My Helping Relationship Analysis

While I possess a number of characteristics of an effective counselor, they are simply planted seeds that need to grow. In other words, any areas of strength that I have still need to be developed in order to be truly effective. For example, while I can be very perceptive and genuine, I need to cultivate these characteristics to be useful in a helping relationship. Conversely, there are several areas that require more attention than others. Specifically, I need to develop my own personal ethical sense, and my commitment to personal wellness.
Strengths
It is difficult to imagine that someone who is drawn to the counseling field does not already possess some of the beginning stages of effective counseling characteristics, whether they explicitly know it or not. As I stated earlier, it seems important that a counselor is genuine and self-aware – two qualities I believe I have already begun to develop.
Genuineness. To be genuine is to be inherently authentic. Growing up, I was always told to be myself and I haven’t known any different. Some people say that I have absolutely no poker face, which can be difficult at times. It’s possible that my congruence is entirely too authentic and I need to learn to dial it back in order to prevent an overemotional reaction. While genuineness is vital to the helping
For example, I have a general sense of what is acceptable behavior in the helping relationship but I have yet to develop a truly ethical persona. I am still learning the ins and outs of the various codes of ethics. Additionally, while I am fully aware of the importance of self-care practices for counselors and counselors-in-training, my own routine is lacking. There are certainly other characteristics I should strive to acquire and develop, but I will focus on the ones previously discussed in Part I of this