Studying psychology and its theories and related therapies and techniques is no slight feat. What is tougher is implementing what we have learnt in class into real life situations.
When we begin an internship, the biggest question in our mind is, "How do I implement the theories into practice?" As cliché as it might sound, the ability to bridge the gap between theory and practical life comes with lots of practice.
A lack of practice creates a sense of self doubt in us and this might lead to us getting stuck in sessions.
So what exactly is Self doubt?
In the professional setting, Self doubt refers to the lack of belief in one's own abilities. Questions like, "Can I do well?", "Is this the right path of questioning?", "Is this the right technique?", "Am I doing the technique correctly?" '' What do I ask next?” are indicators of self doubt. Along with this there's also the danger of having a counter transference midsession or facing your own triggers which you didn't even know existed. Overall, there are many avenues for doubting our capabilities and getting stuck when we enter the professional field.
Is Self doubt really that bad?
Articles and researches conducted on self doubt in counsellors’ show, that self doubt is something we carry throughout our profession. As said before, having self doubt affects our ability to manage the session, in that we get stuck mid way and do not have an idea of what to do next. As scary and unprofessional as this might sound, most counsellors believe that in our profession, having a bit of self doubt is always good. This is because it keeps us conscious of the fact that we do not know where the client is coming from. Having self doubt helps us to remain open to developments and modifications which in turn will benefit the client.
How do I deal with self doubts?
The first way to deal with self doubt is by being thorough in theories and counselling related techniques - this automatically generates a sense of confidence. Researchers also suggest that this self doubt arises because of negative self talk and hence, just like how we advise our clients, counsellors too need to be aware of their self talk.The simplest way of coping with self doubt midsession is, to use the skills we have learned. Reflection of meaning, Reflection of Feeling, paraphrasing, summarising, and asking clarifying questions will always open new areas to question.
What about triggers? How do I handle them?
When it comes to triggers, firstly, all trainee counsellors and counsellors should attend personal therapy. Sitting in the client’s seat and understanding their position is of utmost importance in a session. Personal therapy gives us this experience, as well as helps us recognise our triggers and deal with them effectively. Even after this, there's a high chance that you might encounter triggers you had not been aware of. Researchers and practitioners alike recommend pushing through this trigger during the session, as getting distracted by it might cause counter transference. Thereafter, attend a personal session immediately after the session and read up more about the triggers. Finally, the counsellor must also have a set of items that they can do for self care. This helps in giving us time to process our emotions and release any kind of negative emotions that we're feeling.
My fellow interns please remember; an internship is just a stepping stone into the actual field. This means that in your training setting, you get to learn by trial and error and your supervisors are there to show you how to do better. So don't be ashamed of your self doubts, but rather learn to accept your shortcomings and ask for help wherever you need it. This will carry you forward for a long time as a counsellor.
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