Professional clinical advisors who have maintained their careers for decades have literally got thousands of clients through their doors. There is no denying that the job is worth it, but the daily work of helping people overcome trauma, loss, addiction and other “difficult” challenges can strain even the most resilient practitioners.
This raises the question: How do consultants maintain their energy and motivation over the years? What does it take to stay fresh and inspired every day instead of stagnating over time?
Lynda Diane Noffsinger, a licensed clinical mental health advisor in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has found her answer to this question to be curious. Noffsinger has been a professional consultant for almost three decades, but says she still learns every day. It was only last year that she made a name for herself as a certified specialist in eating disorders.
Noffsinger has worked as a consultant in various settings – in a psychiatric clinic, in a drug abuse program in residential areas, in a college counseling center, and in a private practice that she owned for 20 years. She says that each role has not only taught her new counseling skills and techniques, but more about herself.
For example, when she briefly worked as a clinical advisor on a program for eating disorders in residential areas and outpatients, “I learned that I don't like an administrative role. I missed direct advice and missed the community I called at home, ”says Noffsinger, a member of the American Counseling Association since 1999.
Most recently, in her role as a consultant in a practice that specializes in supporting adults and adolescents with mood disorders, she completed a 30-hour online training program for dialectical behavior therapy. "From this professional experience, I learned that I am a clinician, and I can do it best. Sometimes I spread too thinly, sometimes burnout, and on some days I ended the day exhausted," says Noffsinger However, I work up every working day and know how Viktor Frankl would say what my purpose is and [that] my life has meaning. 27 years later I still love the consulting profession. "
What does it take to stay fresh, inspired and full of energy in the long run of a consulting career? Counseling Today has recently gathered insights into the longevity of their careers from members of the American Counseling Association with different backgrounds and different practical settings. Read their thoughts below.
What has given you energy in the years of your career? How did you avoid stagnation? Add your voice to the conversation by leaving a comment at the end of this article.
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In my 33rd year of private practice, I am grateful for a job in which we can work as long as we like, and our customers often consider it a good thing to work with an older consultant.
Compared to the first years of my practice, my clients have become a more diverse group. Half of my customers are under 40 years old. They come from different ethnicities, races, religions and sexual orientations. My days are both busy and varied – what a client brings to therapy looks very different from the previous or the next client. In addition to continuing to work on my professional skills, maintaining cultural competence and relevance helps to ensure that my professional life does not become too routine. My customers ask me to look at life from new perspectives.
I have been part of a small peer supervision group for more than 15 years. The group was an enormous gift. We support and challenge each other and offer different perspectives. As someone in a private one-on-one practice, relationships with peers helped me not to feel isolated or stale.
When talking to newer consultants – and thinking about my own development – I often thought that consultants give priority to customer care over self-sufficiency. This is dangerous. I have learned not to adapt endlessly to the customers' need to make a new appointment if this would overload my schedule and exhaust me. And I've learned to familiarize myself with the business side of my practice.
As a young consultant, I knew that I wanted to have a practice where my clients and I would make decisions about our work without the interference of insurers. The decision not to sit on insurance committees caused my practice to grow more slowly. In the early days I worked part time for charities [organizations] to make ends meet. The vision of how I wanted to work has allowed me to set up a practice in which I can make a comfortable living and at the same time get reduced-cost rooms for clients with limited income.
At the beginning of my career, someone told me that the world no longer needs "burnt-out benefactors". I have taken this advice to heart and I am grateful to my younger self for the faith, patience and commitment required to build a professional life that supports me and enables me to be useful to my customers.
– John Ballew, a licensed professional advisor (LPC) with a private one-on-one practice in Atlanta
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What an honor it has been to offer advisory services for over 35 years. I may just be lucky, but I would like to believe that the fact that I have never experienced burnout and I am still in love with my job has more to do with the deliberate emphasis on caring for my own mental health.
