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Self-Reflection and Self-Care Evaluation Plan Assignment
Samantha Balser
School of Behavioral Science, Liberty University
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Self-Reflection and Self-Care Evaluation Plan Assignment
Feedback Received
Over the course, I have received some great feedback that has only encouraged me to
keep learning. Both my peers and supervisor make it a point to mention regular repetition of
words like “definitely” and phrases such as “I understand”. This feedback has been helpful,
keeping me mindful of these words and phrases, giving me a moment to truly think before
speaking. Along with that, there are things I need to continue working on. Focusing on
challenging my clients, immediacy, and not giving advice.
Throughout my sessions, I have felt I am nearing the edge of advice giving, which is not
really appropriate as a counselor, and it is something I try to be cognizant of. Immediacy and
challenging have been skills I seem to have the hardest time incorporating into conversation.
These skills are not necessarily hard, but they do not seem natural to me in conversation and
those times are a little hard for me to pinpoint. Overall, I have felt that all the feedback received
has been fair and helpful to my learning.
Christian Worldview
Throughout this course, I have looked at the challenges of integrating my identity as a
counselor in training with my Christian worldview. One area of tension has been balancing my
professional responsibility to provide nonjudgmental support with my personal beliefs. For
instance, working with clients whose values or lifestyles differ significantly from my own can
feel uncomfortable at times. I have gained some clarity on the importance of having Christ-like
compassion in these moments, to show love and respect for every individual without imposing
my beliefs. This outlook has helped me see that my role is not to judge or change others but to
walk alongside them as they navigate their own journeys.
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Going forward, I know I need to keep growing both spiritually and professionally.
Spending time in prayer and reading the Bible are things that will help me stay grounded in my
faith. Being able to learn more about how to include spirituality in counseling will make me a
better helper. I also want to make sure I stay humble and open-minded, to not let my beliefs get
in the way of supporting clients. By keeping Christ at the center of what I do, I believe I can
offer care that truly helps others heal and grow.
Counselor Self-Care
My self-care paradox is that I know taking care of myself is important, but I feel guilty or
selfish for doing it. When I get busy with school or my children, I tend to put my own needs last,
which leaves me feeling drained. I’ve learned that if I don’t take care of myself, I can’t give my
best to others, whether it’s family, friends, or future clients. Looking at my overall wellness, I
know I need to improve in areas like physical activity and keeping healthy boundaries with my
emotions in order to avoid burnout (Counseling Today Archive, 2020).
It is easy for me to skip workouts or grab junk food when I’m stressed, and I always take
on other people’s struggles, which leaves me feeling overwhelmed. I plan to set up a simple
routine with regular exercise, healthier meals, and time for prayer. I'll also make sure to set limits
on my time and energy, so I don’t overdo it. These steps will help me stay balanced both during
the course of schooling and as I move forward in my counseling career.
Next Step for Skills
Through self-evaluation and peer feedback, I’ve learned a lot about what I do well and what I
need to improve as a future counselor. I’ve found that I’m good at listening and empathizing, but
I need to work on challenging my clients' thoughts to shift their thinking.5 I also realized I
sometimes think too much about what to say next instead of staying in the moment. In the future,
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I want to focus on being more present and asking meaningful questions to help the client explore
their deeper feelings.5
To get better at counseling, I need to keep practicing, learning new techniques, and
reflecting on my work. Right now, I feel more confident in building connections with clients, but
I know there’s still a lot to learn. The feedback from supervision throughout the course really
helped me see where I could improve. For example, I learned I need to not use phrasing like “I
understand how you feel”, this is mostly empathetic, but some clients can see this negatively. I
also need to focus on the moment with clients, often I will only be seeing clients once a week or
less, so when they are explaining situations from the past, it is important to see how they are
feeling in the moment of that thing. I will continue working on these things and use feedback to
keep growing as a counselor.
