Running head: PRACTICUM REFLECTION PAPER 1

Practicum Reflection Paper

CSPU 515

Jessica DeChristopher
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My journey to becoming a school counselor has, what seems like, been a very long and never-

ending road. When we look back on our lives, we often wonder how we made it to where we are and

why we have chosen the paths that we have. Sometimes there have been decisions and choices that we

wish we could take back and other times we wish we could go back and live through some of those

memories again. I am a firm believer that our paths (whether positive or negative) have been built a

long the way and there are always people that have influenced us to decide which way we are going to

go. I am going to discuss a couple of those influential people and identify how they have impacted me.

When I look back on my elementary, high school and college experiences I do not have very

many fond memories of school counselors. I do not even recall having a school counselor through

elementary school. In Jr. High and High School, I wasn’t sure what the role of my school counselor was

supposed to be. I remember her teaching a couple psychology courses, but other then that she was

rarely seen, and I do not even recall speaking to her as I was preparing to go to college. In fact, when I

asked my Dad if I was going to be able to go to college, he said “well I’m sure, but you need to make

sure you review your grades/requirements with your school counselor”. I remember thinking “what do

you mean requirements”? I was under the impression that you go to college, that is just what is

expected of you.

When I decided that I wanted to go into the mental health field, I was certain that I did not want

to be a school counselor because their jobs seemed “boring” to me. After all, what do they do anyway? I

never saw my school counselor do anything besides teach a couple psychology courses. So, I chose a

different path. I wanted to major in Psychology and Alcohol and Drug Studies. I had seen a few addicts

over my lifetime and I felt like I could really make an impact. Well, this was one of those decisions that

we make and as time plays out, we are not exactly sure why we made that decision. Twelve years later, I

still have not used my Drug and Alcohol degree at all.

I did, however, use my Psychology degree. I began working at a youth residential treatment
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facility and fell in love. I loved the population that I was working with and I felt like we had opportunities

to make amazing impacts on the lives of kids that have not had the best hands dealt. At this job, I met

one of the most amazing people I have ever met and she is a person I feel has had a huge impact in

shaping me into the person I am today. She was a Mental Health Therapist for the kids. I knew

immediately that this was the path I wanted to go. This was the career that was calling my name. I

worked there for about 3 years while I finished up my bachelor’s degree. Upon finishing, I realized that

in order to make my dreams come true, I had to continue with school and obtain my master’s degree.

As we all know, master’s programs are not cheap. I decided that instead of taking out student

loans, I would allow life to take me on a different path for a few years. I joined the Unites States Navy

and served for five years. Throughout my time in the Navy, I wondered if I had made the wrong decision

and if I was just pushing my dream job off longer and longer. Joining the Navy was one of the best

decisions I have ever made. The Navy taught me so much and forced me to grow as a person. I became a

strong, independent and reliable person. I truly believe I wouldn’t be the person I am today without

these qualities that I gained from the Navy.

Following the Navy, I immediately started a master’s program and got my Master’s of Arts

Degree in Clinical Psychology with Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have been working as an

Associate MFT for almost three years now. As I was completing some of my practicum hours for my

graduate program at a Middle School, I realized that my perception of school counselors was not at all

what I thought it was. I do not know if this is because I came from a small town in Missouri and the

schools across states are different, or if I was just actually able to see the ins and outs of what a school

counselor does. Either way, the position of a school counselor was very appealing to me and I believed

that this was an area that I could continue to have a tremendous impact on our kids.

I found the program at Brandman and began to work towards gaining my PPS credential. I have

gained so much knowledge and experience just in this program and it has really been a very informative
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experience. The Introduction to Ethics course was very informative and really explained some of the

differences that I may encounter when working in a school district vs working in a MFT program. Almost

all the other students in my Ethics course were also people with MFT backgrounds so it was very helpful

to also hear their struggles, concerns and experiences.

I am currently completing my practicum hours at a middle school. The middle school age group

has always been one of my favorites so I was very excited to be able to have the opportunity to

complete my hours there and to gain valuable knowledge. I love the counselor that I am working under

and truly believe she is going to be one of those people that I learn so much from and look up to as a

mentor for the rest of my counseling career. She is very passionate about the kids and never allows her

personal issues get in the way of making sure that children feel seen and heard.

The one thing that I have noticed, particularly about this site, is that the demand of crisis

stabilization and mental health needs are huge. Most of the time that I have spent at the school doing

observations, the school counselors have been dealing with some type of crisis. Some examples include:

suicidal students, students self-harming, students reporting child abuse and students fearing for their

lives following being jumped by other students. Some very serious incidents. These are situations that

require time and energy to ensure that the appropriate steps are being taken and each students safety

is top priority. For situations involving safety, I have observed the counseling process, making phone

calls home and filing a CPS report. It almost seems like the time spent on these situations really limits

the counselor’s ability to be effective in all areas and to also ensure they are giving their time to the

students that have academic concerns.

I am excited to continue with my fieldwork because I believe that I really need experience in

managing all responsibilities effectively to ensure that I am doing my job and all students are being

taken care of. One of my biggest struggles thus far has been separating my mental health role from that

of the school counselor. I have made it a priority to really observe in the moment and identify strategies
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the counselor uses to ensure they are staying within their role and utilizing solution focused strategies. I

believe more than ever that solution-focused therapy is the best way for school counselors to be

effective while completing all of their responsibilities and staying within their roles.

I believe that I will interact very well with the administration and other staff. As always, there

are personality types and styles that may not go perfectly with my own. However, I believe that with my

experience in the military and over the years, I have learned how to maintain a professional relationship

to ensure that I am completing my responsibilities and being able to work a long side other’s in a

professional manner. It takes an army to do a lot of this work and if one person could do it, then the

world would be a much different place. I know that I need the support of those around me to really

make sure that our schools are a safe place for all students.