Adventures in CES Land

End of day two out of four days of immersive learning, nervous laughter, and the occasional moment where you find yourself staring into space thinking, “Am I even qualified to help someone else find clarity when I can’t remember what day it is?” For master’s students, it’s the deep end of the counseling pool (but with floaties, supervision, and snacks). For CES students, it’s a beautiful mix of teaching, supervising, and remembering what it felt like to not know what you’re doing yet, but trying anyway (not that we’ve fully figured it out by now).

Here’s the thing: I didn’t have residency during my master’s. COVID had other plans. My “intensive” was from behind a screen, in sweats, with a snack drawer off-camera. So being here now, in person, surrounded by nervous, brilliant, curious new students, is especially meaningful. It’s a glimpse into what I didn’t get, and a reminder of what makes this work so human: connection.

Then and Now

Watching students practice basic skills, those first awkward reflections, those earnest stabs at open-ended questions (or trying responses that avoid them altogether), brings me right back. I remember practicing with classmates and hoping no one would notice I was mostly winging it. And now? I’m the one offering reassurance, nodding through pauses, gently inviting curiosity. It’s wild. And kind of wonderful.

Holding Space, and Being Held

Residency also reminded me that even as we step into teaching and supervising roles, we’re still learning, just with slightly different name tags. The support I once got from faculty? I still need it. And luckily, I still have it. There’s something incredibly grounding about knowing you’re held as you hold others. It’s what makes this whole thing sustainable.

Full Circle (or Getting There)

Residency isn’t just a rite of passage for students. It’s like a time warp, a mirror, and a backstage pass to the early days of becoming a counselor. It’s a reminder of where we began, what we’ve learned, and how the path keeps unfolding with every new role we step into.

If you’re in it now (wherever “it” is), just know that feeling unsure is basically a sign you’re doing it right. One day, you’ll be on the other side, watching someone else fumble through their first mock session, and you’ll think, “Wow. Look at them go.” And maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll also think, “Wow. Look at me go.”

Jackie Bicas Grapa https://silverleaftherapy.com