There are a number of deliberate activities that have maintained my balance, hope, and energy for the profession over three and a half decades. The strongest thing could be to stay on my own track. Regardless of my work, I recognize that others will do it differently and not comparably. I have overseen and advised other professionals who, based on a comparative assessment of colleagues who are either better or worse in a particular area of the profession, have found their energy, attitudes hostile and their work disrupted.
An early mentor of mine encouraged me to realize that what another [counselor] is doing – except in gatekeeping cases – is not my concern and that others could stand up if they feel support and care. This has made me celebrate my colleagues' work, be open to learning from them, and generally feel positive about going to work at each of the venues [in which]. It is an honor for me to work. The closest to the burnout were colleagues who were wrongly negative. It is really an art to reverse that.
This leads me to the second strongest agent in building enthusiasm: learning. I study for a lifetime. I really appreciate finding new theory, technique, strategy and skills and above all a deeper understanding and wisdom about the human condition. I have just read again with one of my Gonzaga classes: [Viktor Frankl’s] The search for the meaning of human beings to advance our journey of discovery this semester.
This is related to a third factor: I mix my work and the population I serve. I teach, offer prevention services for the community, crisis intervention, group work, couple and family work as well as individual advice with as different people as possible in my community. It is never boring, I am never bored and I am constantly learning more about every person and about humanity in general. I am constantly reminded to stand up for it when necessary, but not to focus on bitterness.
– Elisabeth Bennett, professor at Gonzaga University, has had a counseling practice for the treatment of couples, families and individuals in Spokane, Washington for 35 years
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Sixty years ago I was hired as a school counselor with a new degree. My consulting career had started. It has taken various forms over the years as jobs, attitudes, responsibilities and functions have changed. Then, 21 years ago, I gave up tenure, license, income, and position to retire. From the beginning to the official end of my active career, I was energized, shaped, encouraged and strengthened by an intense fascination for people.
My academic education, combined with my fascination, shaped the way I deal with people when I wear the hat of a consultant or educator. I continue to focus on how people communicate and interact with each other as random friends. In both my professional and personal life, I have tried to become aware of this fuzzy line that separates intensive conversations from therapeutic reactions, and I have worked hard to respect boundaries – both for myself and for them Person or persons in the other half of the communication.
At the beginning of my training, I received the maxim: "Consultant, recognize yourself." It was a guiding principle. During my active career, regional and national conferences provided me with new ideas and refined techniques and enabled me to have rewarding interactions with professional colleagues and friends. I have always tried to have a group that I was accountable to and that could help me in this area of self-awareness. In retirement, I have a regular group of friends who keep me on the ground, but without professional expectations.
When I was retired, I increased my voluntary activities in situations without counseling, in which I still had to be a listening, caring person. For example, for several years I supported a group of caregivers who met to share the pain and stress associated with this role. I was a moderator, not a group therapist. It worked for them and for me and was very rewarding.
A day came when I realized that my hearing loss and my inability to keep all the details of a conversation in mind impaired my moderation skills. I knew myself. And I knew that my performance was falling short of my expectations. Knowing myself means knowing what to do; it also means knowing when to stop.
I had a good professional life. The fascination for people who moved me into my career remains high. It continues to support me in retirement. I hope it stays that way.
– Brooke B. Collison, emeritus professor of consultancy training at Oregon State University and member and former president (1987-1988) of the ACA
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When I started my counseling in 1990, I knew that I wanted to combine expressive art therapies with counseling. That helped me build a long-term career. We artists recognize creation as a metaphorical marathon against a sprint. The first draft of an art project does not have the depth of the end product.
Artists recognize that the way to create a work of art – like an actual marathon compared to a sprint – crosses a variety of landscapes, so that the path often doubles on itself. You revisit different aspects of each artwork and massage each aspect until each artwork feels finished.
Of course, others have spoken of the art of advice. I add to her words when I invite the dance of creation, which is different from a marathon or sprint, because creation involves a movement that is more diverse than running. When we are trained, we are advised to do our own therapy and that is the key.
