My last class was yesterday and I'm done with that. To paraphrase the movie trailer for "Hardware Wars": You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll kiss thousands of bucks goodbye! But I digress.
A good friend of mine with the pseuodnym "Harry Henderson" encouraged me to never quit. It's one thing to read Winston Churchill saying it but it's more real reading it from a good friend. He's been a great mentor as well as providing his own experiences with college and the real world. Well Harry, I didn't quit and I finished this particular race. I say this because it doesn't end: there's always something new to learn, whether through experiences, conferences, books, etc. That includes also looking to learn something new through another scholastic ride. Which brings me to my future: I'm going to school sometime in the Fall (yes, again) for counseling psychology. So I'm planning on having a second Master's degree. There. I said it!
What about graduation? I'm not planning on attending it for several reasons: the costs, I don't do deserts (desserts I do, especially Tiramisu), it's unnecessary, and I have no interest touring the campus - it's a campus I never attended. It was all online and if you've seen one college campus, you've seen them all. So I'm just waiting for my degree to be mailed to me. Yes, I'll celebrate with my family but it's merely a stepping stone, albeit, an expensive one at that.
My future regarding this degree is uncertain. I've been searching the job boards daily for the past year and for some reason, Agile coach, dog training coach, chess coach (yes, really), boys basketball coach, patient care coordinator, and recruiter, just to name a few, are not apropos to what I was thinking of doing. I can start my own business at home but my home has five people in a four bedroom house. Real estate around where I live has gone exponentially higher since Amazon took over Seattle.
The Grand Canyon University resources for job placement is similar to Northwest University's: job boards that I have already been using. They are both saying, in essence, "Good luck! You're on your own!" No alumni contacts, essentially. So here I am, on a life boat in the middle of the sea.
Again, Harry told me to never quit. So, I'm not. I'm continuing on looking for opportunities where they will eventually be found. I'm still in the process of rejoining the American Psychological Association and joining the American Coaching Association for future education. If you have suggestions, words of praise, prayers, criticisms, or any form of communication, please let me know.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Executive Coaching Completed!
Looks like I'm back on track. I've finished the executive coaching course and got an A. I'm now on my last course; Capstone. There's really no wrong answers in Capstone because it's mainly reflections and plans for the future. I thought it was a four week class but it is an eight week class worth 2 credits. I need to buy my cap, gown, and hood for my Master's in Science as well as to pay for my lambskin.
It's been an extremely stressful holiday season and January, so far. I need to take a close look at my future. In April I will apply to become a Mental Health Professional for the state of Washington since I've been working at Firwood House for almost two years under the supervision of another MHP. Looks like a co-worker is seeking the same thing but it's not competitive.
I've also reached out to a local life coach to get some advice which I don't know how much she will charge for that bit. I've looked at government jobs, state and nation, and I found nothing that I either qualify for which was a surprise considering the government shutdown. Finding a position as a life coach is few and far between, especially in Washington. So no internships which makes life difficult.
In the near future, I'm looking to get certified in the International Association of Coaches (IAC). This will be costly but necessary if I want to be credentialed. I also need to become a member of the American Coaching Association. Both organizations have free continuing education for coaches because coaching is always evolving.
Where will I be a year from now? We'll see.
Blessings,
Moises
It's been an extremely stressful holiday season and January, so far. I need to take a close look at my future. In April I will apply to become a Mental Health Professional for the state of Washington since I've been working at Firwood House for almost two years under the supervision of another MHP. Looks like a co-worker is seeking the same thing but it's not competitive.
I've also reached out to a local life coach to get some advice which I don't know how much she will charge for that bit. I've looked at government jobs, state and nation, and I found nothing that I either qualify for which was a surprise considering the government shutdown. Finding a position as a life coach is few and far between, especially in Washington. So no internships which makes life difficult.
In the near future, I'm looking to get certified in the International Association of Coaches (IAC). This will be costly but necessary if I want to be credentialed. I also need to become a member of the American Coaching Association. Both organizations have free continuing education for coaches because coaching is always evolving.
Where will I be a year from now? We'll see.
Blessings,
Moises
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Musings On Life and Christmas
Hello everyone,
Christmas is a time of joy, peace, and hope. Well, at least for the kids, anyway. There's a lot of people in the world who are depressed at this time of the year, myself included. There's many reasons why people feel depressed; being alone, loss of a loved one, yearning for the great Christmases in the past that will not come again, regret (especially around New Year's), and some can't put their finger on it (aka, just the Holiday Blues). I think I fall under the Holiday Blues category which seems to come every year like clockwork.
Either way, there has been many solutions put out by popular psychologists and pseudo psychologists. One of which is to not keep yourself reclusive, especially the feeling of loneliness category. Another way to fight the depression is to start new traditions such as giving a Christmas party where friends come over. These seem like reasonable solutions, however, there are some caveats.
