P1: GDW/GCY
P2: FZN
Journal of Genetic Counseling [jgc]
ph131-jogc-375459
July 4, 2002
14:0
Style file version June 4th, 2002
C 2002) Journal of Genetic Counseling, Vol. 11, No. 4, August 2002 (°
Defining Moments: Catalysts for Professional Development Patricia McCarthy Veach,1,4 Dianne M. Bartels,2 and Bonnie S. LeRoy3
In this series of papers, 17 genetic counselors describe defining moments, that is, personal experiences or events that led to a further realization of themselves as genetic counselors. These experiences, both positive and negative, describe a significant impact on the authors’ professional growth and development. A call for papers was issued through the National Society of Genetic Counselors listserv and through the Journal of Genetic Counseling in 2001. This call resulted in the following 15 papers in which the authors were asked to describe the nature of a defining moment and how it affected their professional identity and practice. The authors provided an account of the experience or event, what it was about the experience that made it a defining moment, how it affected them personally and professionally, and if a defining moment was negative, how they were able to derive positive outcomes. Implications of these defining moments for other genetic counselors are discussed in a concluding paper. KEY WORDS: genetic counselor development; professional development; personal and professional crises.
OVERVIEW This is a collection of papers that evolved from our observation that personal and professional experiences are notably interconnected. We also drew from the first author’s experiences coediting a special issue of the Journal of Counseling and Development titled Critical Incidents in Counselor Development (Skovholt and 1 Department
of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. for Bioethics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 3 Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 4 Correspondence should be directed to Dr Patricia McCarthy Veach, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 139 Burton Hall, 178 Pillsbury Drive, S.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; e-mail: [email protected]. 2 Center
277 C 2002 National Society of Genetic Counselors, Inc. 1059-7700/02/0800-0277/1 °
P1: GDW/GCY
P2: FZN
Journal of Genetic Counseling [jgc]
ph131-jogc-375459
July 4, 2002
278
14:0
Style file version June 4th, 2002
Veach, Bartels, and LeRoy
McCarthy, 1988). That journal issue recounts significant life events that affected the professional development of 68 mental health counselors. We believed that genetic counselors would have had experiences that similarly impacted their professional development. As the following papers illustrate, this is indeed the case. FORMAT We developed this collection by putting out a Call for Proposals to all members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors through the listserv and the Journal of Genetic Counseling asking individuals to describe what we have designated “defining moments,” that is, personal experiences that have had a significant impact on their development as genetic counselors. Defining moments include any event or experience that leads to a further realization of one’s self as a genetic counselor. The experience itself may have been initially positive or negative, and it may have been a work-related incident or an event from an individual’s personal life. The important point is how and why it was significant to the author in her or his development. Using the guidelines developed by Skovholt and McCarthy (1988), we asked our authors to explain the nature of their defining moment; to describe their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors at the time of the incident; to discuss how the defining moment contributed to their professional development; to describe information they had from internal sources (themselves) and external sources to indicate that the incident had a significant impact; and, if the defining moment was initially negative, to explain how/why they were able to turn it into an event with positive outcomes. Seventeen individuals authored the 15 papers that follow. The authors come from a variety of work settings and they range in professional experience from student to seasoned practitioner. Their papers are powerful accounts of how specific life events profoundly affected their sense of self as genetic counselor practitioners, educators, researchers, and policy makers. Their stories are poignant, compelling, and contain important lessons about the learning that can be derived from one’s life experiences. Five of the papers address the impact of genetic counselor grief and loss. The defining moments for Vokits Cohen, Keilman, and Valverde illustrate how being on both sides of the genetic counseling relationship as parents of children with birth defects, made them qualitatively different as genetic counselors. Hagemoser-Platt and Reiser share important learnings from the death of a colleague and friend. Woo discusses the effects of the death of a loved one on her development as a recently graduated genetic counselor. Hatten’s pregnancy and parenting of a young infant, and Young’s experience of her daughter’s pregnancy, demonstrate how personal experience can lead to significant differences in one’s perspective and approaches to clients. Similar to
