As a prospective counselor, I have noticed a lot of changes I have made from taking EDCG 521: Microskills in Counseling. All these changes have made me an active listener thus, allowing me to make empathetic responses, summarize, paraphrase, to do probing, and to ask challenging questions. In my counseling, I have areas of strength and areas where I need to improve. Regardless I still plan to continue to develop my skills as a counselor at my job. I remember in the beginning of the course, I had trouble formulating the open-ended questions I wanted to ask my clients. Also, I was afraid that the questions I asked where to direct that it made the individual feel I was invading their personal life. Throughout the counseling practice I have experienced…show more content… As a Pierce College counselor assistant, this course has opened my eyes to the true meaning of counseling. For instance, whenever I have a student that drops by the Transfer Center for help and they are confused with what specific assistance they need, I summarize or paraphrase what the student is saying. In the past, I did not use this technique which means I could have possibly left students confused with what courses the student might need to fulfill before transferring. By paraphrasing or summarizing the students usually let me know if I am serving them. Furthermore, when I participated in the counseling practice dyads, my heart would raise and I would usually have one of my legs shaking. As of today, my heart does not raise and my leg does not shake. However, I still get a little nervous because I know I am not perfect and I could possibly make a mistake. Luckily, when I am at work helping my students, I do not feel this…show more content… Before I was not fully aware of an individual’s cultural values and how these values may affect the person’s behavior. I am so thankful that this course allowed me to challenge my diversity blind spots. I am now eager to learn more about other cultures and if there is something I am not aware of, I do my research. As a prospective counselor, I have noticed that I have used adlerian therapy with my students. First, I see the student through a holistic perspective. I have asked questions that will lead the student to further explain their past experiences, which allows me to see the bigger picture of why they are stressing or what is it that is causing them to have inferiority feelings. When I ask the students I work with, “Is it possible that you feel this way because of x,y,and z” the students will usually gain insight about themselves and it leads them to catch themselves when they are falling into a