While we conduct the energetic dance of relationship with our customers, these dances will stimulate the dances that we have closed. Stephen Porges & # 39; polyvagal theory and Peter Levine's understanding of trauma patterning help us identify the burst of intense emotions that arouse movements that are entangled when shutting down.
If we lose interest in expanding our repertoire of movements because we feel an intense awakening, we can push ourselves to work robotically and eventually burn out. If we risk the drama, we awaken a presence that brightens up our time with our grandchildren [and] and helps us appreciate the journeys of our grown children and those of our lovers. If we find presence, we can stop to cuddle with our cats and lead our dogs around the block.
– Dee Wagner, LPC for 26 years and certified dance therapist at the Link Counseling Center in Atlanta
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What does it take to support a consultant in the long term of a professional career?
It took a lot of work for me and took care of my needs outside of the advisory chair. If I put on my oxygen mask first, I can help others a lot better. If I haven't done it, I fight more, stagnate more and am more frustrated. I also came to the conclusion that you had better done everything you asked of a customer yourself. Whether it's a sandpit therapy exercise, an expressive art technique, a thought stop, or going to the gym, you need to get the job done.
What made you passionate?
There are two things that have really made me passionate. First, every child and family I've worked with and their willingness to show me their world and be vulnerable. It inspires me every day and I try not to forget it. Second, to oversee training counselors, see them wading through this wonderful process, and be part of their professional journey.
What lessons have you learned?
I think the biggest lesson I've learned so far is that I really feel like I know less every day. By that I mean that I have learned to trust the process and take care of it when I try too hard. When I started practicing, I had no idea what that phrase "trust the process" meant. Now I can feel, see and really appreciate it.
What does it take to stay fresh every day and avoid stagnation?
Children in the play room always keep things exciting. In addition, I try to remember that counseling is difficult for people, and I will never do them a service simply by making them feel good about themselves. Care can only be shown in hard things. When I remember that doing this work is an honor and a privilege, I always pull myself out of a traffic jam in my own headspace.
– Quinn K. Smelser, an LPC, registered game therapist and doctoral student in counseling at George Washington University, who specializes in game therapy and trauma training. She is also a clinical instructor at Loyola University in Maryland, where she teaches school counseling and will soon offer game therapy courses.
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If you are at the beginning of your career, you probably have the most endurance. You are excited, you are pumped and you have great ideas. You have learned and decided for years what you will do, and you have dreamed of the day you are finally there. You get the career and the hardest part at the beginning is [that] that you have to learn a little more. You must master the special features of your colleagues, your location and your administration. More importantly, you need to learn what you can do. The first few years are more learning and you need patience to use the time to observe. Whenever a race starts, we all fight instinct to jump out of the gate, but you need patience and perseverance if your goal is long term.
As you learn your career and carefully acquire knowledge, it is important to build your reputation, which is also known as your credibility on the street or "credibility on the street". You build your reputation by showing up, being reliable and doing tasks. Be careful not to do too much, because if you miss appointments or do inferior work, it becomes your reputation. The learning years will help you to find out what this perfect balance will look like – how much you can do, what you can do quickly and what requires more effort and commitment on your part.
Once you have a good reputation and have figured out the key players, build your crew, squad, allies, etc. If you find this group, you can brainstorm if you get stuck. I'm tired of thinking about quitting and inspire you to keep going. How do you get to know these amazing people? Professional organizations. When you attend conferences, meet like-minded professionals, and join committees, you'll find these treasures. Keep in touch and try to keep in touch between the conferences. Having good people in your inner circle is worth gold.
Finally create healthy borders. We are not just our careers. We are family members, we are artists, we love hobbies and we are involved in different functions in our communities. Make sure you are fulfilled in all areas of your life and devote time to all important things. Practice makes perfect and you will find the equations and sizes that work best for you.