P1: GDW/GCY
P2: FZN
Journal of Genetic Counseling [jgc]
ph131-jogc-375459
July 4, 2002
14:0
Style file version June 4th, 2002
Defining Moments: Catalysts for Professional Development
279
the authors who discussed their experiences of loss, Hatten and Young describe how they gained new dimensions to their empathic understanding of clients. The defining moments described by Vokits Cohen, Keilman, Valverde, Woo, Hatten, and Young support Weil’s assertions (Weil, 2000) that “Personal or family issues of any magnitude may have an emotional impact on the genetic counselor’s work” (p. 91), and that these issues may significantly impact an individual’s clinical practice when the issues involve major losses or transitions. They further reflect the phenomenon that Kessler (1998) calls associative countertransference, that is, genetic counselors must deal with clients who have difficulties and problems similar to those that the genetic counselor is currently experiencing or has experienced in the past. As Kessler states, “Bad things do happen to genetic counselors. But even if they do not, we are as vulnerable as the next person to experience loss and pain. Disappointment, loss, feelings of being rejected and misunderstood, of failure, embarrassment, hurt, and so on are ubiquitous human phenomena. No one is exempt” (p. 304). Several of these authors describe their internal debate about the extent to which their responses to clients constitute empathy or countertransference. For two of the authors, Drake and Gold, clients were major catalysts in their growth and development. Drake describes her successful transition from an insecure novice to a confident and more spontaneous genetic counseling student practitioner. She overcame her anxiety, moving from what one theorist (Robinson, 1974) calls unconscious competence to conscious competence. Gold describes a clinical experience in which she struggled with an ethical dilemma of honoring a client’s request at the expense of her own boundaries. Six of the papers illustrate the power of taking a proactive approach to one’s professional development. The defining moments for these seven authors suggest that not all incidents are accidents. Edwards took a professional stance that led to a faculty appointment. Schmerler’s experience with unprofessional behavior resulted in her becoming a leader in the NSGC ethics policymaking body. Bennett has made significant contributions to the profession through her involvement with the Jane Engelberg Memorial Foundation (JEMF). Benkendorf and Prince have developed a fresh appreciation of the meaning of nondirectiveness in genetic counseling through research supported by the JEMF. Lieber is reaching out with her students to educate broad segments of the public. Rhee-Morris became an active member in a union, resulting in an improved work environment for genetic counselors and in stronger advocacy for genetic counseling clients. Their efforts have strengthened and expanded the genetic counseling profession in important ways. CHARACTERISTICS OF DEFINING MOMENTS The authors’ stories tell us that defining moments can happen at all points in the professional lifespan from novice to accomplished professional. They represent major crises or challenges that lead to significant transitions. Defining moments can
P1: GDW/GCY
P2: FZN
Journal of Genetic Counseling [jgc]
ph131-jogc-375459
July 4, 2002
280
14:0
Style file version June 4th, 2002
Veach, Bartels, and LeRoy
involve both losses and positive occurrences. In either case, they lead to a discovery of abilities and strengths that individuals do not realize that they possess. Defining moments have a pervasive effect on individuals with “the potential to shape both our present behavior and our future destiny, as well as possibly even our past” (Cormier, 1988, p. 131). Defining moments are multifactorial in that the “right” events in the environment come together with one’s internal resources (courage, resiliency, selfreflection, etc.) to result in effective, self-directed behaviors. They share a common theme of “stretching one’s self, revising one’s understanding of human nature and human possibility, and channeling these insights into positive development” (Skovholt and McCarthy, 1988, p. 69). They share another theme of openness to learning. Defining moments also contain “. . . an element of timeliness” (Roehlke, 1988, p. 133). In other words, learning takes place when the individual is ready for it. An experience probably cannot be a defining moment unless an individual is both self-aware and willing to risk examining her or his feelings, motives, and actions (Neufeldt et al., 1996; Schwebel and Coster, 1998; Skovholt, 2001). The defining moments described in the following stories suggest that professional development is a continual process, and they serve as evidence that “. . . education for the practitioner never stops. Opportunities to develop are ‘everywhere and anywhere.’” (Ronnestad and Skovholt, 2001, p. 186). As we tell our students, while there is a terminal degree in the profession, there is no terminal skill level. Furthermore, this developmental process extends beyond formal education to include the “. . . education people receive living their lives as human beings” (Skovholt and McCarthy, 1988, p. 69).
