Have you ever contemplated personal questions that just didn’t seem to have acceptable answers from the typical sources available to you at that time, either before or after the explosion of Internet technology?
That was my experience starting in the young adult years of my life. It led to my using my undergraduate elective course credits in the areas of world religions and psychology. These courses were quite different from my major in mathematics and the then-emerging field of computer science. That choice of major was intended to provide a reasonable way to make a living, which it did, resulting in a long career in Information Technology (IT).
While working for both small and large companies (as an employee and as a consultant) in several pharmaceutical, consumer product, and financial-type organizations, I noticed that many of the project management issues were not technical in nature — but rather people issues. This led me to master’s level management-related courses in areas like organizational dynamics, labour relations, negotiation skills, and oral and written communication skills.
Throughout those years, I continued to read all sorts of material about psychology, self-help, personal development, problem analysis, time management, facilitation, and relationships. I was drawn into learning and practicing holistic health care techniques, including breathing exercises, meditation, thought power, reiki, and (subtle) energy healing. Authors who interested me were ones who broached topics about everyday life from a more global, esoteric, or spiritual perspective.
Along with my career, I was married, raising a son, and caring for an elderly parent with dementia (and its related complications) in our home, being part of the so-called “sandwich generation”. After my mother passed away, and my son went off to college, the thought of a different life after my IT career took hold. I never stopped thinking about what made people “tick”, including myself. And thus, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, desiring to work more with people than with technology.
The course work covered required topics of counselling ethics, multicultural influences, lifespan development, theoretical models, interviewing skills, mental health assessment and diagnosis, treatment planning, scientific research results, substance abuse and addictions, psychopharmacology, career counselling, group behaviour, and trauma and crisis intervention. This coverage provided both the necessary breadth and depth of study for the field of mental health counselling.
Due to my personal life experiences, I gravitated towards a target audience of adults — especially older adults, who were dealing with middle-age transitions, caregiver fatigue, loss of loved ones, unhelpful coping skills, failing health, retirement, financial insecurity, and questions about the meaning of life, among other issues. My internships were conducted at a behavioural health outpatient centre and at an inner-city substance abuse treatment centre. Both environments provided significant experience with individual and group counselling, and psychoeducation.
In future columns I will explore concepts and techniques related to various mental health-related issues that are commonly experienced in today’s world, while also providing insights into the more subtle aspects of an individual’s or a group’s experience with a particular concept or issue — thereby expanding upon the usual emotional, thought, and behavioural processes.
For example, have you ever walked into a room and suddenly felt sad or depressed, without knowing why, when you had earlier been feeling good?
Christine Platt holds a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and explores related concepts and techniques to complement traditional mental health practices from holistic, spiritual, and other subtle perspectives. She had previously retired from a 35-year career as a data specialist in Information Technology.
She can be reached at platt.christine.j@gmail.com.