David Staten

Police brutality against people of color continues to pose a huge problem in United States of America. Just last week, two more African-American males were shot and killed by law enforcement officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Charlotte, North Carolina. These latest incidents were especially troublesome on a number of levels.

After becoming a licensed professional counselor, I decided to venture into private practice. I was eager, optimistic, and excited about the possibilities. Like many other counselors, I did not have a background in business. Thus, I really did not have a concise vision of how to build and grow a private practice.

For many counseling professionals, private practice is becoming a more viable career choice. Starting a private practice is attractive to many for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons include, but are not limited to the following: autonomy, financial success, flexibility, and respect.

There have been a high number of people of color that have died as a result of police aggression over the past several years. Many of the victims of this police aggression were unarmed at time of the encounter. Therefore, one can’t help but ask why are so many people of color dying at the hands of law enforcement officers?

It is an exciting time to be a professional counselor. The job market is filled with opportunities for counselors. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, jobs for mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists is expected to grow by 19 percent between now and 2024.