Patience
Patience is an essential dispositional value for counselors, reflecting the ability to remain steady, attentive, and supportive throughout the client’s process of change, even when progress is gradual or setbacks occur. In practice, patience allows the counselor to respect the client’s pace and readiness for growth, while maintaining a consistent therapeutic presence. It requires balancing active engagement with the understanding that meaningful change often unfolds over time.
The attached artifact, Design Selection and Screening from CNL-520, illustrates my ability to design a group counseling plan for male adults in recovery from substance use disorders that incorporates a patient, client-centered approach. In the design, I created an eight-session Solution-Focused group framework that allows participants to process recovery challenges in their own time, while engaging in structured activities that foster gradual self-awareness, insight, and peer connection. This approach reflects the ethical obligation under ACA Code of Ethics Standard A.2.c to develop counseling relationships that respect clients’ autonomy and cultural background, as well as Standard A.4.b to avoid imposing my own values or rushing a client’s process.
Patience also plays a critical role in meeting the CACREP Standards 2.F.2.g, 2.F.3.e, and 2.F.3.h, which emphasize understanding diverse cultural perspectives, applying developmentally appropriate interventions, and promoting resilience. In this group plan, considerations such as cultural inclusivity, flexible participation, and gradual trust-building strategies support an environment where members can engage at their own comfort level.
After reflecting on my course instructor’s feedback that I should provide more detailed screening criteria and ensure that group activities are adaptable to each participant’s progress, I revised the plan to include specific intake questions that assess readiness for change and cultural needs. I also modified the session design so that group members can participate meaningfully whether they are at the beginning stages of recovery or further along. This feedback process deepened my understanding of how patience is not only a counselor’s personal quality but also a structural element of program design, ensuring that interventions respect the developmental and cultural context of each client.
Through this artifact, I demonstrate growth in recognizing that patience in counseling is both a mindset and a professional competency. It is applied in the pace of sessions, the openness to client-led direction, and the willingness to create space for each individual’s unique path toward recovery.