One of depression's insidious nature is that people don't feel pleasure, or anhedonia (which means no feelings of happiness or hope). Depression is a snowball going downhill, the worse it is, the more negative effects you feel. For example, one is feeling physical pain, and this can be psychosomatic (all in your head) or it is real. Some people start getting grouchy after every little thing that happens.
So if you are feeling the depressive symptoms, such as the ones listed, how could you possibly be in the mood to throw a party or not feel the need to stay away from people in general? When forced into a social setting, depressives either try to act happy or tend to hide in a corner by themselves. Both scenarios are energy drainers. Which brings me to another symtom: the need to sleep. Some people tend to think that sleeping a lot is plain laziness, however, in reality, sleep is an escape from reality or the negative feelings they are experiencing. Even a nightmare can seem like relief for the sufferer.
Life is not an ideal situation, according to the Bible: everything gets old, brittle, breaks, and dies. If you think about it, you buy a brand new car and think you'll be happy, right? No. Cars break down and need repair. New house? They decay and require maintenance. All living things eventually die. The lesson from the Bible is that you don't count on earthly things but things of God. Picturing what Heaven is like; eternal peace, hope, joy, beauty, and healing can have a positive effect on a person. We can strive to be God-like (fyi, we'll never be, we just keep trying so don't expect yourself to be perfect) and have faith in the triune God. When we leave this earth, we can attain what is good in Heaven.
I leave you with this; if you are experiencing "the blues", anhedonia, or depression, get professional help. Especially when you start saying to yourself that you want to die. You don't need to announce it to the world, therapists keeps your secrets. You won't be "cured" on your first visit, but it is a stepping stone going up instead of further into a pit.
Psalm 34:18, 19 – The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (19) A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
God bless you all and know that there are others who are feeling what you are.
Christmas is a time of joy, peace, and hope. Well, at least for the kids, anyway. There's a lot of people in the world who are depressed at this time of the year, myself included. There's many reasons why people feel depressed; being alone, loss of a loved one, yearning for the great Christmases in the past that will not come again, regret (especially around New Year's), and some can't put their finger on it (aka, just the Holiday Blues). I think I fall under the Holiday Blues category which seems to come every year like clockwork.
Either way, there has been many solutions put out by popular psychologists and pseudo psychologists. One of which is to not keep yourself reclusive, especially the feeling of loneliness category. Another way to fight the depression is to start new traditions such as giving a Christmas party where friends come over. These seem like reasonable solutions, however, there are some caveats.
One of depression's insidious nature is that people don't feel pleasure, or anhedonia (which means no feelings of happiness or hope). Depression is a snowball going downhill, the worse it is, the more negative effects you feel. For example, one is feeling physical pain, and this can be psychosomatic (all in your head) or it is real. Some people start getting grouchy after every little thing that happens.
So if you are feeling the depressive symptoms, such as the ones listed, how could you possibly be in the mood to throw a party or not feel the need to stay away from people in general? When forced into a social setting, depressives either try to act happy or tend to hide in a corner by themselves. Both scenarios are energy drainers. Which brings me to another symtom: the need to sleep. Some people tend to think that sleeping a lot is plain laziness, however, in reality, sleep is an escape from reality or the negative feelings they are experiencing. Even a nightmare can seem like relief for the sufferer.
Life is not an ideal situation, according to the Bible: everything gets old, brittle, breaks, and dies. If you think about it, you buy a brand new car and think you'll be happy, right? No. Cars break down and need repair. New house? They decay and require maintenance. All living things eventually die. The lesson from the Bible is that you don't count on earthly things but things of God. Picturing what Heaven is like; eternal peace, hope, joy, beauty, and healing can have a positive effect on a person. We can strive to be God-like (fyi, we'll never be, we just keep trying so don't expect yourself to be perfect) and have faith in the triune God. When we leave this earth, we can attain what is good in Heaven.
I leave you with this; if you are experiencing "the blues", anhedonia, or depression, get professional help. Especially when you start saying to yourself that you want to die. You don't need to announce it to the world, therapists keeps your secrets. You won't be "cured" on your first visit, but it is a stepping stone going up instead of further into a pit.
Psalm 34:18, 19 – The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (19) A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
God bless you all and know that there are others who are feeling what you are.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Home, Work, School, and a Movie!
Hello everyone. It's been awhile since my last post. I've had multiple issues going on at home, work, and school so I've been juggling. We adopted a sibling set of two girls two weeks ago, unfortunately, their issues continue and has gotten worse since the adoption. Our teenager has definitely shown us resentment at the same time. What can I say? We can't win!
