Resume

Hale Branson

1608 Apricot Court, Reston, Virginia 20190

571-752-0472

Skills 

• Client service
• Sales
• Leadership
• Active listening
• Professional working proficiency in Spanish

Experience

Registered Behavior Technician, Behavioral Framework, Reston, Virginia

August 2022 – July 2023

• Provided in-home ABA services for children and adolescents with autism and other learning deficits.
• Coordinated with Board Certified Behavior Analysts and other staff to improve the quality of life for clients.

Registered Behavior Technician, Global Behavior Therapy Associates, Reston, Virginia

July 2021 – August 2022

• Provided in-home ABA services for children and adolescents with autism and other developmental disabilities.
• Coordinated with parents and BCBAs to personalize and improve therapies for clients.

Server, American Tap Room, Reston, Virginia

September 2017- December 2019

• Catered to customers’ needs.
• Kept the restaurant clean and welcoming.
• Positively represented restaurants’ ideals and image.
• Dealt with irate, and sometimes unreasonable, customers in a calm and collected manner.

Education

Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia

2023 – 

Pursuing a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, expected graduation of 2025

George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

2019 – 2021

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, Virginia

2016 – 2018

Associate of Arts in General Studies

Volunteer Experience

Various Democratic Party campaigns, Reston, Virginia

2012 – 2016

• Input voter data into the organization database.
• Walked door to door to canvas voters.
• Transported volunteers.

Sunrise Assisted Living of Hunter Mill, Oakton, Virginia

2011 – 2013

• Entertained residents with music and games.
• Talked to residents one-on-one.

Software/Programs/Suites/Tools

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Google Suite (G-Suite)

Position Statement I

I see myself using my degree to help the community, particularly the Latin-American portion of my community. I want to open my own clinic that specializes in helping first generation families adjust to and cope with their new environment. In this country, it can be difficult for immigrant families to find mental health services that cater to them, especially when it comes to language. I would like to help them make that transition, while also providing mental health support and counseling to families in need. I would like to help bridge the gap between our cultures and help them adjust to their new environment.

I would also like to cater to other members of the community as well. Teenagers have a difficult time managing their emotions and navigating through life. When I was a teenager, the most helpful thing for me was going to see a therapist. My therapist helped me transform parts of my personality that were not conducive to a healthy, functioning adult. I was an angry teenager, as many are, but I was able to mellow that anger with years of therapy and self-reflection. I want the opportunity to provide that chance for change for others. My therapist had me keep a few questions in my mind during my treatment: am I angry or just frustrated? Is it worth getting angry over? What will change if you express your anger in a confrontational manner? The answers were always: no, no, and everything. Kids and adolescents often act on impulse, but my therapist taught me strategies to question my impulsive thoughts, allowing me to critically think about my decision making.

My experiences in therapy led me to want to provide the same support to others as I was given. I want my clients to be able to say that I genuinely helped them. But I also acknowledge that people often have negative experiences in therapy. I want to give them the chance to try again and invite them to use empathy, kindness, and understanding. I want to have a positive impact on my community and the communities around me.

Counseling Program Completion Schedule

Mental Health Counseling Track – Accelerated Sequence
Fall Semester 2023, Year 1
COUN 503: Intro Co	COUN 505: Theories of Co	COUN 545: Techniques	COUN 608: Psychopathology
Spring Semester 2024, Year 1
COUN 507: Lifespan Dev	COUN 601: Multicultural	COUN 605: Group Co	COUN 612: Tx Planning
Summer Semester 2024, Year 1
COUN 651: Ethics	COUN 622: Marr & Family	Elective: Choose any elective TBD	COUN 592: Practicum-MH (take in Summer or in Fall)
Fall Semester 2024, Year 2
COUN 592: Practicum-MH             (if not taken in Summer)  orCOUN 692: Internship-MH	COUN 610: Career Dev	COUN 635: Supervision	COUN 555: Testing
Spring Semester 2025, Year 2
COUN 692:Internship-MH	COUN 510: Research	COUN 525: Substance Use Co	COUN 699: Comps
Summer Semester 2025, Year 2
Elective: Choose any elective TBD		COUN 692: Internship-MH (if needed)

Person as a Professional

I am a patient person and have faced many struggles which pushed my patience to its limit. I worked in restaurants at a young age, starting at Panera, where I was a cashier. Even back then, I learned to deal with irate customers who wanted something a particular way. Later, when I worked as a waiter, I found that I had more power to improve my customer’s experience, but I also faced the full brunt of their ire when something went wrong. And not just the customers, but the chefs and my manager as well. There were many nights I came home crying because the day had been so stressful. I learned to take that job one day at a time, otherwise I would never want to work. There were often good days, which I took as evidence that the job was not nearly as terrible as I made it out to be in my head. The best part of that job was honing my people skills and learning to smile in the face of adversity.

