Ah, another chapter that is completely relevant to my life.
I am one of those people who tends to stress about the smallest things. I will
write to-do lists on my hands until the ink runs out, I can’t fall asleep
unless my room is clean, and I have my workload (by specific day) planned out
for the entire semester on the first day of classes. This may seem
characteristic of OCD, but the problem is that if any part of my plan goes
awry, I am consumed with stress.
Through
the various internal journeys I have gone through in my graduate career so far,
I identify with the concept of an approach-avoidance conflict, as outline by
Corey and Corey (2008), but perhaps in a nonconventional way. Instead of being
faced with concrete choices when making decisions, I am confronted with two
thoughts that can benefit or be detrimental to the outcome. For example, if I
need to make a decision about how to approach a project for a class, I weight
the cost and benefit of my mindset regarding the process. I know that I can
either plan out my timeline to a T and risk the stress that accompanies not
getting everything finished at an exact time, or I can relax and let ideas come
to me naturally which will allow for a more productive work experience without
knowing the exact time and day of completion.
My
level of stress that goes hand-in-hand with my obsession about planning fits
directly into the skills for being an effective counselor described by Greason
and Cashwell (2009). In class this week, our group talked about the difficulty
in listening to a client when our minds are screaming, “What should I ask next?”
and “What do I say if they answer the question like this?” Mindfulness will be
crucial to this whirlwind of thoughts because a client will not get the most
out of a session if he or she can sense that the counselor is not truly
listening and being empathic to the situation at hand.
I think
one of the most challenging aspects of my experience as a counselor-in-training
is switching between sustained attention and attention switching (Greason &
Cashwell, 2009, pg. 4). While I feel that I have greatly developed an ability
to withhold a sustained attention when my client is speaking, when I feel that
it is time to switch topics into something more productive, I find myself
thinking about how to best transition while the client is still speaking to me.
I believe that articles such as this one will allow me to realize that all
counselors struggle with these types of situations in the beginning of the learning
process, but there are solutions available on how to finely tune one’s skills.
Corey, G. , & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a
choice: Explorations in personal growth (9th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN:
9780495602293.
Greason, P.B, & Cashwell, C.S. (2009). Mindfulness and
Counseling Self Efficacy The Mediating Role of Attention
and Empathy
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