Self Reflection: What I Learned

   Overall, I was impressed by how much this practicum had to offer. The timing of this practicum allowed me to practice my newfound counselling skills in a professional environment, and gave me an idea of what to expect in the future of my career. Unlike any other university course, in which I'd learn by reading a textbook, I learned through practice. Instead of taking tests, I was able to learn through my successes and my mistakes. By completing this practicum, I learned something about myself; I learned that experience is how I learn best. This was an incredibly valuable experience for me as a student; the only thing I would do differently if given the chance would be to reach out to more of my colleagues at Metamorphose. Many of the people there were truly knowledgeable in their work and I would loved to learn more about them and what they do.

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     With the help of my practicum supervisors, I was able to develop skills in areas that I had previously never known to be a part of counselling. I was surprised to learn that there is so much more to counselling than just talking to the clients. For example, managing social media and advertising as a way to bring in clients. I learned that counselling, just like any other service, relies on advertising and other kinds of exposure in order to succeed as a business. If I were to start a counselling business without any advertisement, I would receive no clients and have no one to work with. Additionally, I learned about the power of listening and basic empathy in counselling. Although I only conducted intake interviews, I gained experience in simply listening to the client and giving them a safe space to let themselves be heard in. I learned that talking to clients is only half of the job in counselling, and that being a good listener can mean a lot to a client. Overall, I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to practice my skills from counselling classes, as well as picking up on some new ones that will be important to the success of my career in the future - especially those related to business.