Necessary Tension

Authors

  • Patricia Somers Benedictine University

Keywords:

counselor educator, professional counselor, social justice, spiritual growth

Abstract

A slack violin string cannot produce a single note of music. A life without some degree of tension may be equally soundless, even unsound. Reflecting on the sometimes straight, more often crooked paths that have led me to inhabit the roles and responsibilities I carry today allows for course correction. It may even grant some measure of satisfaction. Balancing multiple roles, working within restrictive and inequitable institutional structures while simultaneously working to change them, answering the moral and ethical demand to advocate for social justice while holding space for personal spiritual development—these are the tensions at play in my life while navigating dual careers as a counselor educator and a clinical professional counselor.

Author Biography

Patricia Somers, Benedictine University

Patricia Somers, PhD, LCPC is Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL (630-829-6443, psomers@ben.edu).

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Published

2024-07-15

How to Cite

Somers, P. (2024). Necessary Tension. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 30(3), 33–47. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2076

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