REFERENCES Cormier SL (1988) Critical incidents in counselor development: Themes and patterns. J Counsel Dev 67:131–132. Kessler S (1998) Psychological aspects of genetic counseling. VIII. Suffering and countertransference. J Genet Counsel 7:303–308. Neufeldt SA, Karno MP, Nelson ML (1996) A qualitative study of experts’ conceptualization of supervisee reflectivity. J Counsel Psychol 43:3–9. Robinson WL (1974) Conscious competency—The mark of a competent instructor. Personnel J 53:538–539. Roehlke HJ (1988) Critical incidents in counselor development: Examples of Jung’s concept of synchronicity. J Counsel Dev 67:133–134. Ronnestad MH, Skovholt TS (2001) Learning arenas for professional development: Retrospective accounts of senior psychotherapists. Prof Psychol: Res Pract 32:181–187. Schwebel M, Coster J (1998) Well-functioning in professional psychologists: As program heads see it. Prof Psychol: Res Pract 29:284–292. Skovholt TS (2001) The Resilient Practitioner. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Skovholt TS, McCarthy PR (1988) Critical incidents in counselor development (special issue). J Counsel Dev 67:69–134. Weil J (2000) Psychosocial Genetic Counseling. New York: Oxford University Press.
P2: FZN
Journal of Genetic Counseling [jgc]
ph131-jogc-375459
July 4, 2002
14:0
Style file version June 4th, 2002
C 2002) Journal of Genetic Counseling, Vol. 11, No. 4, August 2002 (°
Defining Moments: Catalysts for Professional Development Patricia McCarthy Veach,1,4 Dianne M. Bartels,2 and Bonnie S. LeRoy3
In this series of papers, 17 genetic counselors describe defining moments, that is, personal experiences or events that led to a further realization of themselves as genetic counselors. These experiences, both positive and negative, describe a significant impact on the authors’ professional growth and development. A call for papers was issued through the National Society of Genetic Counselors listserv and through the Journal of Genetic Counseling in 2001. This call resulted in the following 15 papers in which the authors were asked to describe the nature of a defining moment and how it affected their professional identity and practice. The authors provided an account of the experience or event, what it was about the experience that made it a defining moment, how it affected them personally and professionally, and if a defining moment was negative, how they were able to derive positive outcomes. Implications of these defining moments for other genetic counselors are discussed in a concluding paper. KEY WORDS: genetic counselor development; professional development; personal and professional crises.
