What does it take to be an effective counselor? With all the talk about evidence based practice and manualized treatments, one would assume there is a step by step guide to addressing pretty much any problem…that all you have to do is plug the symptoms into a formula and out comes the therapeutic response. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly in favor of using evidence based practices. As the director of two offices conducting around 70 counseling groups per week, I’m also thankful for manualized treatments. I’m just aware that evidence based practices and treatment manuals aren’t going compensate for ineffective counselors.
So what does it take? Most of us remember Carl Rogers and the conditions required for therapeutic change. For those who don’t remember, the conditions include:
- A connection between therapist and client
- In-congruence on behalf of the client
- Congruence on the part of the therapist
- Unconditional positive regard
- Empathetic understanding
- Communication of positive regard and empathetic understanding
Sounds simple huh? Of course those of us in the field understand that each of these conditions poses its own set of challenges; challenges as varied as the clients we serve. However, I would argue that often the greatest challenges are not with our clients but within ourselves. I believe the more we’re able to grow and heal as human beings, the more effective we become at helping others to do the same. Over a series of posts, I’ll discuss each of these conditions as well as some of the challenges I’ve faced (and continue to face) in trying to become an effective counselor. I hope you’ll join me.
3 thoughts on “Counselor, heal thyself: How to become an effective counselor”
I echo your standing on this. Too often I have worked along side and observe those in the helping profession do more damage out of the inability to effectively contribute meaningful assistance due to the lack of self-care and self-understanding. I do not believe that we can be effective scholar-practitioner without first understanding and attending to our own emotional needs.
I’m pretty surprised by just how effective some counselors are considering the dysfunction in their personal lives. Imagine how much more effective they would be with a little personal growth and healing!!
So true! We cannot take a client any further on his/her own journey than we have been ourselves.
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