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Interview with a Clinical Mental Health Counselor: Deborah Jones, LCMHCA

Elizabeth Cuttle

Department of Counseling, Wake Forest University

CNS 771: Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Dr. Seth Hayden

February 20, 2022

Running head: INTERVIEW WITH COUNSELOR

Interview with a Clinical Mental Health Counselor: Deborah Jones, LCMHCA

I conducted my interview with Deborah (Debbie) Jones, a licensed clinical mental health

counselor associate. Debbie currently works at an integrated care non-profit clinic, and she finds

her work as a counselor to be extraordinarily rewarding, despite the inherent challenges

accompanying the role. Debbie also stressed the importance of self-care when engaging in this

type of work to avoid burn out. I was inspired by Debbie’s strong work ethic and her desire to

continually learn and grow through continuing education.

Professional Overview

Personal Professional History

First, Debbie shared her journey to becoming a counselor. Before deciding to become a

clinical mental health counselor, Deborah started out as a financial counselor. She enjoyed the

interpersonal aspect of this job, and she often encountered other realms of concern in clients’

personal lives. From there, she transitioned into a role where she helped individuals find housing

who were facing foreclosure or homelessness. Next, Debbie pursued a role as an Advocate at

Safe Alliance domestic violence shelter. She worked at Safe Alliance for 20 years, eventually

working her way up into the role of Advocate Supervisor. During her time with Safe Alliance,

Debbie realized the importance of trauma-informed care. That knowledge catapulted her desire

to become a therapist to help clients overcome challenges she encountered at the domestic

violence shelter. Debbie decided to attend a graduate program at Capella University for her

Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health. She completed her internship at Smith

Family Wellness Center and graduated in 2019. She earned certification as a Licensed Clinical

Mental Health Counselor Associate upon passing the NCMHCE. This is a restricted license,

meaning she currently works under the supervision of a counseling supervisor.

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Current Employment

Upon completion of her internship at Smith Family Wellness Center (now known as

Hope Community Clinic of East Charlotte), Debbie decided to accept an open position there.

Debbie truly enjoyed her time as an intern, and she decided it was time to end her career at Safe

Alliance due to the toxic work environment.

Hope Community Clinic is an integrative health and wellness clinic that provides free

services to the community members that do not have insurance, such as counseling, medical, and

pediatric care. Debbie works with individuals and families of all ages and with a variety of

issues, including suicidality, marital issues, low self-esteem, self-image, parenting, anxiety, and

depression. Since it is an integrated care clinic, interdisciplinary collaboration with other

professionals plays a major role. Debbie collaborates closely with physicians, nurses, and social

workers every day. Moreover, the clinic relies solely on outside sources for funding since it

provides services for free. She does not have her own office since the space they practice in is

relatively small. Having outgrown their space, Hope Community Clinic is trying to relocate,

which poses a challenge since funding is limited.

She appreciates that Hope Community Clinic removes the barriers for clients who are

seeking mental and medical care, so they can receive quality care. Debbie’s supervisor is an avid

proponent of seeking additional training, so that clients can receive the best care possible.

Therefore, Debbie has sought numerous additional trainings and certifications, such as EMDR,

parent-child interactive therapy (PCIT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT),

motivational interviewing, and practice self-regulation (PS-R). Debbie stated she is always

wanting to learn more to increase her awareness and best serve her clients. She pursues trainings

that are evidence-based effective counseling models.

Running head: INTERVIEW WITH COUNSELOR

Rewards and Challenges

Despite its challenges, Debbie finds counseling quite rewarding. The most rewarding

aspect of the profession is the ability to create an environment where clients can feel comfortable

telling her things they have never told anyone. Debbie stated she had to seek therapy herself in

the past, and it is rewarding to be that person for her clients – someone who is nonjudgmental,

present, and can normalize clients’ experiences. Debbie values her professional orientation as a

counselor because she can help individuals through a myriad of different life challenges, despite

their ability to pay. On the other hand, the biggest challenges she faces as a counselor is that the

cases at Hope Community Clinic are complex. Clients have very limited resources, and trying to

improve wellbeing can be prolonged due to this overwhelming lack of client resources. Debbie

stated she had to learn how to view clients through a trauma lens. For example, sometimes

clients are unable to show up to their appointments due to lack of transportation / missing the

bus, and it is key to conceptualize these situations through a trauma lens.