OVERVIEW This is a collection of papers that evolved from our observation that personal and professional experiences are notably interconnected. We also drew from the first author’s experiences coediting a special issue of the Journal of Counseling and Development titled Critical Incidents in Counselor Development (Skovholt and 1 Department
of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. for Bioethics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 3 Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 4 Correspondence should be directed to Dr Patricia McCarthy Veach, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 139 Burton Hall, 178 Pillsbury Drive, S.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; e-mail: [email protected]. 2 Center
277 C 2002 National Society of Genetic Counselors, Inc. 1059-7700/02/0800-0277/1 °
P1: GDW/GCY
P2: FZN
Journal of Genetic Counseling [jgc]
ph131-jogc-375459
July 4, 2002
278
14:0
Style file version June 4th, 2002
Veach, Bartels, and LeRoy
McCarthy, 1988). That journal issue recounts significant life events that affected the professional development of 68 mental health counselors. We believed that genetic counselors would have had experiences that similarly impacted their professional development. As the following papers illustrate, this is indeed the case. FORMAT We developed this collection by putting out a Call for Proposals to all members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors through the listserv and the Journal of Genetic Counseling asking individuals to describe what we have designated “defining moments,” that is, personal experiences that have had a significant impact on their development as genetic counselors. Defining moments include any event or experience that leads to a further realization of one’s self as a genetic counselor. The experience itself may have been initially positive or negative, and it may have been a work-related incident or an event from an individual’s personal life. The important point is how and why it was significant to the author in her or his development. Using the guidelines developed by Skovholt and McCarthy (1988), we asked our authors to explain the nature of their defining moment; to describe their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors at the time of the incident; to discuss how the defining moment contributed to their professional development; to describe information they had from internal sources (themselves) and external sources to indicate that the incident had a significant impact; and, if the defining moment was initially negative, to explain how/why they were able to turn it into an event with positive outcomes. Seventeen individuals authored the 15 papers that follow. The authors come from a variety of work settings and they range in professional experience from student to seasoned practitioner. Their papers are powerful accounts of how specific life events profoundly affected their sense of self as genetic counselor practitioners, educators, researchers, and policy makers. Their stories are poignant, compelling, and contain important lessons about the learning that can be derived from one’s life experiences. Five of the papers address the impact of genetic counselor grief and loss. The defining moments for Vokits Cohen, Keilman, and Valverde illustrate how being on both sides of the genetic counseling relationship as parents of children with birth defects, made them qualitatively different as genetic counselors. Hagemoser-Platt and Reiser share important learnings from the death of a colleague and friend. Woo discusses the effects of the death of a loved one on her development as a recently graduated genetic counselor. Hatten’s pregnancy and parenting of a young infant, and Young’s experience of her daughter’s pregnancy, demonstrate how personal experience can lead to significant differences in one’s perspective and approaches to clients. Similar to
P1: GDW/GCY
P2: FZN
Journal of Genetic Counseling [jgc]
ph131-jogc-375459
July 4, 2002
14:0
Style file version June 4th, 2002
Defining Moments: Catalysts for Professional Development
279
the authors who discussed their experiences of loss, Hatten and Young describe how they gained new dimensions to their empathic understanding of clients. The defining moments described by Vokits Cohen, Keilman, Valverde, Woo, Hatten, and Young support Weil’s assertions (Weil, 2000) that “Personal or family issues of any magnitude may have an emotional impact on the genetic counselor’s work” (p. 91), and that these issues may significantly impact an individual’s clinical practice when the issues involve major losses or transitions. They further reflect the phenomenon that Kessler (1998) calls associative countertransference, that is, genetic counselors must deal with clients who have difficulties and problems similar to those that the genetic counselor is currently experiencing or has experienced in the past. As Kessler states, “Bad things do happen to genetic counselors. But even if they do not, we are as vulnerable as the next person to experience loss and pain. Disappointment, loss, feelings of being rejected and misunderstood, of failure, embarrassment, hurt, and so on are ubiquitous human