Looking back on my time at Life’s Learning, there have been countless moments of growth that brought me to where I am today. The lesson I have chosen to write about was perhaps the hardest for me to learn: Adjusting your attitude is instrumental to success.

Before I started seeing clients, I never thought about responsibilities such as progress notes or additional trainings. My focus was ensuring that I was the best counselor I could be for one hour with every client I was going to see. This preference towards people and away from clerical tasks has been ever-present in my adult life. During my undergraduate years at Gonzaga, I cringed at the many students who would turn to me with a disgusted look on their face and say, “I just can’t wait to graduate and get a job.” It was baffling for me to think that anyone would want to zip through this amazing social experience to enter into a world of paperwork and monotony. Following that line of thought, I chose a graduate program that would allow me to focus on people, and only people. That viewpoint was quickly challenged by the responsibilities of progress notes, treatment plans, and documenting every single communication with the client outside of session. It was frustrating that this field I thought would immerse me in people’s stories was turning into an internal battle to finish paperwork. It felt as if every authentic moment with a client had to perfectly captured and documented as soon as possible. This conflict had me questioning if I could sustain my passion for people while being consumed by the paperwork that would surely be present throughout my career.

As I reflected on my frustration, I started to realize that I was being incredibly stubborn with my view of counseling. I had let my self-image as a people person prevent me from seeing the value in tasks outside of speaking with clients. It wasn’t about the paperwork, it was about my unwillingness to shift my way of thinking. Not only was I being inflexible, but I was letting it affect my desire to be a counselor. That’s when I decided that I was not willing to die on the hill of stubbornness. Once I figured this out, I started to see the value of paperwork and other tasks that previously did not fit my view of counseling. It was freeing to let go of my attachment to being “right” in the field.

This work is all about expanding our views to better serve the client in front of us. There are days when I still dread the stack of progress notes in front of me, but now I can work within it instead of feeling as if I am endlessly pushing the boulder uphill. Adjusting my attitude did not mean that I had to sacrifice any part of myself. On the contrary, I gained satisfaction and knowledge within my work. Although I wish I had learned this lesson earlier, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

When Ben and I interviewed for internship, I was struck immediately by his gift of conversation, conveyed warmth and interest.  He engaged in a parallel dialogue of letting me get to know him and wanting to know more about me too.  There was an ease of being with him.  I knew that he has what it takes to really “be with” clients in my practice with Life’s Learning.

When I read this blog about Ben’s learning, it was a reminder about how it feels to enter the profession of being a counselor and the never ending piles of paperwork that comes along with our work.  It is not what drew most of us to this profession of humanness with others.

What I know, having been in the field for so long, is that fighting against systems, daily tasks, schedules and change takes a lot of effort and impacts my mood and ability to adapt to changes that come.  It will not change what has to be done. I have learned to work to accept the ever changing needs of the profession and to pivot whenever necessary to keep moving forward.

I have found value in paperwork both in my reviewing it to provide the best care possible and in documenting what is necessary for outside forces, who require this.   Accepting this has allowed me to lean into finding ways to be productive and “think easy” with documentation.

As a new counselor, Ben’s leaning into this as an acceptance and with a shift to a positive perspective  will absolutely be instrumental to his success, not only with paperwork, but in other area’s of life and the profession.  In knowing that we have the capacity to shift our attitudes anytime and to move away from “right way” type of thinking is a good to learn so early in the profession.  This knowledge inspires Ben’s work with clients as well.   This is a good reminder to have with the never ending paperwork shuffle and so much more that life will bring to us.  Thank you Ben for leaning into this learning and being willing to share this with others as well.