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What are the top 3 traits or skills every counselor must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your counselor expertise?

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Dean in Mankato, MN

69 months ago

1. Never take your job home with you and always remember that self-care is a temporary helper while "burn out " is permanent.

2. Remember that your role is to give clients suggestions, support and feedback but not to make their decisions for them.

3. Network, Network, Network so that you can always continue to live by the motto of "just when you you have feel you have learned all you can learn about substance abuse treatment is when you stop being teachable."

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JJR in Lubbock, Texas

68 months ago

compassion, confidentiality, professionalism

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JJR in Lubbock, Texas

68 months ago

Dean said: 1. Never take your job home with you and always remember that self-care is a temporary helper while "burn out " is permanent.
2. Remember that your role is to give clients suggestions, support and feedback but not to make their decisions for them.
3. Network, Network, Network so that you can always continue to live by the motto of "just when you you have feel you have learned all you can learn about substance abuse treatment is when you stop being teachable."

You're right, Dean, about the self-care. That's not a very big strength of most counselors, but should be.

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Carol Wililams in Atlanta, Georgia

65 months ago

Carol Wililams said:
You said a lot, Dean. Remember, we can't do it all. I tend to take time off for my own mental health. I love quiet time and vacations. I also look for and ask for case management. Even after 25 years in this profession there is always a new problem I've never dealt with before. I also keep up with the changes by attending seminars and subscribing to the counseling journals. Finally, I'm very intune to transference. I never make a patient's problem mine. And, I never socialize with a patient!

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cynthia in Riverside, California

58 months ago

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every counselor must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your counselor expertise?

need help

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Jose V. in New York, New York

55 months ago

While most believe that you shouldn't take your work home with you, it's almost inevitable. While this is the case most of the time, we should take the opportunity to see how what we take home with us can help strenghten our own lives. A large percentage of counselors are recovering addicts themselves. This being the case I believe that:

1. Being empathetic not sympathetic
2. Following up with resourced, referrals and your clients progress
3. setting boundaries

are the 3 most important traits that a counselor in the social Service or substance abuse field should possess.

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