ACA & # 39; s Tomorrow & # 39; s Counselor Award is open to any Master's or PhD student counseling student (student ACA members) and is one of four PhD competitions held annually by ACA. This competition was created to recognize graduate students with exceptional insight and understanding of the counseling profession and the work of professional counselors in the mental health, private practice, local authority, agency, organization or related counseling setting. This award is sponsored by Gerald and Marianne Corey, Allen and Mary Bradford Ivey, and the American Counseling Association Foundation.
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The advisor of tomorrow: essay with the main prize 2021
By Adriana Labarta of Florida Atlantic University
When I look back on 2020 in the future, what will I remember? This question makes me pause and fill me with emotions. The year began like any other, full of hope and promise. Quick enough uncertainty and fear took the driver's seat when news of the coronavirus pandemic flooded the world. Life as we knew it was more fragile than ever. Once I understood our new virtual world, humility and vulnerability were added to remind me of the ever-changing essence of counseling work. I tapped my learner's mind when I opened up to teletherapy. Moments of connection with colleagues, clients and mentors carried me through moments of discomfort.
The summer and autumn seasons evoked a new feeling: anger. Amid the ongoing systemic injustices affecting marginalized groups, my heterosexual, cisgender Latina identity reminded me of both my privilege and my pain. My self-reflection deepened to find ways to be a better ally for the affected communities. I remembered why my parents fled Cuba years ago: to reinforce the voices of the oppressed. This intention has grounded me in my work for social justice through the ups and downs of the year.
Although consultants experienced unprecedented challenges in 2020, I have never felt so closely connected to the job as at this moment. In a way, 2020 has been a reminder of their humanity to consultants. In times of uncertainty and fear, we turned inward and expanded our self-compassion. We allowed ourselves to pause, reflect, and grieve. We navigated through these raw emotions while standing by our clients. We have given way to our collective pain. And now we are trying to give the whole thing a meaning in order to achieve post-traumatic growth.
As consultants, we are often told by our mentors to “trust the process”. 2020 put this mantra to the test by anchoring us in the ever-evolving and growing nature of our profession. Although we have experienced numerous challenges, our resilience and strength have never been so pronounced. Consultants are needed to break down oppressive systems and create a more just, affirmative world. I hope we can continue to advocate for cultural humility and social justice, just as we made a commitment to flexibility and change in 2020. These considerations and lessons are the ones I use in my work as a professional counselor. And now I ask you, colleague: How will you make sense from 2020?
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Photo of the essay winner Adriana Labarta Florida Atlantic University
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Adriana Labarta from Florida Atlantic University
Adriana Labarta is a licensed mental health counselor and PhD student in the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Counselor Education Program. She has experience in the treatment of clients with various psychological problems in inpatient, semi-inpatient, intensive outpatient and university counseling centers. Adriana's research interests include eating disorders and multicultural / social justice issues in counseling and counseling training. She is currently Past President of the Beta Rho Chi Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota and Holmes Scholar at FAU. She was recently recognized as an Emerging Leader by the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) and serves on the Webmaster and Research / Practice Grants Committee. Adriana is passionate about dealing with treatment barriers and inequalities that affect marginalized populations, particularly in the area of eating disorders, and is committed to being inclusive in her work as a counselor and training trainer.
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