The Freedom to Be Myself

Reading Dr. Mason's class internship experience blog made me reflect on my own practicum experience.

One of the most important things I learned in graduate school I learned during my supervision class of my practicum internship.  

After watching one of my first tapes, my professor, Dr. Carey, told me that he did not "experience" me in class the same way I came across in my tape.  In my tape I was rigid, controlled, and sitting how I thought "a counselor should sit." 

Nothing about the way I was behaving in the tape was engaging... and it definitely did not reflect who I was outside of my site supervisor's office. 

Being the excellent and insightful professor that he was, all he needed to do was make me aware of this and I went of on a tangent about how I didn't feel comfortable and how I felt that I needed to "be a certain way" when working with students.

In so many words, Dr. Carey told me to be myself in the session. Trust what I am thinking and feeling and go where the client needs to go. There is no right or wrong way to be a school counselor.  He was famous for saying when "hearts know hearts" real growth and change can occur. 

I was never the same as a school counselor after that moment. I was lifted. I was free. I was me. 

Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at School Counselor Blog, a place where school counselors share innovative ideas, creative lesson plans, and quality resources.  Contact Danielle via email, follow her on twitter, and become a fan of the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page.