SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER 1

Transcription

1 SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER 1 Self-Examination Paper for Practicum in School Counseling Courtney E. Cox Johns Hopkins University School of Education

2 SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER 2 Before starting this program, I would not have known where to begin in defining the counseling relationship. But my experience in the three mock counseling sessions in Dr. Day- Vines class, as well as the work we did in Dr. Green s class, has taught me that the counseling relationship is the vehicle through which the client s healing and personal growth can occur. There are several dimensions to the counseling relationship. As Hill (2009) describes, one aspect is that counselors help clients feel accepted for who they are by being non-judgmental and empathic. In addition, counselors tailor interventions to individual clients with the client s best interest at heart, which helps them through the process of making positive changes in their lives (Hill, 2009). Finally, the natural ups and downs of the relationship between the counselor and the client become a microcosm of the client s interpersonal relationships in his or her personal life; by learning how to cope within the counseling relationship, the client builds interpersonal skills that can be applied outside of the counseling sessions (Yalom, 2009). Hill (2009) describes the characteristics Carl Rogers emphasized as paramount to an ideal counseling relationship: genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathy. I would add that commitment is a major underpinning of the contract between a counselor and a client. Commitment implies the client s pledge and constant striving to being an authentic, active participant in the change process, as well as the counselor s commitment to being present, preparing in advance of sessions, and relying on research and data to support interventions. The counseling relationship is the foundation of the work a counselor and client will do together; the more fluid and open the communication between the counselor and client, the more room the client has for exploration, insight, and ultimately, positive personal growth. Success in counseling is a more abstract idea. Based on Rogers theories, success involves a client s healthy development and increased ability to fulfill one s potential (Hill,

3 SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER ). This is a necessarily broad definition, since the quantification of success will be different for each client. In general, success may be measured behaviorally (for example, a reduction in an undesirable behavior) or emotionally (e.g., disclosing feelings of anger that a client previously denied). Growth might be evident through the clear achievement of a concrete goal, or it might manifest itself in less obvious ways that are unique to the individual and his or her situation. Success may also be shrouded in failure; as a counselor, I must remember to search for those less-obvious successes and be open to the versatility of the term. Praising and encouraging clients for their achievements, however modest they may seem when measured against mainstream standards, is crucial to building the client s self-esteem and self-worth, two primary goals of counseling. My personal counseling style combines Adlerian and solutions-focused brief therapy, grounded in being warm, empathic, and encouraging. This disposition feels natural to me, and so far, it s been effective in eliciting affect and insight among clients. I recognize that not all clients will be receptive to a counselor who focuses too much on exploring feelings, and that solutionsfocused therapy might feel more accessible and effective for many students, as it does for me. In addition, my personal style outside of counseling is more pragmatic, down to earth, and humordriven; I don t want to compartmentalize my personality too much and lose that element of authenticity that I hope will help build clients trust in me. According to Leighton (as cited in Day-Vines, 2005), culture includes patterns of thought, behavior, language, customs, institutions, and material objects. I struggle with defining my culture, as I feel like I fall into some gray areas, like many do. I am white, and have benefitted from the many privileges that come with that fact. My race has the potential to affect my counseling style in several ways, namely in that I have rarely felt the power of race-based

4 SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER 4 discrimination and judgment that marginalized cultures constantly experience, and which often leads to helplessness and hopelessness (Day-Vines, 2005, p.237); therefore I must strive to understand this experience, and how it impacts students and their families. As a white counselor working with students of color, I must also be aware of creating an unbalanced power dynamic or projecting an all-knowing authority onto the counseling relationship. Even small steps, like asking the client how he/she would like to be addressed or where he/she would like to sit, will help empower the client, and I am also considering going by my first name for the same reason. I am also extremely conscious of avoiding cultural snafus. I will practice self-disclosing a shared emotion without implying I believe an experience is shared. Finally, I will invite clients to have an open dialogue about race and culture with me, in order to stamp out any biases, misunderstandings, or unintentional racism on my part. Other cultural factors also affect my counseling style. For example, I attribute my ability to empathize and my instinct to take care of others to the societal conditioning of females to play nurturing roles. My middle-class socioeconomic background has taught me the values of politeness and seeking approval, which have shaped my counseling demeanor of kindness and warmth; however, they also make it challenging for me to say things the client may not want to hear. In conjunction with the middle-class environment in which I was raised, my parents often modeled a somewhat different set of standards. My parents come from working-class and urban backgrounds, and imparted to me a few values I associate with those cultures, namely a preference for concrete, action-oriented solutions; self-reliance; and a strong belief in the individual s ability to change his or her own situation. These values have become more salient for me as I get older, which is why solution-focused brief therapy, and its emphasis on personal agency and tangible measures of success, appeals to me. However, I seek to balance that liberal

