¶ … journey as a public school counselor by receiving my bachelors of science degree in counseling. Then I pursued a master's degree in school counseling. Before I received my license, I had to finish a set number of supervised hours while training and complete a test called the Praxis test. My specialty is school counseling and I am affiliated with the American School Counselor Association. My role as a school counselor within a public school is to assess and identify potential avenues for students interested in going to a good high school. I work with middle school aged children. I have a good working relationship with clients in the sense that they can communicate effectively with me. I would say building rapport begins with asking open-ended questions and really getting a sense of what the client wants and or their personality. By letting clients speak more in the beginning, it lets them feel more comfortable sooner. There is an equal number of boys and girls as my clients. I see no hindrance in either gender as both are openly communicative when in a session.

3.

As I previously mentioned, I begin by letting them talk more I would in later sessions. I ask open-ended questions, I also paraphrase and summarize and take notes. These are basic skills one learns as a counselor and really helps with making good first impressions. Clients do not want to be told what to do. They want to figure it out for themselves.

4.

To become both a licensed and certified counselor was a long and hard road. However, ever since I was little, I always wanted to help people, especially the youth of society. I chose counseling as a career path because counseling enables me to connect with others and truly feel like I am able to enable growth and understanding in today's youth. By pointing children and teens in the right direction and perhaps even help guide them to a career of their choosing is a rewarding and motivating experience.

5.

I have been a certified and licensed counselor for 15 years. It took me about 8 years to really get my feet on the ground and get all the requirements completed. 6. When it comes to theories and techniques, I'll start first with techniques. I mentioned this earlier, but notetaking and open/close ended questions are very helpful in getting conversations started and guiding where I want the conversation to go. Behavioral and cognitive theory are useful because these two theories assume behavior is learned and how a person's thoughts can help to alter behaviors and emotions. Some clients for example say they don't know anything and are scared to try to find out what they may be good in, and fail to see that their negative thinking is limiting their potential. It is amazing what the human mind is capable of doing.

7.

Well there are two types of students I encounter with EBD. The first type are internalizers and they tend to have anxiety disorder and depression. Then there are externalizers and they often have oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder. Most of the students I see that exhibit these characteristics come from single-parent homes and are economically disadvantaged. These kids often do not have much in terms of a support system at home and therefore develop these kinds of disorders. Males also tend to be more within this category than females, at least from what I encountered.

8.

For depression and anxiety disorders, it is important to help the client understand these feelings. The approach lies in focusing on developing the vocabulary necessary to describe what the client feels and to help the client identify any symptoms/cues. Furthermore, identification of triggers and potential consequences of acting...

Although I am a school counselor I do help students that have behavioral problems. Those that have oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder have to also be made aware of their actions, triggers and the consequences of their actions. Instilling them an increased sense of self-awareness is key in tackling these kinds of disorders.
9.

Although I'm sure they exist more than I'd imagine, I encountered a sociopath while counseling. She was very calm and composed, at first. She also had all the right words and seemed charming. However, she was manipulative. She only said what she thought I wanted to hear. She'd manipulate people all around her from her parents to her friends and teachers. The only reason I discovered this was due to constantly asking her questions and trying to summarize what was said. It was hard getting through to her because it felt she never accepted my words. I doubt I made any progress with her.

.10.

Ethical dilemmas arise in my profession all the time. For example, divulging information can be a hard task to avoid. Sometimes students say they may kill themselves or hurt someone if given the chance. This is when it then becomes necessary to see if the authorities need to be called in or additional medical help is needed. Although confidentiality is of primary concern, it is not the most important action to practice. Another potential ethical dilemma is physical contact. Some students feel it is okay to hug me and it is not. I am a professional there to help them not hug them. This is where sometimes the line has to be drawn.

11.

Well one important thing is completing supervised hours. This can be difficult. You can work at a non for profit as an intake counselor and try to get a supervisor to sign off on those hours. Mental health clinics are also great to gain those hours. They are very important and necessary when deciding to become a school counselor.

12.

I am going for my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. I think once I have a doctorate and I can pursue other avenues, maybe even teach. I think once you reach a certain level of education you realize you can always learn more. I learned a lot during my first time in college. However, this time I am learning even more now that technology is being introduced more in counseling.

13.

I myself participated in a non for profit agency as an intake counselor and gained my supervised hours there. It was hard because I didn't receive any pay. However, I learned a lot and from there I gained the experience I needed to gain the position I have now. I met many different kinds of clients there all from various walks of life. It was a truly growing experience.

14.

It can be difficult at times. 15 years ago people were not as active online as they are now. Nor was there heavy use of social media. Social media is one of the biggest changes in the counseling field and acknowledging social media's effect on youth and their actions.

15.

The counseling process is like trying to remove a scratch from a broken record. It can seem repetitive, slow, and long. Those that may not be as open to the counseling process as others just need more time and patience. They also may need to feel like they are being heard more. Sometimes resistant clients are just the ones that feel they have no voice or their voice does not matter.

16.

Emotions and feelings may not even be an issue in some sessions. This is because clients are looking for direction in their decisions for high school and often do not require additional counseling. Those that do require more sessions and perhaps more support, they tend to be emotional and let their feelings out. This is when conducting a session reached that point of easily involving feelings.

When this happens it is important to understand the limits of a client. It is also important to understand they both the client and the professional must respect the boundaries in place during a session. Boundaries are very important. They cannot be crossed.

17.

Blurring the boundaries should never happen in a counseling session. I used a previous example of 'hugging'. When a client feels like it is okay to hug me,…