Transformational Learning Experiences

A Conversation with Counselors about Their Personal and Professional Developmental Journeys

Edited by Michelle Kelley Shuler, Elizabeth Keller-Dupree, Katrina Cook

Publication date:

01 December 2016

Length of book:

214 pages

Publisher

Hamilton Books

Dimensions:

230x151mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780761868071

Embarking on a journey to become a counselor does more than prepare a person for a new and rewarding career. Relational, training and life experiences all contribute to transformational encounters that change who the person is and who he or she will be as a future counselor. Each counselor’s journey is unique, as is each counselor. The authors presented here allowed themselves to be vulnerable as they shared their own unique journeys and experiences that led them to be the counselor they are today, in the hopes that they may inspire others on their own unique journeys towards becoming a counselor who transforms lives.

Preface
Section One: Transformation in Life Experiences

Transformational Cultural, Religious, and Spiritual Experiences by Ria Baker
Perceptions of New Mothers and New Professors in Academia: Stories from the Front Lines by Laura Dawson-Fend and Leigh Green
Meaningful Turning Points: A Narrative Exploration of How I Became a Counselor Educator by Tamara Hinojosa
History Impacts Reality: How Parental Divorce Affected My Beliefs about Commited Relationships, and What I Decided to Do About It by Veronica I. Johnson
Life’s BIG Decisions: Should I Start a Family While Pursuing an Advanced Degree by Angie Smith

Section Two: Transformation in Relational Experiences (Self and Others)

Critical Moments in Personal and Professional Development: Searching for a Sense of Belonging by Charles C. Edwards
From the Inside Out: Dealing Effectively with Client Anger by Kevin A. Fall
Becoming a Puerto Rican Counselor: How my Twins Served as My Ethnic Mirrors by Anna Flores Locke
Confronting the Impostor: Addressing Anxiety and Self-Doubt as a Counselor by Shaywanna Harris
In My Skin by Jacqueline S. Hodes
The Invitation of a Dying Man by Drew Krafcik
Embracing the Dark by Laura Thompson
Crossing Borders: Understanding the Muslim Experience from a Non-Muslim Perspective by Cheryl P. Wolf
Integrating the Dark With the Light: Learning From a Professional Sanction by Jane A Warren

Section Three: Transformation in Training Experiences

The Laws of Aerodynamics Don’t Pertain to Bumble Bees by Nicole Arcuri
Planting Seeds, Blossoming Careers, and Birkenstocks by Angela Colistra
School Counselors and Illness-Related Trauma: Personal Reflections from an African Outreach Experience by Eric Davis
Creative Arts in Clinical Supervision by Kelly Dunbar Davison
Research Mentoring: An Empowering Process for the Protégé and Mentor by Jessica Headley and Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich
Better Together: A Personal Exploration of a Co-Counselor Relationship by Christy W. Land and Lauren J. Moss
My Process and Development through Group Process by Greg Meyer
Counselor, Know Thyself by Sudha Nagarajan
Learning Not to Work Harder Than Your Clients by Alyson Pompeo-Fargnoli
To Walk in Humility: Lesson Learned in Indian Country by John Yasenchak

About the Authors

It is a rare experience in today's saturated literature market to read something that both inspires and transforms one's soul. Drs. Shuler, Keller-Dupree, and Cook have managed to do both by creating a text that speaks to our human desire to cognitively consume information, while affectively experiencing it in relationship with others. This book is truly a transformational masterpiece.