As for work, I've been looking at another position within the organization and it would definitely get good use of my skillset. The administrator is supporting me in this endeavor which I am truly grateful. She also wants me back if the position doesn't work out. I would be a Jail Diversion Specialist which means I would try to get people who are currently in jail suffering from mental illness to treatment and temporary housing until they get something permanent. There is no mental health treatment in the King County Jail system. Pierce County, however, has their own mental health treatment facility at the jail which is very impressive.
As for school, I finished Graduate Statistics with a B-. That's the bad news. The good news is I found out yesterday that a C or above is considered passing so I won't need to repeat that class. I'm currently in week five of Executive Coaching with straight A's. Apparently my writing ability far exceeds my mathematical ability in statistics. After Executive Coaching, it will be four weeks of the Capstone class which leads to graduation.
I have to talk about a movie my wife and I have seen last weekend...twice. I don't normally do movie reviews but this is related to foster parenting. There is a Mark Wahlberg movie called "Instant Family" and I went into this movie not wanting to be entertained but to see what Hollywood would do to show what the Foster-to-Adopt program is really about. I was amazed (even entertained) at how accurate it portrayed Foster parents and the struggles we go through. Every single thing in that movie happened to us (except the Christmas dinner incident but the general chaos is appropriate). Hollywood did some great funny scenes but was pertinent to Foster parenting. The only thing that my wife and I had a quibble with was the happy ending (spoiler alert). Even after adoption, it's not always a happy ending. In fact, the struggle can continue or intensify as we continue to experience.
If you are considering Fostering, watch the movie first before you commit. The chaos, outbursts, disrespect, and damage is a reality. Would I recommend anyone to be a Foster-to-Adopt family? Let's just say I would be the last person to talk to about that if you want encouragement.
As for work, I've been looking at another position within the organization and it would definitely get good use of my skillset. The administrator is supporting me in this endeavor which I am truly grateful. She also wants me back if the position doesn't work out. I would be a Jail Diversion Specialist which means I would try to get people who are currently in jail suffering from mental illness to treatment and temporary housing until they get something permanent. There is no mental health treatment in the King County Jail system. Pierce County, however, has their own mental health treatment facility at the jail which is very impressive.
As for school, I finished Graduate Statistics with a B-. That's the bad news. The good news is I found out yesterday that a C or above is considered passing so I won't need to repeat that class. I'm currently in week five of Executive Coaching with straight A's. Apparently my writing ability far exceeds my mathematical ability in statistics. After Executive Coaching, it will be four weeks of the Capstone class which leads to graduation.
I have to talk about a movie my wife and I have seen last weekend...twice. I don't normally do movie reviews but this is related to foster parenting. There is a Mark Wahlberg movie called "Instant Family" and I went into this movie not wanting to be entertained but to see what Hollywood would do to show what the Foster-to-Adopt program is really about. I was amazed (even entertained) at how accurate it portrayed Foster parents and the struggles we go through. Every single thing in that movie happened to us (except the Christmas dinner incident but the general chaos is appropriate). Hollywood did some great funny scenes but was pertinent to Foster parenting. The only thing that my wife and I had a quibble with was the happy ending (spoiler alert). Even after adoption, it's not always a happy ending. In fact, the struggle can continue or intensify as we continue to experience.
If you are considering Fostering, watch the movie first before you commit. The chaos, outbursts, disrespect, and damage is a reality. Would I recommend anyone to be a Foster-to-Adopt family? Let's just say I would be the last person to talk to about that if you want encouragement.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Graduate Statistics
Things were going great until I reached Graduate Statistics. This subject has been, by far, the hardest class I've come across. There are so many formulas to note and the amount of homework involved is astronomical. I've spent more time on homework in this class than I have ever spent time in my undergrad and graduate's classes.
Right now, I'm at a B+ which is too close for comfort. In a graduate program, anything less than a B is considered failing. Each week gets tougher and I'm forced to toughen up myself. So my goal of getting an A for each class will have to take a backseat for this particular class: PASS IT.
Graduate Statistics are great if you want to be involved in research. Thankfully, there is statistical processing software that takes care of all the dirty work. In this class, we have to show our work so using the software is a no-go. We literally have to crunch the numbers manually, so, for example, if you want to know the t statistic for a set of numbers, there are five formulas you need to calculate manually until you get to the final formula to get said t statistic.
I'm probably not going to go into research (probably not, that is) so I'm probably never going to use Graduate Statistics. Unfortunately, it is something that every psychologist should know so I'm grinning and bearing it.
Pray for me just to pass this course. I, financially, cannot afford to repeat the course (or any course, for that matter). Please pray for my wife and family because they have been patient with me while I spend hours doing homework on the dining room table.
