But Why Aren't You the Same Size as a Grown-up?

Oh the questions first graders ask... just when you start feeling like people take you seriously they say the exact words that bring you straight back down to earth.

Sometimes I question whether or not I should be considered a grown up. Counseling children and finding the right interventions for them is a huge responsibility. Not one I wasn't ready for, but one I definitely have anxiety about. My supervisor is great at giving me tips and jumping in when I need it, but at times I am overwhelmed by the trust student's put in what I say and how much they rely on me. Big shoes to fill, when you still don't feel like an adult (or look like one in my case).

Today I did a deep breathing activity with one student, however the room I am doing counseling work in can get quite busy and it is hard to give this activity the quiet it needed. Despite the lack of ideal location, it was cool to actually be trying an intervention. It may not have worked very well at the moment but we made a plan to try something else next week and most importantly, I didn't ruin the student's life with one not so great intervention.

Baby steps. Something I am not good at, but am learning that most school counselors have to take. I couldn't see all of my students today and it was frustrating, but it will be more often than not that everything I want to accomplish can't be done in the few short hours I am there. Even when I am there full time. It's the nature of the job.

Don't get me wrong, I love every moment I am at my internship. I am incredibly lucky to be where I am and I know that I have chosen a profession I can be really good at. There is just a slight realization that no matter what I plan for my counseling sessions, it is up to the student to participate and sometimes they are just not having it. It's good to remember that just because it is MY internship, it is not MY counseling session, I can't control every outcome. A good lesson I am sure to learn over and over again.