Help Enoch Counsel Others

Greetings, and thank you for taking the time to read this! I truly appreciate your consideration of my GoFundMe campaign. My heartfelt goal is to help others by making positive impacts in their lives, through work as a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC). I intend to offer wholehearted, quality, comprehensive, practical care to my clients. I firmly believe that all individuals have the ability and potential for mental, emotional, psychological, and spiritual growth, healing, and actualization. I am just a few short steps away from graduating with a master’s in science in psychology with a clinical counseling specialization. As I approach graduation, I have come to realize that while the knowledge I have gained through school has been valuable, to offer the high quality of care I wish to bring to others, I need to learn more practical, applied therapy techniques. I am asking for your help in financing my trainings in these therapies so that I may best help others.

The next steps in my professional development are applying to the state for my licensed mental health counselor associate (LMHCA) licensure as well studying for, and taking, my national certification exam. During this time, I will be completing as many trainings and certifications as possible. I am currently taking trainings in how to facilitate SMART recovery, a CBT based recovery program, and EMDR practices. I am paying for these out of pocket. In the realm of mental and behavioral health this is not inexpensive. Like many, I’ve encountered obstacles during this last year due to COVID, meaning that I’ve had to stretch financially, and this leaves me in a tight spot. This is why I am coming to you for financial help.

I pledge that I will continue to apply my rigorous work ethic to the trainings which I am asking for assistance in taking. After my mother died 7 years ago, I realized it was time for a new path in my life. I wanted to make a positive change in the world, and so I set out to develop the skills to do so by returning to school, and I’ve been a dedicated student. I’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout my Masters. I’ve studied cognition and affect, psychopharmacology, diagnostics, group and individual therapies, and a host of other topics.

I am focused on learning the following evidence based therapeutic techniques which have been shown through scientific study to be highly effective and strongly beneficial. These therapies are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and eye motion and desensitization reprocessing (EMDR), as well as mindfulness practices. All of these are evidenced-based practices (EBP) for different issues. What that means is that there is science and evidence supporting their efficacy.

The following information summarizes some of the particulars about these therapies. I intend to train further in the application of these therapies with the funds raised through this campaign.

• CBT helps individuals examine their own unhelpful learned patterns and allows for better coping and effectiveness in life.

• DBT is an incredibly powerful tool in helping treat those with complex trauma and those who might be suicidal.

• ACT can help individuals utilize their own values and psychological flexibility combined with acceptance to help modify an individual's emotional state into one that allows them to live more fully.

• EMDR can yield great benefits to those with “family of origin” and childhood traumas, as well as those who have encountered adult trauma such as first responders and those who served in combat.

• Mindfulness can help with focus, and aid individuals in becoming more in tune, and at peace, with their mind, body, and emotions in an integrated and wholistic manner.

I’m focused on learning these therapy techniques because I want to possess a wide range of tools to help meet my clients where they are at, both in their current psychological state and also in line their personal beliefs and morals. With these tools I will be able to craft individualized and integrated therapeutic programs for a wide range of people. This includes those suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and the impacts of abuse, addiction, trauma and neglect.

All money raised here will go towards professional development and job advancement. None of the money raised will be used to support my cost of living. Also, I promise that for every hundred dollars I receive I will offer at least one hour of low, or no cost counseling to someone in the future. The set goal amount is based upon the predicted cost of important trainings, and any money over the goal amount will be used to expand upon these basics.

Thank you again for any assistance you can provide. Even if you can just share this campaign with others, it means a lot. For those that are interested, I will be providing updates on my progress and development. Thank you for helping me be a positive and healing influence in the lives of others.

With sincerity and warmth,

Daniel Enoch Tobin