School today was awesome. We did practise sessions with a cognitive-behavioural approach. It felt really good for me, both as a counsellor and a mock client.
Think I gained lots by bringing a real issue to the table when I was the client. It gave me a lot of insights into myself and my life. Then again, this past year has been all about self-discovery and awareness. It has been quite awhile now since we've had hour long sessions so it felt like real counselling.
I have an appointment with a real counsellor for next week. It is really important for counsellors-to-be to experience being the client. Some grad programs require their students to have done a certain number of work on themselves ie. going through sessions as a client. Spoke to my counsellor on the phone last night and she seemed really friendly and open, so I'm quite excited to go see her. Who knows, she might end up being my long-term counsellor. That would be sweet. School is paying for my first 2 sessions but after that, she might charge $50/hour. Ughh...don't think I could afford that. Perhaps if she thought I was worth seeing, she we could strike up a deal? Ah..we'll see.
My first attempt at seeing a counsellor this year was umm...less than satisfactory. It felt like she was telling me what to do and giving some advice that did not fit right with me. It was more her stuff than mine, so yeah...after that initial session it was like...sayonara...
Really hoping this new person fits me better. Having a long term counsellor would be so valuable to me.
In the session today, we talked about my inability to express emotions and how I have a tendency to keep things bottled up. So in the next couple of days, we'll be working on teaching me to express myself in healthy, effective ways. That I do not need to necessarily bottle everything up and isolate myself when feeling like crap. That I can trust that others will be there for me if I only ask.
I guess...to learn to trust others...that if I do let go of my safety net, people will be there for me...
Yes, yes...expression of emotions is definitely something I need to work on.
No comments:
Post a Comment