Personal Narrative: A Career In Counseling

Over the course of these past two weeks, I have gained not only a better understanding of counseling as a profession but I also learned a lot about myself. Being in a class with people from all over the world who share similar interests and personality characteristics allowed for me to picture how I fit into this profession. I came to this course with a general idea of studying psychology and as I depart I know what I plan to do in my future. One of the many things that draws me to the field of counseling is the applicability of the skills learned. With many unique career paths, it is reassuring to me that I will be able to find my place in this field. First of all, the undergraduate majors in order to be a counselor are flexible. For undergraduate

The three role play sessions each taught me more about myself as both a person and a counselor. Talking about myself was a bit uncomfortable for me at first, but as the sessions progressed I learned about how to be a better client. This experience taught me how to share about my life which is something I have not been accustomed to in the past. It was a bit hard for me not to ask questions back to the counselor as that is my natural tendency in daily conversation, but being the client did teach me more about who I am. Being the counselor felt more natural for me and with each session I learned a new skill. First I practiced open and closed questions, then reflections, and body position. For me, I found it difficult to ask the right starting question in order to get the client to open up. This is most likely because it was a role play and the client could very well not have much to talk about. I did seem to figure out the perfect time where I could ask a question without interrupting the client’s thoughts. Also, the delicate balance of asking questions and reflecting is another skill I attempted to practice during the role play sessions. With the final session I was alert to my body position and leaning. Since we sat out on the grass, it was not formal but I made sure to use proper posture and nodded only when it seemed appropriate. I can see myself doing something like this in the future if not in a formal setting I believe that these basic skills I learned are essential to formal conversations and interviews. If I do decide to take a different path in college, I believe these skills can help me wherever I end up in my career or even just how to be a better listener to my