“I’ve always had people say, ‘You’re so easy to talk to. I feel like I can tell you anything.’ It’s something that has kind of happened organically.

“Becoming a counselor is definitely something that’s been in the back of my mind. During the quarantine I had a lot of time for self-reflection. I kind of took inventory of what I needed in my life. And I’ve decided that I need a little bit more. That the opportunities teaching has given me have not filled me up the way that I feel like I need to be filled up. Let’s just say I got hungrier.

“I looked back across my teaching career, and I decided to make a list of my top accomplishments. When I examined them, only two out of 10 were in regard to actually teaching English. The rest were from interactions that I’ve had with students, in which I had helped them personally. Whether I had helped somebody come back from thinking about suicide, helped somebody deal with the death of a parent, or encouraged someone to come out of their shell and become something that they previously were not. It’s these kinds of experiences that make me feel like I have more to offer these kids.

“Being an English teacher has been a really great experience. But I think that becoming a counselor can give me a larger platform to help people in this way. Instead of just having access to 150 students a year, I could help a great many more as a counselor. I really feel like this is my calling, this is my duty, this is my purpose.”

— Jeff Derrickson

Jeff teaches English at North Shore High School. He recently began taking graduate school courses to become a counselor.

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“I don’t think you can be a counselor and not draw on your own life experiences. At least, I couldn’t.

“I grew up in a dysfunctional home in a military family. I’ve had a daughter who was very ill. I’ve had all of the things that everybody ever has, and I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had people to talk to along the way. When you don’t have that — and lots of people don’t — then that’s where the real issues come in, because you don’t know where to put all that stuff.

“It’s important for everybody to have someone to turn to. I happen to be married to probably one of the most intelligent, most humble, most loving people that I’ve ever met. It’s helpful to have that in your life. When you don’t, it can be a very dark place.”

— Micki Rios

A deacon at Trinity Episcopal Church in Baytown, Micki counsels congregation members as well as people in the community.

The post Life experiences help make her a better counselor appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“Something that we’re facing a lot is dating violence or unhealthy relationships. Some of the girls aren’t necessarily being physically abused, but there’s a lot of emotional abuse. Their boyfriends are talking ugly to them or being very controlling, like constantly checking their phone or not letting them do this or that.

“Many of these girls are being told by others, well, just leave. But it’s not that simple, especially when some of them have children. It’s much more complicated for a 17- or 18-year-old who has a 1-year-old child to just pick up and leave.

“So I provide a safe space, what’s called holding space, to mostly just be with the students and listen, ask questions and kind of guide them in finding the right answers.

“So often, people in their lives are telling them what to do. But it’s hard to figure out what you really want to do and should do when you never have the space to process it and figure it out on your own.

“That’s one of the most important things for anyone looking for change, whether leaving a bad relationship or even when it comes to drug addiction or alcohol addiction. You have to want that change for yourself. It has to come from within you, not from somebody telling you what to do, how to do it or where to go.

“Whenever you finally do see those kids who have gone on to be successful and they come back and tell you, I have my life together and I’m moving forward, it is a bright, shining moment. You have to really hold onto that, because not every kid gets to that point.”

— Rachel Barajas Flinn

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“I was young and foolish and did what a lot of people do. Then it kind of got out of hand, and I realized that I needed to make some major changes.

“I got involved in a recovery program. I was fortunate to have a lot of people who guided me and helped change the way I lived.

“For the past 23 years, through my work as a substance abuse counselor with the Houston Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, I have tried to provide an example of what is possible.”

— Len Jeffcoat

The post Substance abuse counselor leads by example appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I did drugs for about 15 years and considered myself an addict for about a year and a half. It started as experimentation as a kid, and it just progressed. When I hit meth, it got really bad.

“The lowest point was when I started to sacrifice morals by stealing. That’s when I just decided this is crazy behavior, I’ve got to stop. I did 12-step programs for a long time. Even though I’m not active in it now, that’s still the basis for my life. 

“Now I’m back at college studying to be a substance abuse counselor. It’s a place I probably should have been 20 years ago, but I guess I’ve come full circle. What better way to relate to somebody than through experience.

“Recently a therapist said to me, ‘You’re a brave man. Most people don’t want to go into that field because chemically addicted clients are very difficult to work with.’ But I know how they think. It’s one of those things that you just can’t understand unless you’ve been there. I think I’ve got an edge there.”

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