"At times, I struggle with leaving my emotions at the door after a challenging day at work. I do not become emotionally involved with my clients and their stories, but some days are more emotionally draining than others. When I get home, I want my family to get the best of me, so I have started to put better practices in place to compartmentalize my work and home life. On my drive home, I stop and take a 30-minute stroll on the walking path near my home. During this break outdoors, I turn my mind off, and I focus on the sights and sounds of nature. This self-care routine has helped me be more consistent with my emotions outside of work. I am also privy to the fact that even counselors need counseling, and I have a counselor whom I trust that I go and see twice per month. I will continue to work on developing more positive habits to help myself adjust between work and home."

"One weakness is that I get frustrated when a client doesn't take the treatment seriously. For example, they might break several appointments in a row. I have approached my mentor, and we spoke about this weakness in full. She coached me on the fact that I cannot care more than my clients cares when it comes to their treatment and the commitment required to change. I am working to improve this weakness by reminding myself that I cannot control the actions of others. I believe that as I gain more experience as a Mental Health Counselor, this mindset will become more natural to me."