越南直播

Career paths aren鈥檛 always linear 鈥� and for many counselors, their lived experiences play a powerful role in shaping how they show up for others.

For 越南直播 student Matthew Bellard, a 15-year career as a chef, combined with personal experience navigating substance use recovery, ultimately led to a calling in counseling. Now balancing two jobs, family life, and graduate school through UB鈥檚 online Counseling program, Matthew is committed to providing empathetic, authentic care to individuals who are often stigmatized or overlooked.

At the heart of Matthew鈥檚 journey is a belief that effective counseling starts with connection. Through compassion, patience, and dedication to professional development, he is working to meet clients where they are without judgment.

Advocating for authenticity

Can you tell us a little bit about your educational and professional journey before you enrolled in UB鈥檚 Counseling program?

I was a chef for almost 15 years. I had my own restaurant, which didn鈥檛 work out, and I fell out of love with it.

I was thinking about what I wanted to do next. I really liked psychology in high school, but I wasn鈥檛 the most academically focused student and wasn鈥檛 sure if I would get very far. Then, friends and family told me I should go to school for substance abuse counseling. I have a bit of a personal history with substance abuse, so it felt like the right thing to do.

How have your experiences motivated your work as a substance abuse counselor?

My history and background were a big part of it. Going through what I went through, I had a lot more bad counselors than good ones. I wanted to change that.

How does that perspective inform your practice?

While I met a lot of bad counselors, there were also good ones. For me, the biggest thing was their empathy and authenticity. I think those are the two most important tools a counselor can have. If there鈥檚 no empathy, there鈥檚 no connection. I鈥檝e found that even with the most guarded clients, if you show them you care and are willing to be patient with them, they鈥檒l begin to open up 鈥� even if it takes several sessions.

Working in substance abuse counseling, many clients are stigmatized, too. They鈥檙e sometimes in and out of rehabilitation centers or penitentiaries. I work at a local methadone clinic, and many clients come from lower-income backgrounds. They鈥檙e coming from places where they鈥檝e been judged, and they鈥檙e tired of it. They don鈥檛 want to be judged 鈥� and if you鈥檙e being judgmental, they鈥檙e just going to shut down even more.

Advancing at UB

Why did you choose to pursue your MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through UB鈥檚 online degree program?

I work two jobs and have a family, so it would be difficult to drive to Bridgeport all the time.

In addition to the flexibility, what have you enjoyed about the remote program?

I like having Zoom classes. When I was in school for my bachelor鈥檚 degree, it was all online. It just wasn鈥檛 the same. With Zoom, you still get that same interaction with your classmates and professors. And being in the counseling field, interactive practice is an essential part of professional growth.

So far, are there any classes you鈥檝e found to be particularly impactful?

The Cultural Development class definitely impacted me. I already work with a population that includes many marginalized clients. It was very important to learn as much as I could in that class, especially about populations I have less experience working with.

I also really enjoyed my first class, Motivational Interviewing. I鈥檝e been a substance abuse counselor for four or five years. To be in that class and fine-tune the skills I already have made me want to advance in the field even more.

Have you been able to apply what you鈥檝e learned in the Counseling program to your current role?

In this field, you鈥檙e always growing 鈥� there are always new ideas to learn. As I鈥檝e continued to grow and practice my skills, I鈥檝e definitely seen a difference in some of my work. I鈥檝e already been able to apply many new ideas in group and client sessions.

Creating change in counseling

Looking ahead to your future in the field, how do you hope to continue growing and making a difference?

Private practice is the biggest goal for me, though I would also be okay continuing the work I do in methadone clinics. I also wouldn鈥檛 mind creating videos that make counseling strategies more accessible to clients. Many of the counseling videos out there are dry and unengaging. I鈥檝e played some for clients before, but they get bored or lose track of the videos鈥� purpose. I鈥檇 love to make something more engaging that clients will find helpful.

If you were speaking to someone with similar lived experiences, what would you tell them about pursuing a career in counseling?

We need more people with personal, lived experience in the field. But at the same time, you鈥檒l need to pursue your education. It may be easier for me to have empathy because I鈥檝e lived in my clients鈥� shoes, but without learning the theories and science behind counseling, all I could do is pat them on the back.

With flexible online and on-campus scheduling options, UB鈥檚 Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is here to help you make your impact 鈥� combining career-focused learning with community-based practice. Learn more about earning your master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling today!