phenomena. No one is exempt” (p. 304). Several of these authors describe their internal debate about the extent to which their responses to clients constitute empathy or countertransference. For two of the authors, Drake and Gold, clients were major catalysts in their growth and development. Drake describes her successful transition from an insecure novice to a confident and more spontaneous genetic counseling student practitioner. She overcame her anxiety, moving from what one theorist (Robinson, 1974) calls unconscious competence to conscious competence. Gold describes a clinical experience in which she struggled with an ethical dilemma of honoring a client’s request at the expense of her own boundaries. Six of the papers illustrate the power of taking a proactive approach to one’s professional development. The defining moments for these seven authors suggest that not all incidents are accidents. Edwards took a professional stance that led to a faculty appointment. Schmerler’s experience with unprofessional behavior resulted in her becoming a leader in the NSGC ethics policymaking body. Bennett has made significant contributions to the profession through her involvement with the Jane Engelberg Memorial Foundation (JEMF). Benkendorf and Prince have developed a fresh appreciation of the meaning of nondirectiveness in genetic counseling through research supported by the JEMF. Lieber is reaching out with her students to educate broad segments of the public. Rhee-Morris became an active member in a union, resulting in an improved work environment for genetic counselors and in stronger advocacy for genetic counseling clients. Their efforts have strengthened and expanded the genetic counseling profession in important ways. CHARACTERISTICS OF DEFINING MOMENTS The authors’ stories tell us that defining moments can happen at all points in the professional lifespan from novice to accomplished professional. They represent major crises or challenges that lead to significant transitions. Defining moments can
P1: GDW/GCY
P2: FZN
Journal of Genetic Counseling [jgc]
ph131-jogc-375459
July 4, 2002
280
14:0
Style file version June 4th, 2002
Veach, Bartels, and LeRoy
involve both losses and positive occurrences. In either case, they lead to a discovery of abilities and strengths that individuals do not realize that they possess. Defining moments have a pervasive effect on individuals with “the potential to shape both our present behavior and our future destiny, as well as possibly even our past” (Cormier, 1988, p. 131). Defining moments are multifactorial in that the “right” events in the environment come together with one’s internal resources (courage, resiliency, selfreflection, etc.) to result in effective, self-directed behaviors. They share a common theme of “stretching one’s self, revising one’s understanding of human nature and human possibility, and channeling these insights into positive development” (Skovholt and McCarthy, 1988, p. 69). They share another theme of openness to learning. Defining moments also contain “. . . an element of timeliness” (Roehlke, 1988, p. 133). In other words, learning takes place when the individual is ready for it. An experience probably cannot be a defining moment unless an individual is both self-aware and willing to risk examining her or his feelings, motives, and actions (Neufeldt et al., 1996; Schwebel and Coster, 1998; Skovholt, 2001). The defining moments described in the following stories suggest that professional development is a continual process, and they serve as evidence that “. . . education for the practitioner never stops. Opportunities to develop are ‘everywhere and anywhere.’” (Ronnestad and Skovholt, 2001, p. 186). As we tell our students, while there is a terminal degree in the profession, there is no terminal skill level. Furthermore, this developmental process extends beyond formal education to include the “. . . education people receive living their lives as human beings” (Skovholt and McCarthy, 1988, p. 69).
REFERENCES Cormier SL (1988) Critical incidents in counselor development: Themes and patterns. J Counsel Dev 67:131–132. Kessler S (1998) Psychological aspects of genetic counseling. VIII. Suffering and countertransference. J Genet Counsel 7:303–308. Neufeldt SA, Karno MP, Nelson ML (1996) A qualitative study of experts’ conceptualization of supervisee reflectivity. J Counsel Psychol 43:3–9. Robinson WL (1974) Conscious competency—The mark of a competent instructor. Personnel J 53:538–539. Roehlke HJ (1988) Critical incidents in counselor development: Examples of Jung’s concept of synchronicity. J Counsel Dev 67:133–134. Ronnestad MH, Skovholt TS (2001) Learning arenas for professional development: Retrospective accounts of senior psychotherapists. Prof Psychol: Res Pract 32:181–187. Schwebel M, Coster J (1998) Well-functioning in professional psychologists: As program heads see it. Prof Psychol: Res Pract 29:284–292. Skovholt TS (2001) The Resilient Practitioner. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Skovholt TS, McCarthy PR (1988) Critical incidents in counselor development (special issue). J Counsel Dev 67:69–134. Weil J (2000) Psychosocial Genetic Counseling. New York: Oxford University Press.
