School counselors reflective on what makes them effective
Professional counseling provides an opportunity to get into the circumstances that often holds people in a complex dilemmatic crossroad, with the view of understanding them empathizing and most importantly provide practical and definite guides that can help the suffering person become liberated. In many ways we all stand in need of one form of counseling or another, be it to providing a soothing effect from a debilitating psychological pressure, a guide to pursuing a particular professional path, preparing for wedlock, educational matters and a host of other social matters.
A look around my immediate environment is a glaring evidence of dire need of people who have anurning desire to be listened to, understood and counseled. The absence of this vital service is the consequence of an increase in so many social vices, escalating depression rates, upsurge in criminal activities especially among young people, and high suicide cases. Moved by this appalling state of affairs, my resolve to contribute to the ongoing resolve to curb this morale deficiency was crystallized by a tragic incident that vividly lingers in my mind. A senior fellow in my school who was among the smartest students in his class, suffered from a clear case of lack of counseling to guide his efforts in deciding what he eventually needed to do with his life after high school. Typical of the urban working class people, he overlooked his inherent academic potentials by succumbing to the pressure from his peers to go into the showbiz industry.
His action was clearly, a sign of a desire to seek peer approval at the expense of his inherent sense of individuality. He soon got engrossed in the horrible aspects of the industry which eventually caused him to serve time in a juvenile correction centre. The agonies of an unfulfilled life resulting from an arbitrary misplacement of priorities lead this young man to choose the crude option of suicide to escape the stark realities. I felt the magnitude of the failure of the existing social system to redeem the destiny of this poor boy in our world of huge potentials.
From that moment my understanding of the very factors that condemn people to similar tragic consequence as the boy in my illustration became brightened. By dint of my understanding and appreciation of the above incident, I am strongly convinced that I am better placed to become a professional counselor.
II Personal System
To be able to discharge the duties of a professional counselor, I need to begin by conducting an independent evaluation of my personality traits with the view of better understanding myself before endeavoring to reach out to others. My life is organized and revolves along a set of laid down principles that constitute the core values that I uphold.
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