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Capstone Component 3: Professional Reflection

Eunice

Capstone Component 3: Professional Reflection

The capstone experience provided a valuable opportunity to consolidate my academic learning into a focused and well-structured project. Though the process was arduous, it assisted me in enhancing my research skills and translating the theoretical concepts I studied into tangible and meaningful tasks. Engaging in the proposal pushed me to openly analyze issues relevant to the day-to-day world.  For example, I focused on the psychological effects of mass shootings on children – learners that can be linked to my area of interest. Of course, it was not possible to implement the proposal in real life. Nonetheless, it guided me throughout my future work and research.

This experience has deepened my understanding of trauma and counseling, particularly as I prepare for a future career in child and family counseling. I found the capstone to be an excellent way to integrate various aspects of psychology that I have learned throughout my academic journey and apply them to a real-world problem, even though the actual testing of interventions was beyond the scope of this project (Maynard et al., 2019).

Process and Outcomes of the Capstone Project

The concept of the capstone project included many steps, such as the development of the research proposal, analysis of records available in the literature, and design of the comprehensive methodology. However time-consuming it may be, I found it useful for gaining a clearer insight into the process of research. Engaging in the process of developing a proposal sharpened my skills in conducting effective and efficient literature reviews and critical evaluation of the research process and designing a study that could, in theory, address the psychological effects of trauma (Landfried et al., 2023).

Even though the research proposal was hypothetical, the outcomes were significant in terms of academic growth. I gained valuable skills in organizing complex information, synthesizing multiple sources, and crafting a detailed methodology (Flaubert et al., 2021). These outcomes have equipped me with tools I will carry into my professional career, specifically in creating well-supported, evidence-based counseling practices.

Connections to Academic Program

The culminating project enabled me to link all the knowledge and experience I gained during my years of study. Thus, the most related courses that contributed to the completion of the capstone project were trauma, mental health interventions, and research. These courses equipped me with an understanding of how to accomplish a proposal on the psychological impact of mass shootings on the youth.

Furthermore, this project is most beneficial to me in terms of preparing for my future career. Practicum and reflection upon this capstone are helpful as I intend to establish a child and family counseling service. The project has enabled me to gain the confidence I require when it comes to interpreting trauma-related matters and developing measures that will, in a way, help the survivors, which could be helpful in cases of mass shootings (Brooks et al., 2021). Looking at my bio-sketch, the capstone has created more awareness of the need to practice counselling with a minimal research base.

Feedback Experience

Receiving feedback from my peers during the capstone process was a valuable experience. Critics from fellow students were helpful, as every individual looked at the project from their understanding, thus helping me evaluate my proposal in areas that could be coded (Wu & Schunn, 2020). Even sharpening certain sections of the methodology or adding specificity to questions that I posed, the feedback of the peers contributed to the enhancement of the work that I was conducting.

As much as incorporating feedback from my instructor, it was equally important when carrying out the project. Fortunately, my instructor provided feedback for specific improvement, for instance, to better develop the ethical consideration part and to properly substantiate my research design proposal. Weekly feedback from peers and instructors was valuable in fine-tuning the proposal into a solid and well-articulated document (Resnik, 2020). The main activities benefited from an enhanced understanding of the strengths inherent in collaboration, empathy, and reflectivity, which are crucial in both learning and working environments.

Strengths and Challenges Encountered

One of the personal strengths I identified during the capstone process was my ability to stay organized and manage complex tasks. Due to the extent of work that was involved, every part was embarked on systematically so as to have an optimum output for every section. I also saw that my analytical thinking had been enhanced, and I was able to reflect on the literature more critically and find flaws in the existing literature (Posluns & Gall, 2020).

While I did not face any unforeseen challenges in conducting the actual research since it was a proposal, one of the difficulties I encountered was ensuring the hypothetical nature of the project was clear. Balancing realism with the fact that no actual testing or stakeholder engagement was involved was challenging. However, ultimately, this limitation allowed me to focus on the theoretical and methodological aspects of the work (Pitsillidou et al., 2021).

