Personal Reflection On Formal Counseling Education

As my internship come to a close, I cannot help but reflect on what a bittersweet moment it is. My formal counseling education is ending and my journey towards licensure is beginning. I feel excited and relieved as graduation approaches and yet sad that this chapter in my professional development and my time within this program, among my peers, is ending. I feel anxious at the prospect of entering a stage of professional development in which I transition from student to professional; carrying all of the responsibilities and liabilities this title holds. I feel proud of what I have accomplished, especially the great strides I have made in becoming a reflective and competent practitioner. The concept of self-awareness has been engrained in me …show more content…
I truly believed that I could not work with someone who had abused a child when I started this program, this continued during practicum. However, this bias was none existent during this internship. When I looked at my client I did not see an abuser, I saw a woman experiencing deep shame, pain and regret over past actions. I saw someone who was actively working to change and be a better mother. The empathy that I felt was not forced, it came naturally. My belief that people are more complex than a single even within their life eliminated this …show more content…
In times in which I felt awkward or was unsure of how to address the client, my immediate reaction was to provide psychoeducation. While this was not necessarily harmful to the client, I denied the client the opportunity to explore their concerns and thoughts thoroughly. It often would have been more prudent for me to utilize silence in those moments in which I felt awkward or unsure. As the internship progressed, I slowly began to manage this reaction and I become more proficient with the utilization of silence. However, this is still an area in which I can and will continue to