– Margarita Martinez, an academic success advisor and student development chair at Northern Virginia Community College, who also served as Vice President for Latinx Affairs at the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD) acts as Secretary of the Virginia Counselors Association and Co-Chair of the Strategic Plan Committee of the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling
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The person of the advisor is one of the most important elements in the advice center. Participation in your own counseling is therefore crucial. By creating a space for coping with past injuries and the current relational self, a counselor can see better and have compassion for himself and for those who sit opposite them.
When I take part in my own counseling, it helps me to remember what it is like to sit in the waiting room, to be seen in this uncomfortable waiting room, with ambivalence and yet afterwards. It helps me to remember the fear of what to say or how to answer a difficult question. Above all, maintaining my own ongoing healing creates a generativity in me for this work. It creates more space in me to care for others in a deep and authentic way.
We also have to maintain our own interests. This year I was on a growth trajectory and learned how the female body contains stories in its fibers and tissues. I found a new sense of excitement while studying. Learning can be fun and also relaxing. Such learning has a direct impact on the consulting room. When I'm excited and growing, my work with others is much more fluid and energetic.
Furthermore, gathering a good community of people around you is a good sign of long-term health. Health lies in belonging. Advice is often isolating and can be an easy place to hide. Such hiding and isolation is the stuff of guilt and shame, not health and healing. Because of these potential dangers at work, I have an advisory group of friends and colleagues that I respect. They are people who penetrate deeply into my life and my work. They are people who challenge me and know my inner world. I would not be able to do my job without having these people – and others like them – in my life, caring for and loving me, in my kindness but also in my disorder. Honesty towards my counseling group becomes honesty in my counseling office as I remember how difficult it is to be vulnerable.
– Laura Wade Shirley, wife, mother of three, licensed mental health advisor (LMHC) and teacher in Washington State. She worked with children and families in community mental health for three years before opening a private practice in 2003. Since 2006 she has also taught and supervised students from the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology in internship and case conference classes.
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When I think about lessons that I have drawn to maintain my consulting career, two thoughts come to mind. The first is to accept who I am and who I am not. The second is the importance of a peer group with which I can be completely vulnerable.
We often talk to our customers about staying true to themselves. Before that, I compared myself to other consultants, which is not mentally healthy. I saw that other consultants in their niche areas were getting the latest training, and I wondered if I was doing enough. However, when I checked in, I prepared for burnout. Comparing yourself or going to training because I see others doing it, not because it is my specialty, is not what will support me in the long run. However, I also know how important it is to avoid stagnation. Then I realized that I need to do my own training to improve my clinical skills and focus on doing additional training in my own area of focus. You cannot be an expert in everything. I had to stay true to myself, as we ask our customers to do.
The second lesson I had is how invaluable a group of peers is who listen rather than judge. In Irvin Yalom's book Becoming Myself, he discusses a peer group with whom they could meet to talk about anything that could interfere with their practice, while [still] respecting customer privacy. This can range from personal problems to countertransference. While I am a supporter of advisors who can take part in their own counseling when needed, I have also found that my group of colleagues – who I know can have honest conversations with myself or with them – is the main source to keep me fresh and fresh available to my customers every day. Having peers who are available and not judgmental is fundamental.
Having a solid identity as a clinician and knowing who my people are are important factors in not only maintaining my career but also maintaining my inspiration and motivation.
– Deanna Johnston, an LPC who has a private practice in College Station, Texas
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When I think of [career] sustainability, I think that I feel valued and respected by my line manager and involved by my colleagues with whom I have a trusting and supportive environment. And of course I have to feel compensated for my work and feel that I am valued by the institution in terms of my salary. With these things, I always felt that I could tackle the tasks ahead and be creative. Nevertheless, I enjoyed working with colleagues, young professionals and students at all levels – students, masters and doctoral students.
This is how I would define sustainability in the workplace and job satisfaction. These are my most important factors for a long-term career. This is especially true for colored people and members of other marginalized groups. Research has shown that far too often we are not supported by our colleagues or our superiors, and as a result we become targets of workplace bullying and implicit bias. This has led to the exodus of many talented consultants [and] who have been ousted from promising careers.
