Behind the scenes - a student counsellor

Ever wonder what it’s really like training to be a counsellor?

Here’s a peek

Why I’m Here

I was always drawn toward learning about human behaviour and how the mind works.

My life path meant i had children young and my goals for a while went on the

backburner.

I hit a point in my life where i experienced a lot of trauma that had me turn to

counselling for support. After my journey as a counselling client i decided it was

time i jumped back into chasing my dreams, why wait any longer?

I wanted to be in a profession where I could make a difference, support people

and help them grow into themselves.

I didn’t know exactly what I was signing up for, but I knew it mattered.

The Learning Curve

Listening is a lot harder than it looks; it is exhausting and takes practice. At first i didnt

think too much about it or the impact actively listening could have on me, but then id

notice after a skills training session and more recently after a client session i would feel

exhausted and come home and completely crash out on the sofa!

Silence is powerful and very awkward at first , who knew!? sitting in silence isnt easy. I think everyone has felt that awkward, uncomfortable feeling when things have gone quiet, we dont really know what to say or whether we should say anything, half watching the other person to see if they'll save you both. Practicing to hold silence in a safe space has been invaluable. It gives us a moment to process, breathe and order our thoughts.

The smallest of observations can reveal a great deal. Its amazing how much we say

without opening our mouths. Learning to observe has been intriguing, i find myself

tuning in to subtle things that i would have completely missed pre-training! the way

youre fiddling with a pen.. not just the fiddling but the white knuckles from how tightly

youre holding it when you talk about a difficult topic. How your leg shaking speeds up

when you sit in that uncomfortable silence makes me curious to what was going

through your mind in that moment. its a skill i hope to continue growing.

The Challenges

Some days I think: “Did I do that right?”, "What if I make mistakes?",

"What on earth am I doing!?" questioning myself and my abilities, imposter syndrome sneaks in so often!

Juggling placement, coursework, and life is hard, draining, fulfilling

and such an adventure! Who new just a few extra hours of busy in the week would have such an impact! The mental and emotional tax from holding space, writing notes and keeping up with supervision, coursework and class soon increases that from a few extra hours in placement to days of work! I have a lot of respect for my peers that are working full time along side this too!

Client stories sometimes hit me harder than expected. This is something i half expected but no clue on how deeply. Seeing how amazingly strong through such tough times people have been before crashing like many of us do and yet they still turn up, week after week and put in the work to heal and grow. Theyre amazing!

Growth & Surprises

In my journey so far ive learned patience, self-reflection, and how much growth occurs within me as well. This process has been as much about learning who i am and how i function as it has been about learning about others.

This whole process has been an amazing and scary personal journey of growth. It has been a rollercoaster, ups and downs and going in loops at times and not just for me, the people close to me have been pulled along with me too. theyve been invested in my growth journey as much as i have and theyve grown with me.

I have learned so much about myself in the last 2 years.

Takeaway

Being a counsellor isn’t about giving answers or telling you what to do — it’s about holding space,

being present, and learning alongside others. and even as a student, I see the impact of just listening and showing up consistently for a client to ensure they have that consistent safe space to let go and explore their thoughts and feelings without judgement.

Heres to the next 9 months!