The Counselor Person and Professional

Counselor as a “Person”  The most important tool that a counselor has is THEMSELVES!  Counselors must remember to take care of themselves in order to take care of others

You should consider…  …your own quality of life Do you feel satisfied? Do you feel you have a mission or purpose? Do you have adequate outlets for pleasurable endeavors? Can you recognize when you need assistance and know how to get it?  …what you are bringing to the sessions What personal baggage, issues, unresolved conflicts are you still dealing with? What are your characteristics that directly influence how you conduct therapy? How are you dealing with past and present issues? For example, have you or are you currently in counseling?

You do not have to be a perfect person to be a counselor, but be on the road to “perfecting.”

How do you “measure up?”  Beginning, as well as expert, counselors must face major issues as they engage in counseling. Where do you fall on the spectrum of handling these situations? Dealing with Anxiety Disclosure Perfectionism Honesty about Limitations Silence Setting Boundaries Non-committed clients Ambiguity Over-identification with Client Humor Shared Responsibility Advice Giving Technique Application Counseling Style Resisting Burn-out

Counselor as a “Professional”  Verify your Values: Be aware of your personal values and morals Anticipate situations that might compromise your personal values, morals, and beliefs Have an idea of what you will do if or when you encounter this

What would you do??  You absolutely do not believe in spanking children as a form of discipline. Your client uses this form of punishment regularly.  Your deeply rooted religious beliefs are against divorce. Your client comes to you seeking help in leaving her husband.  You consider yourself a counselor who is effective in working with diverse cultures and appreciates and values people of different backgrounds. Your client (who is the same ethnicity as you) has deep seated racist views of a certain ethnic background and attempts to get you to validate their beliefs.

Ethics in Counseling

Major Areas of Ethical Consideration  The Right of Informed Consent  Boundaries of Confidentiality  Ethics and Multicultural Counseling  Ethics and Assessment  Ethics and Relationships in Counseling