Eventually, I graduated undergrad and began pursuing work related to my desired field. My search led me to working in the Applied Behavioral Analysis field. This industry is notoriously understaffed and has a high turnover rate for technicians. At the time, I did not know this would be one of the most stressful jobs of my life. I liked working with the clientele, and especially enjoyed interacting and collaborating with clients’ families to improve treatments.

I was assigned a difficult client as one of my last cases. His knee-jerk response to most stimuli, negative or otherwise, was to bite the nearest person with great force. This was an older client who had not been in behavior modification therapy before, and did not take kindly to being around me. He especially disliked doing work, which was my main purpose for being there. He bit me at least a dozen times, nearly breaking the skin half of those times. It got to the point where I had to wear dentistry guards on my forearms to prevent him from causing damage. The point of this story is to say that I am resilient and calm. I never once lost my temper or control over the situation and I always forgave him for biting me. I knew that it was not his fault, and that his response was formed from a previous trauma with another care-giver.

I believe the reason I was bitten so many times was because of my tone and attitude. I was authoritative and bossy, making collaboration between client and counselor impossible. I strive to improve this by analyzing the way I speak to people. I do not want to come off as a know-it-all, or as an authority figure. Because my previous work as an RBT was mostly educational, I think I will find it difficult to get myself out of a teaching mindset. It is important that I continue to work on this aspect of myself because clients are perfectly capable of figuring out the best path for themselves. I just need to be there to support them and provide comfort when I am in session.

Plan for Completion and Essential Credentials

Starting in the spring of 2024, I will be taking the following courses: COUN 507 (Lifespan Development), COUN 601 (Multicultural Counseling), COUN 605 (Group Counseling Theories and Techniques), and COUN 612 (Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning). 

Following the completion of the spring semester, I will take the following courses in the summer of 2024: COUN 550 (Introduction to Play Therapy), COUN 622 (Marriage and Family Counseling), and COUN 651 (Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling.)

After the summer semester of 2024, I will take the following classes in the fall of 2024: COUN 592 (Practicum in Mental Health Counseling), COUN 610 (Career Counseling), COUN 635 (Clinical Supervision and Administration in Mental Health Counseling), and COUN 555 (Testing and Assessment in Counseling).

In the spring of 2025, I will take the following courses: COUN 510 (Research Methods and Design), PSYC 552 (Psychopharmacology), COUN 692 (Internship in Mental Health Counseling), and COUN 699 (Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination). Finally, in the summer of 2025, I will take PSYC 553 (Psychology of Language).

During my internship, I will have to complete 600 hours of supervision, with at least 240 hours of direct client contact. After I graduate, I will have to apply for supervision, costing $65. Following my applications’ acceptance, I will complete 3,400 hours of professional counseling under supervision, with at least 2,000 hours of direct client contact and a minimum of 200 hours face-to-face direction from an approved supervisor for at least one hour of direction for every 40 hours I practice.

After my supervision hours are approved by the board, I will have to pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors. After passing my exam, I will have to pay $175 to apply for my LPC license, and renew it annually with a $130 fee. I will face a penalty of $45 if I fail to renew my license. My license will expire annually on June 30th.

I am also required to complete 20 hours of continuing education during each annual renewal, and at least two of these hours must focus on professional ethics, standards of practice, or laws governing behavioral science professions in the state. I can accrue these hours through graduate academic courses and workshops, seminars, classes offered by federal, state or local government agencies, or licensed health facilities and hospitals.

Following all of this, I will be ready to begin my career as Licensed Professional Counselor.

Labor Market Information

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of behavioral disorder, substance abuse, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2022 to 2032, which is faster than the average of all occupations. The number of job openings in these areas of counseling are projected to increase by 42,000, on average, between 2022 to 2032.

