Keep the Faith!

I think one very important thing that no one tells you when you enter the counseling field is that it's easy to lose faith: in your field, in your clients, in the world, in yourself. Counselors, by virtue of the personality traits that pushed us to join this field, want to help everyone. And we feel saddened when we are unable to help someone or when others don't share our enthusiasm. But we must always remember to KEEP THE FAITH!

Too often I've heard about counselor's who have been working for several years and who are burned out. They get overwhelmed by the stress. They've seen too much. They've had too many clients who didn't really want to change themselves.

I thought I might have clients like that, but working at Gaudenzia has shown me just how important it is to take hold of the small victories in life and never let go. Maybe one client will never give up her drug of choice, but another will learn her triggers and how to avoid them. Another will be a role model for her community. One might save another's life. It's those things that have to keep you going in the midst of all the bad. You have to focus on those things.

And if you can manage to see a few lights in a field where there is a whole lot of darkness, you'll be making a real difference, not just for your clients, not just for this field, but for the world. Happy counseling :)