My five goals to be a better counselor are:
1.
To be more empathetic and really always be aware
of my own self Identity and to ALWAYS be aware of how it could make me view my
students with skewed lenses.
2.
To always listen to what is really being said;
reflect more, so I’m certain that what I’m hearing is what the client is
saying.
3.
To do less talking and make certain that the
client feels heard.
4.
To always seek out more information and
literature to continuously learn.
5.
To always collaborate with my peers and those
who have been counseling longer than me, to always strive to better myself as a
counselor.
I think that this practicum is the beginning of
what I would call the road to authenticity for myself as a counselor. By that I
mean that I have had all of these counseling classes and done an amazing amount
of time watching the famous counselors of our era on HULU and YOUTUBE, done internships with peer guidance, in classroom exercises, but now with my degree
coming to an end I’m aware that just because you graduate with a degree in
something doesn’t mean that you are that; the instant you are handed a degree
there is no Glenda the good witch standing over you with a magic wand to say “poof”
you’re a counselor. You must become authenticated through perseverance,
guidance, and by falling on your face quite a few times. I know that for me at
least that’s what it is taking. I tape sessions and listen to them and think “why
in the hell did I say that? I should have said blah blah blah” it’s a process,
I think we help one another by realizing that even as long as we have been a counselor,
or not done it at all, I believe that by doing it and finding that we are doing
good and making a difference and empowering or clients that we actually feel
like counselors.
I agree that to become authenticated as a counselor, you must fall on your face many times. Listening to oneself counseling is humbling. Why is it that we think of what we should have said after the fact? I believe that, through much practice, counseling becomes second nature.
ReplyDeleteI also have a problem with talking more than I feel I should. I think it is more of the fact that I become uncomfortable with silence and really need to learn that every minute does not have to be filled.
ReplyDeleteI really like your focus on reflecting on self-identity to make sure you do not skew your interaction with students. I'm also taking leadership classes, and self-reflection seems to be a big focus in any area that is based on developing sustaining relationships. Empathy and understanding are two qualities that I think all counselors should possess. And I think it would be necessary to continue to evaluate your empathy level and self-identity to be sure the needs of the students are being met first and foremost.
ReplyDeleteI probably a little more open and accepting of people more than I should be, i.e., Dexter Morgan. I always use Dexter as an example because he is a fictional character who struggles with his psyche. Some people dislike the character because he is a serial killer, others view him as a super hero taking out the scum. Either way, I am non-biased. I can see why people would or would not agree with the characters behavior. And I don't feel that I have a right to make a judgement call either way.
ReplyDeleteAs far as communication, I really need to work on my professionalism. When it comes to personal matters, I am always inclined to talk to people as if they are my buddy. And it makes me uncomfortable when people are hurt or sad. I always try to make them laugh or insert humor. I really need to work on that!