The median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $49,710 in May 2022. The industries in which the median annual wages came from were respectively hospitals, the offices of other health practitioners, individual and family services, outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, and residential mental health and substance abuse facilities. Most counselors in these categories work full time, but part-time workers are common. In some settings, like inpatient facilities, they may need to work at night or on the weekends.

To become a substance abuse or behavioral disorder counselor, one typically needs at least a bachelor’s degree, although some positions require a high school diploma and others require a master’s degree. However, mental health counselors typically need a master’s degree and an internship.

Takeaways From Class

On the first day of class, we were assigned to fill out a “wellness wheel,” to help identify which parts of our lives we were happy with, and which parts we were struggling with. This activity allowed me to be introspective about the reality of my life, as I currently experience it. At the time, I had just left a job where I was incredibly unhappy and unmotivated. Working as a Registered Behavior Technician sucked the fun out of counseling for me and I was worried that I would fall into the same trap while attending this program. I know now that I had nothing to worry about. I have learned so much in such a short time and I have no regrets joining this program. 

In my wellness wheel, I indicated that I had concerns about my social wellness. I am an introvert by nature, but I enjoy having other people around me. I feared that moving to a new town where I did not know anybody would make it difficult to make new friends and connections. Once again, I was incorrect. I have, since the beginning of the semester, made connections with my classmates and professors that will last beyond graduate school and into my career. 

I was surprised by my classmates’ description of similar feelings. I think that everyone struggles in their own way, but I had no idea how alike our struggles could be. Sometimes, I think we forget that other people are just as complex as we are, and are often going through issues of their own.

In another class, we participated in a “four corners” activity in which we were given four choices of what role a counselor fills for the client. There was the mirror corner, which believed a counselor should reflect the client; The friend corner, which believed a counselor should be a friend to the client; The expert corner, which believed the counselor should act as an expert for the client; And the parent corner, which believed the counselor should act as a parental figure towards the client. I felt that I belonged in the mirror corner, as I believed a counselor should reflect back the feelings and motivations of the client. 

I was convinced that there was an objective correct answer, but I was mistaken. What I found surprising was how my classmates justified their decisions to go to their respective corners. Those in the friend corner argued that we have to be able to connect with our clients on a personal level to build rapport in a healthy manner, while those in the expert corner argued that we are the most qualified people to educate our clients on their mental health. Finally, the parent corner argued that people often require structure and guidance in order to make decisions about their mental health. I argued that being a mirror is sometimes all a client needs. Self-reflection is not easy, but being a mirror helps mitigate some of that difficulty.

What I learned is that there are many different ways of interpreting the counselor-client relationship. Some counselors will act as mirrors, while others will take on a more parental or caregiver role. It depends entirely on the personality and personal theory of the counselor, as well as the temperament of the client. Counselors should be able to switch between these roles depending on the needs of the client, and mixing these roles can also be beneficial.

I thoroughly enjoyed the conference we had in the auditorium with the people who are working in the field. I expected to enjoy listening to one or two people, but I enjoyed all of what they had to say. They provided more context into what it is really like to work in the field, be it as a school or mental health counselor. At the time, I was unsure if I wanted to continue with a mental health track or if I wanted to switch to school counseling. After speaking and listening to the speakers, I am fully committed to the mental health track. 

The stories we heard from school counselors were eye opening. I noticed a lot of language surrounding a lack of support from the school system that I had not taken into consideration before. I also did not realize how many students I would have under my case-load and that I would not have nearly as much access to my students as I would like. I came to the conclusion that the pursuit of a career in school counseling would not suit me.

I feel this conference supported my original intention of becoming a mental health counselor. While the stories they told were sad, I got the impression that they were far more connected to their clients on a personal level than school counselors. I was also inspired by the gentleman who worked in addiction counseling. Addiction has ravaged the lives of many of my family members, and the love and care I detected in the speaker’s story was heartwarming. It made me hopeful for my family’s future.

I found the theoretical orientation quiz to be insightful. We were assigned to take this quiz and share our findings in class. I found that I had more cognitive, pragmatic, and humanistic values than the average counselor. I was not surprised to find that I displayed less psychodynamic values, as I do not value anything Freudian, save for dream analysis.

I had not given much thought into what kind of counselor I wanted to be, but I figured I would employ cognitive-based practices due to my proximity to the school of thought. My therapist uses cognitive-behavioral techniques and mixes in others from different schools of thought, which has been quite effective on me. Taking this quiz made me realize that it is not concrete. Just because I choose a main school of thought, does not mean that I have to follow that school to the letter. 

