ABSTRACT
Entering the field of counseling is a developmental process. As you probably already understand, this is a wonderful, sometimes difficult, ambiguous, and invigorating journey. If you allow the process to unfold and are dedicated to personal and professional growth, you will find the experience marvelous. We, as counselors, have chosen this path for a variety of reasons. Some Counselors in Training (CITs) report that they have always wanted to make a difference. Others report that they have always been told they were a gifted listener and had an empathic ear. Often, CITs report that they are compelled to the helping field due to experiencing their own woundedness. In fact, Barr (2006) did a study that reported that 74% of practicing clinicians in her sample had suffered significant traumatic life events, which led to their clinical career choice and affected their professional life in some manner. The suffering experiences included personal or vicarious exposure to mental health concerns, family conflicts, or abuse and neglect. The famous theorist, Carl Jung (1986), believed in the process of ongoing self-reflection, growth and using our own affliction and past prior woundedness towards becoming a full potential therapist that can help guide others in their own wounding. He coined the term the wounded healer to describe the phenomenon of a wounded therapist who had worked through their own struggles, through immense self-reflection, toward ongoing development and growth in having abilities to help others. Arnaud (2017) contended that although the wounded therapist and their personal past struggles are essential in becoming an effective therapist, others believe that the wounded therapist is indeed impaired (p. 135).