Right now, I'm at a B+ which is too close for comfort. In a graduate program, anything less than a B is considered failing. Each week gets tougher and I'm forced to toughen up myself. So my goal of getting an A for each class will have to take a backseat for this particular class: PASS IT.
Graduate Statistics are great if you want to be involved in research. Thankfully, there is statistical processing software that takes care of all the dirty work. In this class, we have to show our work so using the software is a no-go. We literally have to crunch the numbers manually, so, for example, if you want to know the t statistic for a set of numbers, there are five formulas you need to calculate manually until you get to the final formula to get said t statistic.
I'm probably not going to go into research (probably not, that is) so I'm probably never going to use Graduate Statistics. Unfortunately, it is something that every psychologist should know so I'm grinning and bearing it.
Pray for me just to pass this course. I, financially, cannot afford to repeat the course (or any course, for that matter). Please pray for my wife and family because they have been patient with me while I spend hours doing homework on the dining room table.
Friday, September 21, 2018
A- in Research Methods
Most students would be proud to pass a course, but my goal was for straight A's. Unfortunately, I have failed my goal because I got an A- in Research methods. I'm not a good tester, that's for sure. That's where my failings were. My midterm and final tests were definitely not my best work. It was me. I'm not going to blame the curriculum or the professor. I own it.
I have learned from the experience and now I know what I need to do for subsequent classes. So now I must revert to my new philosophy of staying in the now. I'm going to quote from a movie called Gumball Rally: the Italian driver climbs in a Ferrari 250GT with an American as co-driver. He grabbed the rear view mirror, popped it out, and threw it behind the car. He said this: "First rule of Italian racecar driving is what is behind me is not important." In other words, I'm not going to dwell on my failures, learn from them, yes, but I need to move forward and stay sane.
I'm currently in the hardest class of all: Graduate Statistics. Thankfully, the lecture and the textbook has been really good at explaining the different formulas and their meanings. My mind is squarely on statistics. Research Methods is over. After this, two more classes and I'm done. Moving right along...
I have learned from the experience and now I know what I need to do for subsequent classes. So now I must revert to my new philosophy of staying in the now. I'm going to quote from a movie called Gumball Rally: the Italian driver climbs in a Ferrari 250GT with an American as co-driver. He grabbed the rear view mirror, popped it out, and threw it behind the car. He said this: "First rule of Italian racecar driving is what is behind me is not important." In other words, I'm not going to dwell on my failures, learn from them, yes, but I need to move forward and stay sane.
I'm currently in the hardest class of all: Graduate Statistics. Thankfully, the lecture and the textbook has been really good at explaining the different formulas and their meanings. My mind is squarely on statistics. Research Methods is over. After this, two more classes and I'm done. Moving right along...
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Research Methods
I'm not going to lie. This is a tough class with tons of reading. However, I'm still acing it so far. It's hard to gauge how the classroom work is going to be until you find yourself on Week 2 out of Week 8. This is pretty much for any student, but on a graduate level, the stress level goes up a bit. We talked a bit about statistics, validity, reliability, and APA writing standards so far. Hopefully, I'll get to use this class in the future if I plan on publishing anything on a peer-reviewed publication.
I have been checking the job boards for coaching opportunities but it has been slim to none. I'm confident I'll get a behavioral analyst position, just not a life coach position. I want to start my own business, but I need income for my large family. It's a big risk. I can, however, do coaching part time after work and weekends. I wanted to call the business Miracle Life Coaching but the URL has already been taken, according to GoDaddy.com. So now I'm thinking of calling it Moses the Life Coach. It's a play on Moses the Lawgiver, witty? I personally don't think so but I'm open for discussion on a business name. Leave your comments with some suggestions!
My dreams are starting to take shape and my faith in God is helping me through this process. I have lots of worries, just like the rest of the world. I'd like to see these worries disappear one by one. Someday, I'll relax, but this is not the season for it. I'd like to take a break after graduation, however. Maui perhaps? Cordova, Alaska maybe?
I have been checking the job boards for coaching opportunities but it has been slim to none. I'm confident I'll get a behavioral analyst position, just not a life coach position. I want to start my own business, but I need income for my large family. It's a big risk. I can, however, do coaching part time after work and weekends. I wanted to call the business Miracle Life Coaching but the URL has already been taken, according to GoDaddy.com. So now I'm thinking of calling it Moses the Life Coach. It's a play on Moses the Lawgiver, witty? I personally don't think so but I'm open for discussion on a business name. Leave your comments with some suggestions!
My dreams are starting to take shape and my faith in God is helping me through this process. I have lots of worries, just like the rest of the world. I'd like to see these worries disappear one by one. Someday, I'll relax, but this is not the season for it. I'd like to take a break after graduation, however. Maui perhaps? Cordova, Alaska maybe?
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