Tiffany wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to go to the elementary school where she works. A certified school
counselor, she enjoys her job working with the “young ones,” as she calls them. Her day often
involves early morning duty (ensuring the students arrive safely at school), running
psychoeducational groups, doing individual and group counseling, filling in the for the principal
when she is out of the building, sitting on child study teams for students with potential disabilities,
meeting with teachers and parents, and more. Her day at the school ends at 3:30 p.m., at which point
she rushes to her private practice.
You see, Tiffany has also obtained her LPC and her certification as a Board Certified Coach (BCC).
Generally she sees one or two clients, four days a week—but no more than about five clients in a
week. Switching between doing counseling and doing coaching is sometimes challenging, but Tiffany
feels she can do it well.
In addition to her private practice counseling and coaching, Tiffany is also involved with her
professional state counseling association and has committed herself to advocacy and lobbying work.
Two times a year the association conducts “legislative day,” when a few dozen counselors take a trip
to the capital to advocate for counseling related issues with their legislators. In addition, there is an
ongoing “letter/email campaign” that Tiffany and others have taken on to ensure counselors aren’t
short thrifted at the state level. Finally, Tiffany arranges to meet with her Approved Clinical
Supervisor once every other week to ensure that she is practicing ethically. The supervisor helps her
watch for countertransference and also helps her attend to her self-care and wellness, as Tiffany has
taken on a lot. She pays her supervisor out of pocket.
Tiffany is pleased with all she does, but hopes that her work and professional activities aren’t taking a
toll on her mental health and physical well-being. She is also concerned that her work may be taking
a toll on her marriage and her ability to parent her two young children. She tries to find a balance
with all of her work and life responsibilities.
1. How do you think Tiffany was able to obtain her credential as a school counselor and as a
licensed professional counselor?
2. Do you think Tiffany could have practiced without supervision? Would that have been ethical
and professional?
3. Is Tiffany obtaining enough supervision?
4. Do you think Tiffany has taken on too much? How might Tiffany’s work and professional
activities impact her marriage, her relationship with her children, and her parenting skills?
5. Could you be able to do all of what Tiffany does?