What excites me about my work is by far my mentoring experience. In every position I held, I tried to pass on my knowledge of leadership, research, teaching and building relationships. It was a great pleasure to see how my former students got jobs and looked after others. I am happy to know that there is another generation of counselor educators and practitioners who have embraced the ideals that I have shared and want to share this way of being with others. I am thrilled to see how they have owned and developed my research and teaching philosophy. And I'm constantly challenged by new ideas and beliefs that they represent.
My most important lesson is that I'm just a gear. I did my best to contribute to the job, but my ultimate goal is to be replaced by more energetic and passionate young scientists and practitioners. I love staying, but I will love walking even more. Generativity is a good thing.
– Cirecie A. West-Olatunji, Professor of Counseling and Director of the Center for Traumatic Stress Research at Xavier University of Louisiana. She is also the editor of the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development and former president of ACA (2013-2014) and AMCD.
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There are many things I've worked on to prevent burnout. One of the main factors in preventing burnout was maintaining strong limits on my family. I have to put my family first, and not let my work overshadow them. The first thing I did after starting my LLC [limited liability company counseling practice] was to buy a separate phone so I could turn it off if necessary. I don't take in more customers or supervisors than my schedule can handle, and I've learned to say "no". This can be a challenge if we as consultants only want to be there for everyone.
Was hat mich leidenschaftlich gemacht? Kunden. Das Hören, Verarbeiten und Teil der Kundengeschichten gibt mir Leben. Es gab Zeiten in meiner Karriere, in denen ich aufgrund von Schule oder Schwangerschaft keine Klienten sah. Als ich zurück in den Beratungsraum trat, wurde ich erneuert und daran erinnert, was ich daran liebe, Berater zu sein. Ich habe auch festgestellt, dass sich die Arbeit mit Studenten und jungen Berufstätigen verjüngt hat. Ich kann mich erinnern, in ihren Schuhen zu sein. Es ist immens lohnend, sie auf ihrem Weg zum Berater zu unterstützen.
Eine wertvolle Lektion, die ich gelernt habe, ist, jeden Moment Ihres Prozesses zu leben, anstatt Dinge einfach zu erledigen, um Kontrollkästchen zu aktivieren. Ich habe das bis zu einem gewissen Grad schon früh in meiner Ausbildung und Karriere getan. Seitdem habe ich gelernt, wie wichtig es ist, mit jeder Erfahrung zu wachsen und nicht einen Moment lang zu denken, dass ich alles herausgefunden habe. Von meinen Kollegen, meinen Kunden und meinen Mentoren weiter zu lernen, ist ein Prozess, dem ich niemals entwachsen werde.
Bildung und Lernen waren schon immer von zentraler Bedeutung in meinem Leben. Das Interesse an Neuem oder am Horizont zu haben, hilft mir, eine Stagnation als Kliniker und Supervisor zu vermeiden. Ich kann immer etwas Neues ausprobieren – oder sogar etwas Altes auf neue Weise. Wenn ich mit Bevölkerungsgruppen arbeite, die ich liebe, und das Gefühl habe, anderen auf eine kleine Weise zu helfen, kann ich weitermachen, ohne das Gefühl zu haben, dass meine Arbeit banal ist.
Kunden und Aufsichtspersonen werden mich immer wieder mit ihren Geschichten, ihrer Stärke und ihrer Widerstandsfähigkeit in Erstaunen versetzen. Ich fühle mich geehrt, ein kleiner Teil ihrer Geschichte sein zu können.
– Christina McGrath Fair, LMHC bei GentleWave Beratung, Beratung und klinische Überwachung in Stuart, Florida
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Die Herausforderung, frisch zu bleiben, hängt stark von meiner Fähigkeit ab, meine Zeit effektiv zu verwalten. Offenbarungen rund um meine Karriere – Sexualtherapie – sind alltäglich und umfassen Themen wie Sexualerziehung [and] Anwaltschaft [to]gesellschaftliche Einflüsse und Gesetzgebung. Meine Aufgabe ist es zu erkennen, wie viel Zeit und Energie für das jeweilige Thema aufgewendet wird. Eines Tages bedroht ein Gesetzesentwurf die Rechte sexueller Minderheiten; Am nächsten Tag werden multikulturelle Interventionen für die Trans-Community untersucht.
