What Is Something You Do NOT Love About Counseling?

Video Transcript

Host Question: What is something that you do not love about counseling?

Guest Answer: The counseling profession, is a tough profession in a lot of ways because the work can be very draining, even if you’re coming from a place of really wanting to connect and to help people. There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and when you’re taking on issues and challenges that your clients or the population you’re serving is facing in their lives, there can be elements of that are pretty draining. We talk a lot in the counseling profession about this concept of compassion fatigue, which is almost like being overwhelmed and exhausted by other people’s challenges. It really also depends on the field of counseling you’re working in and the employer you’re working for. There’s definitely some mental health struggles that I think have a really high burnout for all of those reasons.

Guest Answer: I find it difficult when students are clients are not growing, when they don’t have the desire to make changes or work towards reaching their goals, where they seem to be either stuck or they don’t see the prize at the end of the challenge.

Guest Answer: It can get really difficult at times when you wish they could just see it, how much better their life would be if they did x, y and z. So I don’t love the clerical aspect of counseling as much, especially for school counseling. There’s a lot of work with transcripts and GPAs and records. And sometimes it gets a little tedious and it takes me away from the face to face with the kids. And so it’s not my favorite part.

Guest Answer: When you first get out of school, the organizational structure and also the work politics try to navigate that. It was very difficult and eye opening.