Education Helped Philadelphia Counselor Understand Human Nature
Joyce Jeffries is a Philadelphia resident and counselor for The Network of Victim Assistance. Jeffries also is a member of the International Human Rights Advocacy Program at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She received her undergraduate degree from The College of New Jersey in 2003 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in history and secondary education. Jeffries earned her master's degree in clinical-counseling psychology at LaSalle University in 2009, then became a licensed professional counselor.
What continuing education is required for your role?
"I'm currently a licensed counselor for Network of Victim Assistance where I conduct culturally sensitive psychotherapy with children, adolescents and adults and am skilled at trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy."
"After counselors obtain their master's degrees (60-credit program) and pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE), they need 3,000 hours of supervised counseling to become licensed counselors/therapists in the state of Pennsylvania. And from that point on, counselors need 30 hours of continuing education in the psychology field every two years with three of those hours in ethics."
Can you describe your duties as a Counselor for Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA)?
"I am a licensed counselor at NOVA providing short-term trauma-focused individual and group counseling to children, adolescents and adults who were victims of crime in Bucks County. I work with victims of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, survivors of homicide and DUI accidents, as well as physical assaults and abuse... We work on processing their trauma(s), and finally integrating their experience into their life experience in a way that allows them to heal and grow. Our counseling services are confidential and designed to help clients create awareness, change, and growth for themselves."
How has education prepared you for your career in psychology and social sciences?
"Education has helped prepare me for this field by giving me the knowledge to be able to understand human nature, the development process of humans through the life span, and develop the skills needed to provide ethical and effective counseling services. Along with human development and counseling skills, I was also able to learn about group counseling, psychopathology, career counseling, research and statistics, addiction counseling, human sexuality, and assessment while in my graduate program. These classes have provided me with the knowledge to help clients understand their own experiences and learn how to create change."
What advice would you give someone who is pursuing a career in Psychology?
"I would tell the person that he/she must have passion. This is a field that takes a lot of heart and passion, as well as skill... The psychology field isn't always rewarded well financially, but if the person can focus on how rewarding it is to help others and make a difference that can create a type of happiness that money cannot provide. I am constantly humbled by the journey my clients are willing to go on with me, and by focusing on that it helps prevent burnout and create a sense of fulfillment about my job."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/
