A person becomes a professional counselor by following the same stages as in other fields of endeavor. Thus, anybody embarking on a new field of employment may want to read this information.

• Training. Professional counselors receive the requisite training in order to succeed.
• Facing the Real World.
• Unsure feelings. This is accompanied by lack of confidence. We do as we are told when we begin our jobs.
• Frustration. We sometimes realize that we will not be told what to do for every issue, and that we have to make our own difficult decisions.
• Help me. We may try to convince others to help or guide us. This may lead to the previous stage - frustration.
• Oy. Terror begins when we realize that we could do unspeakably horrifying things, and we want to escape from the profession.
• Imagination. Wouldn't it be great if everything would turn out OK? Wasn't this a wonderful day - I didn't have to do the job that I was expected to do, so there were no failures.
• Goody-goody. We do our work as well as possible in order to curry favor among the superiors, the students, the clients, and our supervisors who observe us. We do wish that we would be able to exhibit a more mature attitude.
• Shock. We were able to have an impact on a client. We didn't really do anything special. Isn't it amazing that your client is learning, surviving, and being helped. You didn't think that you could do it.
• Confidence. Actually, you are quite good in my work. You can accomplish great things. You may be a leader in the field. See what you were already able to accomplish?
• I did it. You are wonderful. You are great. You are ready to take on the most difficult situations that may arise.
• Cloud Nine. Nobody could possibly be better than you. People want to talk to me and to listen to what I have to say. You are important.
• Counselor-trainer. You are asked to help others join your profession. You supervise or train them. You feel more elated, puffed up, and important than ever. You know what needs to be done, and you are in a position to tell others about it.
• Doubts. Your feelings of prestige are beginning to collapse. You are no longer sure that you can accomplish anything. You may not have all of the answers. You might have made mistakes.
• Hesitations. You do not make obvious decisions with such assuredness. You aren’t as sure about the correct way to do things. You admit that you don't know everything.

Those on-line forums look more inviting than ever at this stage. They help you get over those wild swings from contentment or security, to depression and insecurity. You share your thoughts with others, and the forum participants help you see things in a more objective and healthy manner. They offer you a different perspective on your life, your career, your job, and your personal way of living. They reduce the impact of those wild swings. You can then move forward, based upon their collective understanding of the issues.

At some point, the pendulum swings back. You help another fine person on one of those forums, and then you begin to regain your own sense and feeling of potency.