BeginningCounselor: Growing Happy, Healthy New Counselors!

I found this site through a thorough search and reading on linked in.  I finished my masters in Counseling in May 2011 and have yet to find a full-time counseling position.  I'm currently working in a more social work role, where I am able to use a lot of my counseling skills, but have little 50 minute counseling sessions or groups.  I'm looking to move up to the east coast, Boston or NYC area.  I'm feeling quite defeated at this point due to the fact that I've been out of school so long, and now the state of New York is telling me I need one more class to even be considered for licensure in New York.  I don't have the money, and don't have a good job to support taking another class. 

I have experience with counseling in part-time positions, two of which were in schools and short-term, the other I was working 12 hours per week as a teen counselor, but had to leave that for a full-time job.  I LOVED working with teens, and LOVED the group clinical setting.  It was an IOP/PHP (Intensive Outpatient, Partial Hospitalization Program).  Absolutely fantastic.  And I found I have talent working with teens and their families in times of crisis. 

Any and all advice anyone can offer would be GREATLY appreciated!  1) Relocation, 2) Finding good work, 3) Learning not to lose hope.

Thanks,

Michelle

Great site! Thank you for this. I'm not sure exactly what to consider myself in the field as a therapist! I haven't received that much experience, although I have passed the NCE and am working on supervision. I have worked in hospitals, clinics, RTF's, and schools. I feel like I am a rookie because at times I still struggle with confidence, comfort, and life as a therapist. But at the same time, I've worked many places and write often in the field for blogs and websites of psychology. Would you call that experienced? Maybe, to a certain extent. At any rate, I feel like I am stuck between being a "new beginner" and "semi-experienced." Sometimes I feel people expect too much from you so soon, yet at other times they lower the bar too much. What's a girl to do!?

Feeling quite alone, I found myself reading some headlines on twitter and ran across this blog! I am glad I did because I now feel affirmed. I am not the only one unsure of where I belong at this point in my career. I will re-visit this site when I am desperate for common experience.

I am the Coulselor and Tutor for HELP of Southern Nevada's WIA youth program. I don't know if this is an enviable thing, but I am the first in this position. So I am figuring this out as I go. Lots of fun.

Thank you for this forum. I will be back often.

I live in the NE Atlanta area and am ready to begin looking for a site for my practicum and internship. I believe that addiction counseling is where my heart is leading me. I am a masters student at Capella University's MHC Counseling Program. A work full time (not in this field) and wonder how I am going to be able to do both. I certainly look forward to any advice and words of experience from those who have journeyed this path already.

I love the idea of having a place to share my thoughts with other counselors. I also love the resources and websites that you provide. Thank you Stephanie for giving us the opportunity on this site and congratulations for your column on April’s issue of Counseling Today, that’s how I learned from your website.

Yea Ha I just finished my Practium with hrs left over( not really no carryovers) and will start my Internship May 23. I am really looking forward to it. I am lucky my Internship will be at the same place as Practium.  I love the place and my Supervisor, I couldn't have hand picked a better one.  Well actually I did. 

I think back to my first individual session and how nervous I was and how much I have learned I don't feel like the same person. I really love this profession.

Hi, Stephanie.

You follow me on Twitter @occhristian, so I decided to check out your website. As a clinical supervisor, I totally agree that beginning therapists can benefit from lots of peer support. Thanks for establishing this website for them!

Blessings,
Dr. Debi Smith
http://ChristianPsychologyResources.com

I wish I'd had a site to network on when beginning as a counselor. All I can say is if you do it right, it doesn't get easier, it gets more difficult. There is always another layer to find with a person. I wrote a case study in the form of a graphic novel that attempts to explain some of the complexities of the therapeutic relationship as simply as a I could http://amzn.to/ijet9T I found your site via Twitter - great site, keep connecting.