Essay On Becoming A Counselor

I have not always known that I wanted to be a counselor, but I have known that I wanted a career that consisted of helping others. In elementary school your life is just beginning and it is interesting to see how our aspirations or dreams have changed as life unfolds around us. Like most girls, up until fourth grade or so I wanted to be a teacher. Then when I was about eleven or twelve I had my heart set on being a cardiovascular surgeon (my grandfather was ill and a cardiovascular surgeon was his life saver). I could have possibly attained that dream if I would have listened to the advice of my mother the summer before my freshman year of high school. She said, “no matter what Amanda do not let peer pressure cause you to lose sight of

A counselor is the tool. In an article written by Lynne Shallcross for Counseling Today she asked several counseling practitioners and educators, “What, overall, makes a great counselor?” (2012). As I read through the responses, I noticed similarity in the replies and quickly identified three qualities that a great counselor possesses; flexibility, empathy, and effective communication. Mark Pope, professor and chair of the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy at the University of Missouri- St. Louis and past president of the American Counseling Association, answered the question similar to how I would have. Pope said, “…the foundation upon which all great counselors are built is a passion for helping others” (Shallcross, 2012). He also said, “Being a great client. Great counselors really learn to be a great counselor by first being a great client.” (Shallcross, 2012). In my opinion, to truly reach an individual you have to understand them and in order to understand them you should have faced similar struggles. A client will be more interested in following the advice of a counselor who is relatable than one who is merely