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Pt. 1
I retired from my counseling practice two weeks ago.
Over the course of 35 years, I literally met with thousands of men, women, boys and girls; perhaps as many as 5,000 total.
There were any number of variables involved in the significant number of people with whom I have counseled.
The youngest person I ever met with was 11 or 12, (as I never considered myself an elementary age counselor). The oldest person I ever met with was 85. The number of people over 60 I ever counseled with was no more than 8 or 10. The vast majority of my clients were Caucasian. I counseled approximately 15 Spanish people. I counseled a grand total of 2 black persons, and 2 Jewish fellows.
Two of the multiplied thousands of people who "darkened my door" attempted to take their own lives during the counseling process. One former client did the same. (Thankfully none of the foregoing clients succeeded). However, (and it's a big "however,") two of my former clients overdosed on cocaine, and one was murdered by her boyfriend; (not a very good friend to be sure).
I dealt with every conceivable counseling issue. Marital, financial, sexual, vocational, emotional. (All those issues which end with the suffix "al"). My least favorite counseling topics involved substance abuse, and grief.
Of course, a counselor counsels "whatever walks in his door." We are not in the business of soliciting clients. (They knock on our doors, not vice versa, and we counsel whoever does the knocking).
It will be strange not sitting down on a weekly basis, and doing extensive session planning. It will be odd not to "jump ready" twice a week, and driving to one of my two offices; 7 minutes separating the two.
But as I began my little thesis, all this has come to a conclusion now, and I am left with the results; be they good or bad. (However, I am convinced that I made a significant difference in a myriad of lives).
Pt. 2
(to be continued)
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