Practicum

This past weekend I had the class that everyone fears the most, in my experience at least, practicum. The class where you put everything you have learned over the last year or so to use. You practice just about every skill and technique you have learned, for me it was all of my counseling skills and techniques. I must say for being so petrified things weren't as bad, not even close, as a I thought it was going to be.

Over the weekend I had 2 clients that I saw for 2 sessions each, however between those sessions I also watched 4 other sessions of clients and peers. As our professor also made clear, although we were only "in" 2 sessions it was really as if we had 6 sessions each day. I, as many of my classmates, were exhausted. Not because they were horrible sessions and not because we hated it, just because it is a lot to take in and focus on. You are not just talking about the weather or a work issue, you really are talking about deep issues that have meaning and painful experiences for these clients and that affects you as well. You may not be getting emotionally involved but you are or at least should be empathetic towards the clients and sometimes that can be emotionally draining, especially when you are just starting out.

Anyway, the experience was definitely a lot better than I expected it to be and I now know that this is my true calling. I am not sure where it will lead me and what I will do with it, but I know that it is important to me and it is something that comes natural to me. Of course there are still a few things that I need to work on but I don't have any doubt that this is what I was meant to do.