Die menschliche Sexualität ist so fließend, dass jede Stalinität meinerseits mich als ineffektiven Berater betrachten würde. Ich wähle oft Themen [to explore]mit denen ich nicht vertraut bin oder die sehr kontrovers sind. Die Möglichkeiten, sich über sexuelle Themen auf dem Laufenden zu halten, sind allgegenwärtig. Es geht nur darum, dem entsprechenden Thema den richtigen Zeitpunkt zuzuweisen.
Ich glaube fest daran, dass ich meine Karriere als Berater vor Jahrzehnten begonnen habe, obwohl ich seit zwei Jahren Klienten sehe. Eine langfristige Karriere als Berater ist gleichbedeutend mit einer langfristigen Karriere als Eltern oder als Partner. Beratung, ähnlich wie Elternschaft und Partnerschaft, ist von Natur aus das, was ich seit Jahren mache und mache. Die Einzelheiten – CEUs, Lizenzen, Zertifizierungen usw. – sind die mildernden Faktoren, aber ich habe jahrelang unterrichtet, befürwortet, gelernt und beraten.
Für mich ist der Aufbau einer langfristigen Beratungskarriere so selbstverständlich wie das Atmen. Der weniger organische Aspekt ist die Gründung eines Unternehmens basierend auf meiner Beratungskarriere. Glücklicherweise können ich mich dank meines großartigen Unterstützungssystems und meines tiefen Respekts für das Unternehmertum optimistisch und aufgeregt fühlen, ein Geschäft rund um meine Karriere als Sexualtherapeut aufzubauen.
Es ist relativ einfach, meine Motivation oder Leidenschaft für Sexualtherapie aufrechtzuerhalten. I don’t have to plan for it or think about it. When I awake in the morning, I’m reminded of the importance of intimacy and communication with my partner. As I interact with my daughters every morning, I’m reminded of the importance of sex-positive messages that occur throughout their formative years, particularly as they develop their sexual identities. When I talk or listen to people about their insecurities or their level of dissonance, I’m reminded of how misinformation, society, trauma and self-perceptions can adversely alter the trajectory of a beautiful soul.
There is no plan or preemptive thought of how to stay motivated. Life is gracious enough to constantly remind me that people deserve to exist without the harsh barriers that impede sexual wellness.
— Cheryl D. Walker, a sex therapist and associate professional counselor in private practice in Atlanta
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The climb to a successful career as a licensed mental health counselor has been both challenging and satisfying.
As a middle-aged woman returning to higher education, this was my first challenge as I struggled just with that decision. Did I really want to dive in, and would I be ready for the rigor of learning? Would I do well with the time and expense commitment? Would my children and husband be supportive … and was it truly OK to be self-full? I knew it was now or never as the clock ticked on.
I know now it was the right timing and decision. I know appreciating the classroom learning, possibly for the first time in my life, was a huge benefit because I could fully direct my focus without the distractions of starting and caring for a young family.
No sugarcoating here: Working in agencies was truly brutal from a systems perspective. I took some solid lumps by inadvertently stepping on management toes. The challenge of working with clients, while most important, became second to fulfilling the job requirement of productivity. I remain very grateful to have survived the mill-type atmosphere of clients in and out. I gained such amazing clinical experience and somehow managed to be regarded as a good counselor professionally. I would encourage people going through this portion of the climb to connect with counselors, co-workers and physicians with whom they feel commonality because they will be your future collaborators and colleagues in private practice or agency [work].
What sustained me was keeping my focus on my professional goal to be a licensed counselor and eventually to own my private practice. I look back and realize I was strong even when I felt inadequate or resource-less. I’ve learned these feelings are transient and never fixed, so I trust the journey.
