and that becomes their personality. The same applies to the other parts. Therefore

when providing counseling, I can identify what part defines the personality of the individual.

The knowledge gained has helped me understand that people exist in different forms and

those who have much ego should be treated with care. People are different thus the behavior of a

person should not be judged. During the counseling sessions that I had in my attachment, I got to

understand that people are different. I once had a session with an individual who was attempting

suicide. When conducting the counseling, I realized that he did not have spiritual guidance which

instills fear of things that are wrong. The individual believed that he had control over his life.

The behavior of such people is difficult to predict, but with appropriate intervention, it can be

managed. I realized that counseling does not only focus on the immediate problem but also on

the long-term remedies to the problems. The knowledge gained has also helped me make

decisions that are good in line with the client needs and my personal life. A good example is the

decision to undertake the Human resource course on top of psychology. My communication

skills have improved with practice because dealing with counseling requires good

communication with clients.

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Fourth Goal: Use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and where possible

appropriate technology and the scientific approach to solve problems related to current and

emergent trends within the domains of psychology. Critical thinking is required in solving

psychological problems. Counseling needs creative and critical thinking because psychological

problems are difficult to analyze. The course has helped me develop skills that can be used to

help clients with various problems like personality disorders and also sexual disorders.

In one of the sessions conducted, I was able to solve a problem of the client using critical

thinking. The client had anorexia nervosa, and the complaint was that he was left by his

boyfriend. The session took long for me to get to convince the lady that she could survive it and

the subsequent sessions yielded good results because later the stress was gone and the lady

reported improved appetite for food.

Fifth Goal: Value diversity and different perspectives, tolerate ambiguity, and act

ethically to communicate appropriately with various socio-cultural and international populations.

The course has taught me to interact differently with people of various groups because people

have different cultures. I am happy to report that I have interacted with people from different

groups and it has given me an experience on how people behave. I have interacted with people

from China and Africa although in the counseling sessions I did not manage to get a client from

another place. Counseling is a process that needs one to respective their profession and acts

ethically.

The four-year course has given me guidance on how I should behave in front of a client.

Psychology is interesting because sometimes the clients do things that provoke emotions and if

an individual cannot control his anger, then problems might occur. I once observed a therapy

Professional Planning Portfolio

session that did not end well. The client was being counseled on drug use, and he got aggressive

almost fighting the therapist. The important thing that I realized was that we should not provoke

patients or clients. Because I intend to provide counseling to employees and other clients in

future, the course has helped me realize the importance of ethics in professionalism.

Graduate School Section

The graduate programme that I will like to do is Psychology, and there are three areas of

interest that I am likely to benefit from.

The first programme is developmental psychology which is a programme that studies the

psychology of a range of populations to include children, infants, and adults. The programme

will ensure that I am equipped with knowledge on the following sections: Judgment, decision-

making, conceptual development and social cognition. As observed earlier, my lifetime goal is to

work in a healthcare facility providing counseling to people and co-workers.

The second programme is cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology deals with

research in areas such as language, problem-solving, intelligence and thinking. From the course,

I have learned that people think differently thus affecting their judgment. I want to become one

of the best psychologists through analyzing the cognitive part o people’s thinking. My long time

goal is to do graduate programmes in counseling thus cognitive psychology will boost me in my

career.

The last part is social psychology programme which deals with social attitude and

behavior of people. In my profession, I will meet with people who interact differently. Some are

social while others like being alone. This programme is helpful because it will help me

understand why people feel free to interact while others do not. The lifetime goal I have requires

Professional Planning Portfolio

interaction with people through work and counseling thus social psychology will provide the

relevant skills required to interact with people.

Professional Personal statement

I am an enthusiastic professional individual who is determined to work after many years

of studying psychology. I am a hardworking individual who strives to achieve the best in all

areas, and I am always eager to learn new skills and advance my career. As this is a huge career

change, I have completed a training course in psychology and a Bachelors degree in Human

Resource management, and I am keen to build upon my knowledge and continue to learn within

this sector. As a self-motivated individual, I am keen to follow my dream within this career

aiming to become a successful psychologist in future.

Letters of Recommendation

Stacey Viera: I have been impressed by John’s determination and sparkle. I

enthusiastically supported his application for the student position on the Mythic University

Board of Trustees for the same reasons. He was the runner-up for that distinguished post, and

Mythic University lost out on a true leader. But I believe his time is yet to come. In short, John is

scholarly and culturally entrenched, ambitious but not pretentious, self-deprecating yet confident,

forthright but unassuming, delightfully irreverent yet appropriately respectful—a complex and

whole human being.

Camron Peters: To Whom It May Concern: As the Dean of Mythic College, I have had

the pleasure of knowing John for the last four years. He has been a tremendous student and an

asset to our school. I would like to take this opportunity to recommend John for your graduate

program. I feel confident that he will continue to succeed in his studies. John is a dedicated

Professional Planning Portfolio

student, and thus far his grades have been exemplary. In class, he has proven to be a take-charge

person who can successfully develop plans and implement them. It is for these reasons that I

offer high recommendations for John without reservation. His drive and abilities will truly be an

asset to your establishment. If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please do

not hesitate to contact me.

Edward Bodenheimer: I'm honored to recommend John for admission to graduate studies

at your institution. Since John will be visiting you soon, the following information should help

introduce him as well as convey my wholehearted recommendation that he be admitted to your

program. I have known John closely for four years, during which we've collaborated on many

projects. I have always been impressed by his know-how--from how to design an arboretum to

good principles of document design.

His professional manner--John is one of the most pleasant persons you'll ever meet or

work with. He's forthright, but neither intimidates nor intrudes. He's open, friendly, and

authentic--the John you'll soon meet is the John you'll get, without any surprises. Please feel free

to call at any time if I can be of further assistance.

Professional Planning Portfolio

References

Pickren, W. E., & Zimbardo, P. G. (2014). The psychology book: From shamanism to cutting-

edge neuroscience, 250 milestones in the history of psychology.

James, W. (2014). The Principles of Psychology.

Halford, G. S. (2014). Categorizing cognition: Toward conceptual coherence in the foundations

of psychology.

Mondy, R. W., & Martocchio, J. J. (2016). Human resource management.

Dessler, G. (2016). Fundamentals of human resource management.

Norcross, J. C., & Sayette, M. (2014). Insider's guide to graduate programs in clinical and

counseling psychology.

Korn, L. (2015). Multicultural Counseling Workbook. Pesi Publishing & Media.

In Mezzich, J. E., In Botbol, M., In Christodoulou, G. N., In Cloninger, C. R., In Sallaum, I. M.,

World Psychiatric Association,, & International College of Person-centered Medicine,.

(2016). Person centered psychiatry.

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