Maya Georgieva

Trains. Planes. Buses. During my holiday travels I have a lot of time for self-reflection. I thought about how I have evolved as a counselor during the course of my training. At the beginning I was insecure, and anxious. In my decisions I was led by the textbook ‘shoulds’.

Our class discussion last week was on Super Shrinks – those mental health professionals who achieve significantly better results than most therapists. Research shows that these outstanding professionals are intentional and persistent with regard to their professional development.

It is Thanksgiving break and I am at the beach. Nothing recharges my batteries like the sound of the ocean. As I glance through the headlines in the morning paper, an article on unique ideas for Christmas presents catches my attention.

Can you think of a movie that represents counselors as competent and respectable professionals?

How do we know if we are helping? As counselors we rely on multiple sources of information in order to learn whether clients are meeting their treatment goals. For example: assessment instruments; clients’ reports; family members; and other professionals’ evaluations.