Reflective Essay On Working With Clients

Words: 1013
Pages: 5

As I reflect on my overall learning experience, I find myself incredibly grateful for case consultation. This work is not work that can thrive in isolation; I need the input of supervisors and peers. I care about being an effective counselor, and I know I am of better service to my clients when I incorporate helpful feedback from others in the field. I look forward to supervision at my internship site and at school.
Almost all my clients are people of color and live in poverty. I think all of the clients I see are in recovery, or are actively abusing drugs and alcohol. In addition, I work with sexual minority clients and clients with developmental disabilities. Furthermore, several of my clients are in and out of jail or prison. Diversity plays a huge role in the work I am doing. I get a lot of clients that are considered to be special population clients, so I connect with clinicians that specialize with individuals I am working with. We are actually required to do this. It helps to make sure that the counseling provided is culturally appropriate.
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I know I still have a lot to learn, and that is one of the things I love about this work. However, I do believe that working with diverse populations is one of my strengths. I show up authentically, I try not to make assumptions, and I am invested in the relationship. I stay curious. I think the most anxiety inducing diversity experience has been working with my non-English speaking client. I feared if I could effectively provided counseling, I feared being able to truly connect, I feared having to work with a translator in the room. Providing counseling to someone who speaks a different language than you is a unique