Personal Values and Self Awareness
Personal Values and Self Awareness
Sharess Jefferson
Professional and Ethical Issues in Counseling/EDC 5213
University of Southwest
As with any academic venture there are times when a student is engulfed in self doubt and is distressed by the inevitability of change. Although these factors present themselves throughout many parts of the educational process, there remains a sense of purpose rooted in the belief of true compatibility. Nestled within this attraction is the opportunity to develop an external character that mirrors the beauty of the internal. It is this congruency in which one is motivated to continue on the journey to become a counselor. Throughout this journey I have been afforded the opportunity to become aware of the strengths and growing edges that I possess. When I consider the time I have spent in the counseling program thus far, I am reminded that in such a short amount of time I have evolved from an individual who was guarded and very much afraid of change and the efforts of social interaction, to a man exhilarated by human interaction and the opportunities provided to further my personal evolution. In order to expand on this idea of growth I will reflect upon my current strengths and weakness, my personal reservations, and current interpersonal factors as they relate to intentional interviewing skills. As a counseling student I often begin to doubt myself, particularly my own relative mental health and emotional stability. I have asked the question, “How can I help someone else, when I’m such a wreck myself?” This is a legitimate question and unfortunately it is too rarely asked by those of us who need to ask it most. There is a lot to think about and work through. My own personal family history, my work life, my loves, my other relationships, my belief system not to mention all of the course work I am trying to absorb can all conspire to make you feel inadequate. At times it seems too complex, too cumbersome to sort
Sharess Jefferson
Professional and Ethical Issues in Counseling/EDC 5213
University of Southwest
As with any academic venture there are times when a student is engulfed in self doubt and is distressed by the inevitability of change. Although these factors present themselves throughout many parts of the educational process, there remains a sense of purpose rooted in the belief of true compatibility. Nestled within this attraction is the opportunity to develop an external character that mirrors the beauty of the internal. It is this congruency in which one is motivated to continue on the journey to become a counselor. Throughout this journey I have been afforded the opportunity to become aware of the strengths and growing edges that I possess. When I consider the time I have spent in the counseling program thus far, I am reminded that in such a short amount of time I have evolved from an individual who was guarded and very much afraid of change and the efforts of social interaction, to a man exhilarated by human interaction and the opportunities provided to further my personal evolution. In order to expand on this idea of growth I will reflect upon my current strengths and weakness, my personal reservations, and current interpersonal factors as they relate to intentional interviewing skills. As a counseling student I often begin to doubt myself, particularly my own relative mental health and emotional stability. I have asked the question, “How can I help someone else, when I’m such a wreck myself?” This is a legitimate question and unfortunately it is too rarely asked by those of us who need to ask it most. There is a lot to think about and work through. My own personal family history, my work life, my loves, my other relationships, my belief system not to mention all of the course work I am trying to absorb can all conspire to make you feel inadequate. At times it seems too complex, too cumbersome to sort
References: Gladding, S. (2002). Becoming a counselor: The light, the bright, and the serious. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. Jennings, L., Sovereign, A., Bottorff, N., Mussell, M., & Vye, C. (2005). Nine ethical values of master therapists. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 27(1), 32–47.