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My
sister Helene is a courageous, giving person. It is her dream
to become a Rehabilitation Counselor, and it is one that I
hope she realizes. The work will not be easy, but I'm sure
it would be very rewarding. The following letter was one she
composed as an application for a scholarship for the educational
training necessary in this field. I think it says it all.
-- Lorraine
 I
would like to become a Rehabilitation Counselor for a variety
of reasons. First and foremost, I would like to help people
as they come out of a mental illness or a difficult situation
to find recovery as a way of life. I was in FEGS IPRT (The
Federation and Employment and Guidance Service and the Intensive
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment) and I have a lot to
offer people, both as a consumer and as a counselor who knows
what they are talking about. Also, helping and teaching is
an arena I would like to develop myself in.
My
basic personality is that I like to help people. I want a
job where I know I will be making a difference in someone’s
life. I know how having an excellent counselor has both helped
me when I needed it and impacted positively upon my life.
I in turn, would like to be there as an example to someone
else of what they can achieve with some assistance. I would
like to be in a position to provide the resources, information,
positive and supportive environment that makes a difference
for someone struggling in their recovery to grow and learn
in.
I
have a great deal of experience that I bring to the Rehabilitation
Counseling position. I know what the clients are going through
and what it’s like to be in the system as a consumer. I can
see, in my own life, how my counselors helped to bring me
to a different and more positive self-view and understanding.
My self-esteem has been upgraded and this has brought me much
peace. My experiences of recognizing that I needed help, and
then having the humility to accept the help that was offered
has shaped me as well. I no longer need to be perfect. I can
try my best, but leave the results out of my hands. I am slowly
learning that I need to treat myself better, and that then
I will feel better.
It
is my understanding that one person can make a difference
in another’s life. The counselors I encountered at the IPRT
Program taught me a great deal. I too would like to be able
to help someone else who is suffering. Positive thinking,
information of services offered, and the ability to learn
skills and essential knowledge of the Mental Health System
such as the IPRT Program provides, has been central to my
personal growth as well.
I
have an uncanny ability to see the bright side of most things.
Having a positive outlook has helped me a great deal. Being
able to see the silver lining on a cloud has allowed me to
grow and get beyond the label of being a consumer in the Mental
Health System. There is still a lot of stigma towards people
with mental illnesses. Knowing that one’s recovery has nothing
to do with other’s opinions has helped me a great deal as
well.
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