The first thing you need to accept is that as a counselor, especially a novice, you are going to make mistakes. Don’t get fooled into thinking that somehow with a master’s degree you have achieved omnipotence. However, thinking ahead of time about what could go wrong and putting strategies into place will speed up your professional development and also help to minimize your risk.
- Thinking that clients tell the truth all of the time. Clients can, and do lie. And not just those who are court mandated for counseling! Voluntary clients can lie as well for various reasons, including:
- They want to please their counselor.
- They are embarrassed.
- They are unwilling to take responsibility for their actions.
- They think their partner is the sole cause of their relationship troubles.
Although you often will not know if a client is lying, with time and experience you will get better at detecting lies. Usually when you think a client is lying they are lying. It is important to keep this in mind as you interpret clients’ stories and suggest interventions.
- Imposing own values upon the client. We’re human. We can have strong opinions and convictions. We can also start imposing these on clients if we are not self-aware and diligent. Clearly we need to educate and support around healthy behaviors. But apart from that, we should take great care as to not impose our own values on our clients. If we don’t we risk alienating them and causing them to feel judged.
- Imposing our own goals onto the client. Whose goals are we working toward? Yours or the client’s? Particularly in private practice, or other venues where counseling is voluntary, it is imperative to have the clients’ goals drive the counseling process. Clients are coming in to see you for a specific reason, to get a specific service. You need to give them that service. Unless, of course, they want you to support unhealthy behaviors, in which case you can use that moment for some good psychoeducation.
- Working harder than the client. Don’t ever work harder than the client. If that happens, it means something is awry in the counseling process, and you are headed on the fast path to burnout. Remember the client’s goals. Your role is to support, educate, influence and encourage. Not to do the work for them.
- Burnout. Not all counseling programs will teach you about burnout and how to avoid it. One important way is to make your own health and “downtime” a priority. In addition to not working too many hours or taking on too many clients, it is important to leave work at work. Beyond true emergency situations, you should not see clients in your off-hours. I would also recommend putting boundaries around when you respond to your phone or email, and consistently maintaining those boundaries.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barbara LoFrisco