Debbie relayed she would still choose to become a counselor if she were to start over.

Counseling has always been a part of her, and it was the next best career step after spending 20

years at Safe Alliance. She was stagnant in her growth there, and becoming a counselor gave her

the opportunity to flourish professionally. However, Debbie stressed that life balance is very

important because counseling can take a toll if one does not take care of their own mental health.

The work environment makes a difference; it is crucial to have a work environment that is

supportive, nurturing, understanding, and relatively stress-free. Debbie stated her current role at

Hope Community Clinic embodies each of those characteristics, and she is very satisfied with

her decision to continue her career with them after her graduate-level internship.

Place of Work Overview

Running head: INTERVIEW WITH COUNSELOR

As mentioned above, Hope Community Clinic is an integrated care clinic that embodies

wholeness and total health of a person. The agency’s personnel include physicians, nurses, social

workers, counselors, and community outreach specialists. They collaborate closely to provide

top-notch care to clients and integrate all parts of the person in their wellness journey. It is a non-

profit that serves individuals and families who are uninsured and provides services free of

charge. Hope Community Clinic receives funding from various sources, such as United Way,

hospitals in the community, the county government, and other stakeholders. Many clients are

referred to the clinic from social services, schools, DSS, and attorneys. They serve clients of all

ages and for a wide variety of issues pertaining to medical and counseling needs of the

uninsured. Specialty populations served include immigrant / refugee population, domestic

violence, best practice standards for youth who cause sexual harm, and veterans. As for medical

needs, Hope Community Clinic provides acute and chronic disease management, wellness

exams, women's health, school health assessments, and patient education. In the counseling

realm, the clinic provides individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and group therapy.

They also conduct a psychoeducation group called Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC), and it is

designed for caregivers of children/youth who have experienced trauma.

Workplace Comparisons

When comparing her job at Safe Alliance as an Advocate Supervisor to her current role

as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor at Hope Community Clinic, Debbie is grateful she made

the transition. Debbie stated she was too comfortable and complacent at Safe Alliance, and it was

no longer challenging for her. She claimed she could ‘do the work with her eyes closed,’ and it

became an unhealthy space. She loved what she did, but she could no longer handle the toxic

work environment. On the other hand, her time at Hope Community Clinic has been delightful.
Running head: INTERVIEW WITH COUNSELOR

Debbie claims it is harder work, but it also much more rewarding and stress-free. She feels like

she is growing, learning, and becoming a better counselor every day.

Anticipated Challenges

One specific challenge Hope Community Clinic faces is trying to find a larger space to

accommodate the growing company. Debbie believes ‘we haven’t seen the tip of the iceberg for

neighbors seeking mental health care.’ The pandemic has brought on a lot of strain, and the

suicide rate increasing. Debbie stressed the importance of counselors ensuring they are well-

equipped and mentally healthy enough to provide quality services to clients. Debbie sees nothing

but growth for the future of counseling.

Conclusion and Reflection

The interview with Debbie was eye-opening and informative. I realized how important it

is to address the whole person when caring for a client, including physical and mental health.

Moreover, I was also impressed with the number of trainings Debbie has pursued. I feel inspired

to pursue many more trainings and workshops in the near future. Further, I was surprised that

this clinic can provide free services to every client because I did not know that was possible on a

large scale. Also, I appreciate that Debbie highlighted the importance of self-care as a counselor

to avoid feelings of burn out. Overall, I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to speak with a

LCMHCA, and I am looking forward to launching my own career as a counselor.