3.1 Self Awareness

Introduction

In a field dealing mainly with the study, implications, and modification of individual and interpersonal psychological dynamics, counselors must be aware of the unique psychological microcosm they bring to their counseling practice and its inherent effects. Characteristic personality and coping styles, past experiences, cultural and social dynamics, and personal struggles—resolved and unresolved, all invariably influence the therapeutic relationship.

The NAADAC Code of Ethics aligns with this sentiment, stating that “addiction professionals shall continuously self‐monitor in order to meet their professional obligations.” (NAADAC, 2021, Standard III-18), while the ACA provides a similar stance through the lens of counselor impairment, highlighting that “counselors monitor themselves for signs of impairment from their own physical, mental, or emotional problems and refrain from offering or providing professional services when impaired.” (ACA, 2014, Standard C.2.g.)

Regardless of one’s current level of experience in the counseling profession, it is vital to engage in a continuous process of self-reflection—whether through journaling, mindfulness practice, consultation with a trusted colleague or supervisor, or one’s own personal therapy. As you continue this chapter, it may be a helpful exercise to keep the following questions in the back of your mind:

• How have my past experiences shaped the ways I relate to others?

• What are my motivations for becoming a counselor?

• What role does my career play in my life?

• How do I cope with challenges in life? Are these healthy means of coping?

• Are there any ongoing difficulties I face that would affect my work as a counselor?

• How do my culture and upbringing affect my values and personal counseling philosophy?

• How does the social status conferred to me as a counselor/healer impact my relationships with clients?

• What effects do my culture, race, and gender have on the counseling relationship?

• How would I react if a client presented with a personal problem similar to one that has deeply affected me in the past?

• How would I react to and cope with a client in crisis that presents a high risk of suicide?

Motivations for Entering the Field

Training to become a counselor is no easy task, requiring extensive training and education, a sizable amount of often unpaid and emotionally intensive work experience, and a massive financial and temporal commitment on the part of the counselor. As such, the aspiring counselor must reasonably harbor strong motivations for undertaking such an endeavor.

In McBeath’s (2019) view, counseling, on the surface, appears to be a noble profession in which practitioners are “seemingly driven by an altruistic desire to alleviate the suffering of others” (p. 378). This aligns with the sentiments often espoused by counseling students and established practitioners, such as a desire to help others or make a difference in the world. Research on this topic seems to give credence to both perspectives. In a British study examining counselor motivations for practice, 21% of participants cited the altruistic goal of promoting client growth as a primary motivation for entering the field, 34% of participants cited self- and other-oriented goals such as fostering self-growth and learning about others, while the remaining 45% of participants endorsed primarily self-oriented goals such as professional independence, status, and the ability to use therapeutic expertise (McBeath, 2019). Somewhat worryingly, roughly 25% of the self-oriented responses included motivations such as power, hearing intimate details, achieving intimacy with clients, self-cure, or an ability to treat one’s psychological wounds.

It is essential to be aware of one’s motivations for work in the helping professions, as our motivations inherently affect the lens through which we view and practice within the therapeutic relationship. For example, altruistic motivations such as promoting client growth and interpersonal learning may foster a more empathetic and equal counseling relationship. Where problems may arise, however, is when primarily self-oriented goals such as power or self-cure guide the therapeutic process, resulting in the client being implicitly “used” to meet the objectives of the counselor in addition to counterproductive and potentially harmful treatment occurring. This is not to say that a degree of self-oriented motivation is unhealthy. Many counselors are, in part, motivated to seek advanced training and licensure for the professional independence it provides. Similarly, many advanced training programs require incoming students to prove their “status” through past research, extracurricular, and academic experience. Thus, these motivations are, to an extent, a means of coping with and navigating the complexities of working in the helping professions. The challenge lies in balancing one’s various goals to ensure that the client and their care come first in one’s practice, which requires a great deal of self-monitoring, personal reflection, and humility.

An activity that incoming counselors may find beneficial is the drafting of a brief mission statement outlining their motivation for entering the helping professions at the beginning of their journey and continually reflecting upon their primary motivations in times of doubt, stress, or conflict with organizational or training programs that appear to emphasize self-oriented motivations for practice. If you choose to participate in this activity, you may consider letting this mission statement serve as a catalyst and guide for self-reflection as you continue in your professional training.