Think I might fail out of my MS Counseling program

[MasterOf.Science.]

This is not because I am not getting good grades. I am.

However, we are graded on counselor dispositions at the end of the semester. We do a self-eval and our professor sends us a corrected copy back with the dispositions they think we showed. It is rated on a scale of 1-5. 5 being the best and 1 being the worst. Some of the things we are graded on are empathy and unconditional positive regard.

I have just finished my second semester and seem to be surrounded by a bunch of 2's.
My issue is that I do not talk much. I am not completely silent, but I am just not talkative unless I have something extremely thoughtful to say. This is where it is hurting me. It makes me seem hesitant and my professor told me others may feel judged when I do not speak.

This is really frustrating for me because I know I can get through this program. I can do all the bookwork and readings in the world and it won't be enough if I cannot appear to be extroverted. I'm a very introverted person, so you can imagine how I'm feeling.

I am feeling really crappy right now. I don't want to change my entire personality and am not sure if I am even able to in such a short amount of time. It is not that I don't participate- I do. I just am not verbal enough for their liking. I feel as if they want all of their students to fit into this certain mold and I may not be cut out for it, despite for strong desire to succeed in this program. This is a CACREP accredited program, BTW.

Thoughts/Suggestions?

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[MAClinician]

1. What does your program suggest?
2. What made you choose this profession?

 

[deleted480308]

This is not because I am not getting good grades. I am.

However, we are graded on counselor dispositions at the end of the semester. We do a self-eval and our professor sends us a corrected copy back with the dispositions they think we showed. It is rated on a scale of 1-5. 5 being the best and 1 being the worst. Some of the things we are graded on are empathy and unconditional positive regard.

I have just finished my second semester and seem to be surrounded by a bunch of 2's.
My issue is that I do not talk much. I am not completely silent, but I am just not talkative unless I have something extremely thoughtful to say. This is where it is hurting me. It makes me seem hesitant and my professor told me others may feel judged when I do not speak.

This is really frustrating for me because I know I can get through this program. I can do all the bookwork and readings in the world and it won't be enough if I cannot appear to be extroverted. I'm a very introverted person, so you can imagine how I'm feeling.

I am feeling really crappy right now. I don't want to change my entire personality and am not sure if I am even able to in such a short amount of time. It is not that I don't participate- I do. I just am not verbal enough for their liking. I feel as if they want all of their students to fit into this certain mold and I may not be cut out for it, despite for strong desire to succeed in this program. This is a CACREP accredited program, BTW.

Thoughts/Suggestions?

first, don't use your actual photo when talking about a program....it's dangerous

 

[deleted343839]

I can do all the bookwork and readings in the world and it won't be enough if I cannot appear to be extroverted. I'm a very introverted person, so you can imagine how I'm feeling.

A lot of therapists are introverts. Being introverted does not mean that you are incapable of facilitating a therapeutic conversation. Substitute "anxious" for "introverted" and ask yourself if that fits better.

I am not completely silent, but I am just not talkative unless I have something extremely thoughtful to say.

More evidence that this is anxiety and not just a matter of being introverted. Not everything that comes out of your mouth needs to or will be golden. It's normal to be anxious when interacting with clients at first. Whatever is behind your restraint during your sessions, it's very likely that you can take action to improve your performance in the room. The worst thing you can do at this point is attribute your challenges to stable traits that you can't change.

 

[MasterOf.Science.]

first, don't use your actual photo when talking about a program....it's dangerous

Thank you. I've had this profile for quite a while (before I got into any program) and hadn't ever changed it.

 

[MasterOf.Science.]

A lot of therapists are introverts. Being introverted does not mean that you are incapable of facilitating a therapeutic conversation. Substitute "anxious" for "introverted" and ask yourself if that fits better.



More evidence that this is anxiety and not just a matter of being introverted. Not everything that comes out of your mouth needs to or will be golden. It's normal to be anxious when interacting with clients at first. Whatever is behind your restraint during your sessions, it's very likely that you can take action to improve your performance in the room. The worst thing you can do at this point is attribute your challenges to stable traits that you can't change.

During actual sessions, I do okay. It's when I'm actually just in class- lectures- where I struggle.
Do you have any suggestions regarding overcoming classroom shyness/anxiety?

 

[singasongofjoy]

During actual sessions, I do okay. It's when I'm actually just in class- lectures- where I struggle.
Do you have any suggestions regarding overcoming classroom shyness/anxiety?

Well, there's always the option of finding someone to do some brief CBT but as you prob know, a critical component to that to overcome anxiety about speaking up in class is to do it over and over until it's not nerve-wracking anymore.

Not quite the same as speaking up in class but the first semester I taught (a class of about 200 freshmen) I felt nauseous literally every single day before class for the entire semester-- although it was considerably better by the end of the semester. Second semester it was a blast. But the best way through a phobia is... through it.

Maybe you could do some self-monitoring, set a goal for yourself (e.g., speaking up at least 2x in every class). If you will be discussing readings, work hard ahead of time as you are doing the reading to come up with a few questions / observations about things that really stood out to you as relevant to some other topic you have discussed in class beforehand, and write them out (word for word) in the margins or wherever you'll be sure to see them. Then raise your hand, say your thing, and get it over with before anyone else has the chance to say something similar, check it off your mental to do list and breathe a sigh of relief when you realize 1) you did it and 2) it wasn't that bad. But setting a goal of comments/questions for yourself each class could be a good start. If your class is using one of those things like blackboard where student discuss readings ahead of time online before y'all meet in class, you could make it even easier for yourself by restating something another student said and then adding on to it, like "well, I thought it was really interesting what J said about XYZ because...." or even asking questions of other students, if they have varied clinical backgrounds, like "I'm curious if this is something that (student) ever saw in your role as x? Did this issue come up in that setting?"

 

[MAClinician]

I'm a little confused. Are they grading your ability to show empathy and unconditional positive regard based on how you interact in class lectures, versus with clients?