CACREP 2024 Counseling Core Competencies

1. scholarly examination of the evidence base for counseling processes and theories
2. integration of theories relevant to counseling
3. conceptualization of clients from multiple theoretical perspectives
4. scholarly examination of culturally sustaining counseling practice across multiple settings, contexts, and across service delivery modalities
5. methods for evaluating counseling effectiveness
6. legal and ethical issues and responsibilities in counseling across multiple settings and across service delivery modalities

Counseling Reflection:

As I began the Ph.D. program, I was very familiar with the professional counseling field, but still had limited professional experience. Serving as a resident counselor throughout the duration of this program, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of continuing to process, examine, tweak, and strengthen my theoretical orientation which primarily comprises of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Attachment Theory-based approaches. Additionally, while serving as a resident counselor in the state of Virginia, I have enjoyed not only learning about the theory, practice and the therapeutic relationship but also the clinical supervision relationship and processes as well.

Throughout the Counselor Education & Supervision process, I have also been challenged to think and stretch myself in critical thinking and application time and time again. Whether I was engaging in the practicum course where verbatims and case conceptualizations were involved, or I was serving as a teaching intern for the COUC 505 skills class, this program allowed me the opportunity of deepening and further developing my own personal counseling theory, skills and strategies. I was often reminded to anchor myself in truth and to stick to the basics or finetune the fundamentals of care and counsel especially as I focused on teaching others reflecting and mirroring skills and techniques and more which at the heart of our profession.

Further, this program solidified the importance my faith plays within the therapeutic process. One of the core verses I often reflect on when preparing for counseling sessions is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 which says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” This verse reminds me that as counselors, we may not always know what to do, but we can always know where to turn, as I believe God has no greater joy than using people like us to be a conduit or vessel through which God channels His message of hope, encouragement, grace, love, and forgiveness to a broken and hurting people. One of my favorite classes throughout the program involved the Spiritual Integration course which really helped me develop the language and understanding for what an “allies” approach to integration within the therapeutic process really looks like as we continually learn to blend the psychological and theological domains. Ultimately, my prayer is that through a humble approach and posture of surrender, I would continually get out of God’s way allowing Him to have His way in and through every conversation I get the opportunity to partake in and within every life and story I get to witness and walk alongside of for the rest of my days.