Seeking your professional “peeps” in regular monthly meetings that you commit to in your schedule is golden and leads to the gifts of shared respect, as well as referral pools for your — and their — clients.
I’ve learned to value what I still need to learn, [including] aspects of private practice not covered in my education or practical work and the business end of owning a business. [I recommend that counselors] hire out what you don’t know or aren’t great at until you learn it yourself. Also, keep up with learning new theories because the freshness of exploring interesting trainings [will] always complement what you know so well already. My practice is eclectic because I enjoy variety, and it has been truly exciting.
The best advice I can give now that I’ve been self-employed for a while is to allow yourself regular self-care with vacations or staycations filled with calm, fun and levity. The balance is needed, not at all a luxury.
— Lena Kieliszak, an LMHC in private practice in Rochester, New York
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We all sing the songs we need to hear. By trade, I am a counselor educator and a counselor whose practice is made up largely of clients who are serving in helping, healing or ministry positions. Really, in many ways, my clients are people just like me.
So, what’s your song? Kindness? Self-compassion? Tending to empty thought patterns? Engaging in better self-care? It is our humanity that frees and guides us in our work with others. It is our humanity that breeds care and compassion, the hallmarks of neural/psychological/interpersonal integration, per Dan Siegel. Because I am human, I have needs and wants, not all of which get met. I know what it means to suffer. I know what it means to experience pain and to wish for ways to relieve it or deny it. I know what it’s like to find myself returning to unhelpful patterns of thinking and acting, time and time again. Because I am human, I have a song to sing.
I hope it can be said that I am far more human than I was when I first started this work 20 years ago. If we are all on a journey of becoming who we already are, then engaging with the work of others has offered me tender moments of being mirrored in my own humanity. The reality is that I need connection just as much as my clients do. Our profession has nomenclature — countertransference, getting triggered or activated, projection, collusion, etc. — that can tend to pathologize the humanness of the encounters we may experience with those who sit across from us. But part of the rich delight in doing this work — and part of what has allowed me to log 20 years at it and to be ready for another 20 more — is that I get to hear myself say things that I need to hear as much as my clients [need to hear them]. The frame of counseling and the counseling relationship holds not just my clients, but me too.
For me, what’s most sustaining is what inevitably comes when I am full and receptive: [being] open to hearing, in whatever form and from whatever voice possible, the song I need to hear. My humanity, my work and my longevity in the field all depend on it.
— Doug Shirley, an LMHC with a private practice in the Seattle area and assistant professor of counseling at the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology
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Early in my career as a professional counselor, I began to see that stepping into the world of [my] clients on a regular basis with my full attention and whole heart could leave me depleted and carrying concern for these clients long after the sessions were over. In response, I took care of myself by journaling, drawing and painting to allow space for my mind to simply be and to process my experiences. I began to set boundaries to remind myself when I could just be “Adele,” take care of my own needs, and engage in living life to the fullest.
There were times I took a break from the counseling field and worked in other similar people-oriented fields, but I missed that deep personal meaning from the counseling experience. So, I sought variety in the positions or environments in which I could engage in this role rather than stepping out of it completely. Through time, I also found a wider range of ways to express myself and release tension, stress or worry, such as running, taking drawing classes and enjoying acupuncture or massage.
Later, I invigorated my therapeutic approach by becoming trained in using sand tray therapy to bring clients’ experiences to life in ways they could not simply tell me. Seeing the power of clients exploring their experiences in the sand and seeing their issues in a new way was so exciting. Most recently, I became certified in yoga to apply the powerful healing effects of mindfulness, meditation and release of tension. Invigorating my counseling practice by attending more specialized workshops allowed me to draw upon new methods and delivery of a range of treatment strategies that are impactful, effective and, at times, even fun.