5 SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER 5 humanist sentiment with my own post-structuralist perspective, appreciating that a student s individual power is perpetually shifting, and being sensitive to that. I have also acquired from my parents a certain mental toughness; they have always discouraged the expression or discussion of feelings, emotions, and psychological distress (in fact, they disapprove of therapy in general). Obviously I have rejected this value in favor of my own belief in the power of counseling, but it does inform my affinity for solutions-focused techniques. Finally, I am curious to see how my experience as a first-generation college student plays out in counseling. My parents did not have the knowledge to help me navigate the process, but they made sure I had access to counselors who did. I hope to be that resource for students in similar positions, and to be a source of information and support for the parents who might feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the process, as my parents did. In addition to my family s socioeconomic status, my own socioeconomic status as an independent adult should be considered. Though economically my income has hovered around the low end of the spectrum, socially, I have been exposed to the higher end. Having had the privilege to travel internationally, as well as to work and socialize with wealthy, powerful people, I find it easy to envision opportunities for everyone, including paths that are outside the box. While this optimism informs my encouraging style and open-mindedness when it comes to career/life development, I am also cognizant of it obscuring my understanding of the realities and barriers that individual from marginalized cultures face, as well as leading me to unconsciously project a sense of false sense of power or authority onto the client (e.g., encouraging them to study abroad when this clashes with their own desires, culture, or means). The culture of my age group has also engendered certain values for me. For example, having experienced the recession and the increasing wealth gap at a formative age, I largely

6 SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER 6 disapprove of materialism and exorbitant wealth. Instead, I take part in the sharing economy, and have become passionate about closing achievement gaps. In terms of counseling, this makes collaboration with faculty, parents, and community partners even more appealing, as I appreciate the value of a tightknit network. My commitment to social justice also motivates me to learn about the barriers faced by those less privileged than myself, which will hopefully make me a more culturally competent counselor. In addition, like many in my generation, I have indefinitely delayed developmental milestones such as buying a house, marrying, and having children. As I identify with a youthful mindset and energy, I would like to reflect that in my counseling style by appearing more relaxed and easygoing. I may also be more able to empathize with some of the problems my adolescent clients will be facing. Drawing on feedback from fellow cohort members and professors, one of my counseling strengths is creating a safe and trusting environment that makes the client feel comfortable sharing and exploring. Positive feedback also included praise for utilizing silence effectively, reflecting content selectively and accurately, and conducting meaningful, well-timed positiveasset searches. I have demonstrated skill in analyzing a client s problems and needs on a deeper psychological level, and this is something I enjoy a great deal. Pursuing my interpretations and hunches was fruitful in several counseling sessions. I do need to expand my feelings vocabulary in order to reflect more accurately. I also need to sharpen my ability to identify specific feelings in the moment and create a strong holding environment for the client. I will also work on building my confidence in asserting interpretations and probing. My instinctual desire for the client to like me often makes me hesitant or scared to push them emotionally or say something that will be difficult for them to hear, but I need to become comfortable with the fact that the client will not (and perhaps should

7 SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER 7 not) always like me. Finally, I think that relaxing during sessions (e.g., remembering to breathe) and learning to trust my instincts in the moment will help me be more open to empathizing with the client and will help the client relax more, too. But perhaps the most important area of growth for me will be developing my cultural competency; I hope to become more aware of my own identity and biases, to increase my knowledge and understanding of cultures different from my own, and to continue gaining experience broaching these differences and building strong counseling relationships that bridge them. It follows that one of my goals for counseling this term is to develop strong counseling relationships with clients at my practicum site. In addition, I hope to become a more culturally competent counselor, both through my practicum and through my courses. Exploring my own identity and learning more about other cultures is a somewhat new experience for me. I have a lot of growing to do in terms of cultural competency, and I hope that much of that growth will occur as I engage with my practicum clients and reflect on those experiences. Specifically, this term I will be working on my skills counseling African American students from urban neighborhoods, and from families of low-socioeconomic status. One of the vehicles for personal development in this area will likely be to broach at some point with the clients at my practicum site, which I hope to do successfully and meaningfully. Through my other courses, I seek to develop my understanding about pregnant teenagers/teenage parents, bereaved adolescents, and first-generation college-bound students. Finally, I aim to solidify my theoretical orientation by exercising different techniques and reflecting on their efficacy as well as on my own comfort level practicing them.

8 SELF-EXAMINATION PAPER 8 References Day-Vines, N. L., & Day-Hairston, B. O. (2005). Culturally congruent strategies for addressing the behavioral needs of urban, African American male adolescents. Professional School Counseling, 8(3), Hill, C. E. (2009). Helping skills: Facilitating exploration, insight and action (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Yalom, I. D. (2009). The gift of therapy: An open letter to a new generation of therapists and their patients. New York: HarperCollins.