Prior to entering this program, I had learned and engaged in advocacy for the students I worked with in my non-profit work. As someone that strongly endorses our ability to come together for the betterment of our lives, advocacy has taken on a new meaning within the counseling world. Within this profession, there are plenty of opportunities to advocate for your clients, colleagues and yourself. 

In my work with clients, advocacy has been an integral piece of care for the clients overall treatment. Working at an integrated site has provided many avenues for clients to get the resources they need when they need it. I have earned to position myself in a place to advocate for the needs of the clients I have through collaborating with them on what they need. From scheduling appointments around their schedule to collaborating with medication providers on care, advocating for the outcome of the client in my care has become pivotal to their success in counseling.

As I have spoken with fellow interns, LPC-Associates and LPC's, discussing ways to adovcate for better pay, resources and ensuring self-care has been a prominent piece of conversation. My first semester at my site was difficult to say the least. I spent much of that semesters stressed, overwhelmed and feeling a bit burntout as I adjusted to the high demand of clients and care that was to be offered. Through conversations with colleagues, I came to the conclusion that I need to advocate for myself regarding my schedule and workload. The encouragment of my colleagues and reminding myself of self-care, set me up to be more successful in the semester to come. This was a lesson I was grateful to learn in my internship hours.

Looking toward the future, I will take this gained perspective on advocacy and allow it to leade my choices and decisions within my career. Whether it is being a voice for my client, myself or our profession as a whole on capitol hill, I will remind myself of the duty I have to be a voice of advocacy even in silence. 

In one of my courses this past semester, we were tasked with creating an informative video advocating for a specific population and cause. My group chose to make an informative video on LGBTQIA+ youth and how susecptiable this population is to different factors (mental health disorders, substance use, suicidality, etc.). This video was then posted to different social media sites as a means to reach others to provide a learning opportunity for those around us.