Ethical Boundaries
This assignment was created to show knowledge on ethical boundaries and best practices. As a counselor it is quite important to adhere to these guidelines to ensure counselors are operating with the upmost care and within ethical boundaries. Throughout my education, I have learned how easy it is to fall into murky gray areas and that can get counselors in trouble. I have gone through being perplexed and confused to deeper understanding and back to confused again. They are ever changing and perspectives are everything.
“Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously”
Self-Awareness
This assignment was created to assess myself on how I think my very first session with a volunteer had gone. Initially I thought I had done an okay job, looking back at it I realize as with anything the first time, my skills needed some work. Having real clients and developing rapport and a therapeutic relationship, for me is one of the most difficult skills I have had to develop and learn. These skills I have had to learn through trial and error and through the fire itself, they are not something you can just read in a book and be good at. It takes effort, practice, practice and a lot of learning, self-reflection, stepping outside the comfort zone and growth.
Social & Cultural Diversity
Throughout my time in school, I have learned the importance of social and cultural diversity. It was all but hammered into our brains as students. We as humans all have biases and those do not just go away and they are difficult to be aware of sometimes. It is important to not only understand the cultures for your clients but also for yourself. Different perspectives are fresh, insightful and eye opening.
Acceptance
How can such a word be so difficult to fully embrace? Humans in its nature are judgmental. Those judgements have kept us alive for thousands of years, survival is the biggest drive humans have. So when it comes to acceptance there is an internal battle where the sense of safety is challenged. Yet, acceptance is also the best way to freedom and happiness. I know the challenges from professional points of view as well as personal points of view.
“Acceptance is the key to be truly free”
Empathy
Empathy has always come naturally to me - so much so that it often felt more like a burden than a gift. As an empath, feeling others’ pain so deeply often came at the price of my own emotional well-being. For a long time I really thought empathy was just a basic human ability and that everyone had the ability for empathy and being able to put themselves in another’s shoes. Unfortunately, through life experiences and my counseling school I found out otherwise. For some it may come easy, but for others it is a skill to be cultivated. This realization has helped me to appreciate my capacity for empathy and also help others to develop their own empathetic skills or see the beauty in their ability for empathy.
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word... all of which have the ability to turn a life around.”
Genuineness
When I think of the word genuine, I also think of authentic and true. In my reflections on of the most iconic scenes came to me, from the movie the Breakfast Club. The very end scene the main character walks out and throws his fist in the air. Through that, he is essentially saying “in all of us there is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal” And that really encompasses the word genuineness to me. Being able to see everything there is inside of us and choose what the world gets to see of us. We hold on to these ideas of who we think we have to be, who others perceive us to be, but we are all of them and our genuine shines the most when we embrace our authentic highest selves.
“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary”
Flexibility
Flexibility has always come naturally to me. I’ve never had a rigid view of people or their experiences—I tend to see each person first and foremost as a human being, with feelings, thoughts, needs, and stories that matter. I approach every individual with genuine openness and unconditional positive regard, regardless of their background, values, or past choices. Through my education and clinical experiences, I’ve come to realize that this ability to adapt and meet people where they are is not only a strength—it’s essential in counseling. Flexibility allows me to remain curious, nonjudgmental, and fully present, creating a space where clients can feel truly seen and supported as they are.
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word... all of which have the ability to turn a life around.”
Patience
In a world where everything is created to be instantaneous, it is easy to forget about the power of patience. I have come to realize that true growth often happens in the slow, silent spaces - the uncomfortable moments we usually try to avoid. It encourages presence and deep trust in not only the timing but in oneself. Patience is often talked about and encouraged, but is also overlooked because it is one of the hardest things to practice, but the most transformative.
“It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die than to find those who are willing to endure pain and suffering with patience.”
Amiability
Kindness, Compassion and unconditional positive regard aren’t just values I strive for, but the essence of who I am at my core. I’ve never had to work hard to be nonjudgmental. It’s always been natural for me to see others through a lens of understanding and care. Especially when the world sees someone unworthy, too broken or too far gone to be saved. I don’t turn away. I believe everyone deserves love, dignity and a place at the table. People are so much more than their mistakes and I have held on to that belief for as long as I can remember. We are all complex imperfect beings doing the absolute best we can with what we were given at the time in our development.
“Amiability is the quiet, unwavering belief that every soul is worthy of kindness, compassion and second chances”
Professional Identity
From everything I have learned in life, one thing is certain: we are never done growing or changing. Throughout school you’re taught all of the ways a in which a counselor must act and present themselves. Always within ethics and follow the guidelines - the incredibly long list of don’ts and musts. And while all that matters, what they don’t always emphasize is that we are, first and foremost, human. We all mess up, we all make mistakes, we overthink, we fall down and struggle to get back up. We follow our hearts and our heads even when it’s risky. Through it all, we keep learning, growing and improving that is where the beauty lies. Our professional identity is never something fixed or finished; it’s a living, breathing part of who we are, who we become, that is constantly evolving. We are perfectly imperfect trying to live in a world that strives for perfection.
“To be human is to be broken and broken is it’s own kind of beautiful. ”