Compassion fatigue from the demands of this role can take its toll on counselors. During my doctoral studies on this topic, I uncovered that counselors continually engage in empathy but may not find ways to close the deep concern needed to draw upon empathy. This was a real “aha!” moment for me. No supervisor had ever quite framed it for me this way. So, I developed ways to extend client empathy with purpose but then to step back out of it with clear intention.
Focusing on growing, being curious, and engaging in self-care has helped me to stay buoyant while navigating these powerful and deeply fulfilling experiences over the past 25 years.
— Adele Logan O’Keefe, an LPC and owner/director of Sage Counseling & Wellness in Lexington, Virginia
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I have managed my own private practice since 2006, and maintaining meaning and engagement has been a purposeful and intentional goal. I enjoy the marketing aspect of being a business owner, and I have made it a priority to stay current with technology and move into areas that do not come naturally to me, such as blogging and social media.
Thanks to Twitter, I follow meaningful cultural shifts worldwide. I listen to radio stations and podcasts with differing political views, as well as trending corporate leadership. Our mental health care reach is limitless, with DIY videos on YouTube, numerous virtual specialty groups on Facebook, and compelling personal disclosure at the hands of terrific authors with diverse backgrounds. I enjoy reading the Stoics as well as firsthand accounts of military culture from Navy SEALs [and of] high-achieving athletes — true psychological warriors reminding me to be the best version of myself.
It is healthy and appropriate to recognize my own areas of expertise and competence (therapists can be ambitious and confident too). As I learn my strengths and feel confident in that footing, I am more comfortable admitting to areas that need more growth and insight.
I so appreciate colleagues who have become friends. We chat often, consult, meet for walks and coffee. This is integral to my well-being and mental health. Private practice is a lonely proposition, and no one should go it alone.
I recently organized an open house for my office building. It was a true hodgepodge of small business owners with the primary goal to provide public awareness. The secondary gain was cross-referred business and a budding community.
An annual live continuing education training is always beneficial, and preferably not in my own backyard. Most recently, I drove an hour away, checked into a hotel and ordered room service (an act of self-care). The next day brought new friends and colleagues.
I encourage fresh ideas and the continued advancement of our field, such as Silicon Valley’s tech money currently being invested in psychedelic research.
My daily unwind is a meditative, 1,000-piece puzzle in the evenings. If my family feels like chatting, they can find me there. A completed puzzle gives me a sense of accomplishment. Every piece found its niche and is perfect in the end.
— Christina Neumeyer, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Carlsbad, California
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My identity as a professional counselor has grown in importance to me over the years as I’ve come to witness and experience the extraordinary need for our work and the positive impact we can make for individuals, families and communities. Witnessing growth, change and increased well-being with clients has been a sustaining factor in my ability to stay fresh, passionate and engaged during my career. Also, the ability to shift my focus from being a school-based counselor to becoming a health educator/coach while using my skill set and strong commitment to wellness has fed my ability to sustain. Becoming more involved in cross-cultural trainings as a trainee and then facilitator has been integral these past few years to actively address injustices and inequitable situations that clients suffer from. I feel strongly compelled to do this work as our world becomes more challenging to live within for so many people.
Keeping myself well so that I may do this work includes intentionally eating healthfully, physically moving my body in ways I joyfully anticipate regularly, drinking lots of water, getting adequate sleep and rest, receiving supportive supervision and personal counseling, and pursuing my pleasures as often as possible (time with family and friends, reading, traveling, and playing with my kitten, Daisy).
I never want to leave the profession because it is a part of me. I think I will always want to do this work in some capacity for at least a bit of time as I age.
Knowing what I know now, I could give this advice to myself at the beginning of my career: “Relax! You’ve got this. You are well-suited to share love and support with those you encounter. Take care of yourself as well as you encourage others to do for themselves.”
— Julie Bloomfield, an LPC and health educator and coach at Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson, Michigan
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Bethany Bray is a senior writer and social media coordinator for Counseling Today. Contact her at [email protected].
Opinions expressed and statements made in articles appearing on CT Online should not be assumed to represent the opinions of the editors or policies of the American Counseling Association.