My classmates brought up good points about their scores. Many of them were family orientated, and argued that when something happened in their family, it had a ripple effect on them. I had a similar experience growing up, but I could not articulate it at the time. I have several people in my family that suffer from addiction disorders, which has adversely affected both sides. I had never thought of it as a ripple effect, but that is accurate to what happens.

Self-Care Plan

Exercise is a great way of relieving stress. Going for a jog is particularly helpful for me, as it allows me to focus on a singular goal to just keep moving. Plus, it is good for me. I see something in the distance and I want to run to it. I tend to jog in places that are pretty or that have interesting features to look at, as they motivate me to continue my run. I also let my mind wander, which is helpful on days when I am extra stressed.

However, too much exercise can be dangerous. I also enjoy just relaxing on my couch and watching television. On stressful days, I find that nothing helps more than turning off my brain with some of my favorite shows and movies. With friends, it is even better, as we can laugh and connect over what we are watching.

Sometimes friends are not around, so I take the time to play video games that are relaxing. If I have nothing else going on, I love sinking hours into strategy and role-playing games, because I love to use my brain when I play. I am blessed to have different ways of playing, via a console or a computer, so my choices are not limited.

I do love my friends though. Hanging out with them is one of the best ways to relieve my stress. No matter what, I can count on my friends to make me laugh and to have my back when things are not going great. Sometimes we drink, but not always. I love to play video games with them too. We play a lot of multiplayer games online when our schedules are not lining up.

I love to play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends as well. I know that I can always look forward to getting together with my friends to be nerds. It can be extremely fun to play a role that is completely different from yourself, and I believe it can help me in my counseling career.

I also try to watch my mental health. I attend counseling regularly, and plan to continue until I am convinced I can handle my stress alone. Counseling has changed me in the best possible way, but I know that I am not ready to discontinue it. I have a feeling I will be needing my counselor’s support in the near future.

I want to make a greater effort to connect with my fellow classmates. These people will support me as I will support them. I will always help my classmates should they need it, just as I would expect them to help me if I needed it. It is not a huge class, so it should be easy to get to know most people.

I will not neglect my family either. They are the whole reason I am here at Longwood. Without them, I could never afford tuition or housing next to campus. Whenever I need them, my family is always there to support me, and for that I am forever grateful. When I am feeling down, I know I can always go home to my mother’s cooking and my father’s advice.

I think joining a club or organization would help me make new friends, lowering my stress level. I speak Spanish professionally, so it could be beneficial to join a language or culture club. Speaking Spanish and maintaining it is important to me, so exercising that muscle helps me reduce stress.

Finally, I enjoy tasty food. While Farmville does not offer the variety that Reston does, there are still great places to eat. I tend to grab takeout, but I do love sitting at a bar and talking to people I have never met. I think that life is too short not to enjoy a good meal, especially with friends.

Position Statement II

Since my first position statement, I have taken time to think about whether the goal I had was still relevant to me. I came to the conclusion that it still was, but I became interested in other parts of counseling as well. My goal to open a Spanish-speaking clinic has not changed, but my desired population is in doubt. In my first statement, I identified teenagers as my desired counseling population, but now I think I am interested in working with children. Particularly, children from Spanish-speaking or English-As-A-Second-Language families.

I still believe teenagers benefit greatly from attending counseling, however, I now believe children benefit the most from it. I was inspired by my own counselor to pursue a career in the field, but I wonder if I would have gotten more out of it had I started much younger. My last job as an Applied Behavioral Analysis technician, although difficult and filled with grief, taught me that I enjoy working with children. Whenever I was playing games with my clients, or helping them learn, I always felt right, like I was doing what I was intended to do. I think I realize now that I enjoyed watching them learn and grow, even if I had a hard time believing in the material.

 I still want to always help my clients, even when it is difficult. If a client has a bad experience in therapy, it can be hard for them to continue. I still want to be the counselor that helps them change their mind and take the sessions seriously. I want to make my clients feel welcome using empathy, kindness, and understanding. I still want to have a positive impact in my community and the communities around me. I still want to help bridge the gap between cultures and provide aid to those in need.

References

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and Mental Health Counselors : Occupational Outlook Handbook (2023) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm