Question 1

Why did you decide to become a counselor?

Accepted Answer

I never actually decided to become a counselor. It was more of a natural progression. I’ve always been interested in working with others in a helping profession, whether that be a physician, teacher, etc. During undergrad, I became interested in psychology and working with children. The only exposure to working with children I’d had previously was within the education system, which didn’t quite fit what I wanted to do. I actually started a master’s program in educational psychology and my teacher’s certification before learning about the field of counseling. When a professor explained that my passion fit more within the field of counseling, I had a sort of… heart “aha” moment. Adults tend to underestimate the struggles and mental health of children and counseling was the meeting place for my desire to help children with these struggles. Especially minority and at-risk youth.

Question 2

What type of clients are you most excited to work with?

Accepted Answer

I’m excited to work with all clients, no particular type. As long as you are willing to do the work, enjoy the process, and have a bit of fun, I’m excited!

Question 3

What's one thing you wish all clients knew?

Accepted Answer

Counseling is deep emotional work but it doesn’t have to be intense and serious all the time. Moments of quiet, lightness, humor, laughter, and fun can be just as healing and meaningful as some of our more intense work.

Question 4

What inspires you?

Accepted Answer

At the risk of sounding cliché, my clients both inspire and motivate me. This was something that I discovered while working in domestic violence. There are so many things that people go through that are so tough and overwhelming. However, my client’s would keep going. They’d show up every day. Sometimes showing up meant getting out of bed that day. Sometimes that meant pressing on when their emotional well was completely dry. But they’d show up. And if my clients can show up, then the least I can do is show up with them. Another thing that inspires me is knowledge and music. I love to learn new things and incorporate it into either my work or personal life. I really enjoy going to counseling conferences, taking classes, and listening to music with inspiring lyrics. You’ll often find me incorporating music into my counseling sessions. Anything that either teaches me something new or helps to express an inner feelings or thoughts brings me joy.

Question 5

What do you want to accomplish with an individual in their first session?

Accepted Answer

My goal for the first few sessions is to focus on building rapport and emotional safety with clients. I often remind clients that they are coming to therapy to work through difficult and deeply personal situations, feelings, and experiences with an absolute stranger. It’s hard to be completely vulnerable and feel emotionally safe with someone you don’t know. I also let them know that I believe taking the step to start therapy is so incredibly brave. I want to do what I can to help foster that sense of emotional safety. Because of this, we don’t always start with the deep work. We start with getting to know each other in order to help the client feel that it’s safe to be vulnerable. I’ve found that, long-term, this approach allows clients to begin working on deeper issues and healing more quickly than if we were to just dive right in.

Natalie Lenard