Future Application

The capstone project will be beneficial for further experience in both academic and professional environments. When entering child and family counseling, the knowledge derived from trends, strategies for creating interventions, and psychological considerations will be effectively transferred (Varghese et al., 2020). The project has equipped me with confidence in the management of complex trauma, including those that trace their origins to mass shootings- common in the future practice.

Also, the capstone has prepared me well for employment needs and exposed me to other opportunities available in the marketplace. The skills that I will acquire from the program, including research, intervention, and evidence-based practices, make me a competitive candidate in the field of mental health. Whether I will be proceeding to college or entering the jobs market right after this, the capstone has provided me with all the tools that I need going forward (Puffer et al., 2020).

The Value of Psychology in Practice

This capstone experience has reminded me why psychology is important in striving for empathy, collaboration, and diversity in practice. Psychology focuses on multiculturalism, which cannot be ignored when it comes to working with the survivors of trauma. One of the most crucial aspects of counseling is empathy, and the capstone project gave me a chance to investigate how empathetic ways of conducting interventions can be more beneficial for people in need (Yi et al., 2021).

In addition, the emphasis on meta-cognition and the capacity to consider and integrate different perspectives is conducive to the development of supportive and client-centered services. When I practice counseling in the future, I will always pay attention to the concern of collaboration, which means everyone should be a participant in the process and share his or her views as well as the outcomes (Marmarosh et al., 2022).

Conclusion

The capstone project is one of the most challenging projects I have worked on, but it is also one of the most fulfilling projects as a student and professional. It has assisted me in organizing the material and information I have learned throughout my academic program and implementing it in a problem-solving situation. The knowledge gained from this project will be very useful when I pursue my career and launch my counseling practice for survivors of trauma. The capstone stands as the last work and has been great in attesting to the journey and the future tests ahead of me.

References

Brooks, S. K., Weston, D., Wessely, S., & Greenberg, N. (2021). Effectiveness and acceptability of brief psychoeducational interventions after potentially traumatic events: A systematic review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1923110. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1923110

Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021). Supporting the health and professional well-being of nurses. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573902/

Landfried, M., Chen, E., Lindsay Bau Savelli, C., M., Brittany Nicole Price, & Emmerling, D. (2023). MPH Capstone experiences promising practices and lessons learned. Frontiers in Public Health, 11(78). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1129330

Marmarosh, C. L., Sandage, S., Wade, N., Captari, L. E., & Crabtree, S. (2022). New horizons in group psychotherapy research and practice from third wave positive psychology: a practice-friendly review. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2022.643

Maynard, B. R., Farina, A., Dell, N. A., & Kelly, M. S. (2019). Effects of trauma‐informed approaches in schools: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(1-2). https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1018

Pitsillidou, M., Roupa, Z., Farmakas, A., & Noula, M. (2021). Factors Affecting the Application and Implementation of Evidence-based Practice in Nursing. Acta Informatica Medica, 29(4), 281. https://doi.org/10.5455/aim.2021.29.281-287

Posluns, K., & Gall, T. L. (2020). Dear mental health practitioners, take care of yourselves: A literature review on self-care. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 42(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-019-09382-w

Puffer, E. S., Friis Healy, E., Green, E. P., M. Giusto, A., N. Kaiser, B., Patel, P., & Ayuku, D. (2020). Family Functioning and Mental Health Changes Following a Family Therapy Intervention in Kenya: A Pilot Trial. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29(12), 3493–3508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01816-z

Resnik, D. (2020). What Is Ethics in Research & Why Is It Important? National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis

Varghese, M., Kirpekar, V., & Loganathan, S. (2020). Family interventions: Basic principles and techniques. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 62(2), 192–200. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_770_19

Wu, Y., & Schunn, C. D. (2020). The Effects of Providing and Receiving Peer Feedback on Writing Performance and Learning of Secondary School Students. American Educational Research Journal, 58(3), 000283122094526. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831220945266

Yi, K., Li, Y., Peng, H., Wang, X., & Tu, R. (2021). Empathic Psychology: A Code of Risk Prevention and Control for Behavior Guidance in the Multicultural Context. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(57). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.781710

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