I would like to write about and share my experiences at the Crisis Pregnancy Center here on my blog, however, I obviously cannot share about clients and talk specifically about their situations. So, when I write I will title these posts “CPCTales” and share specifics as they relate to me and my own journey through adoption and now as a crisis pregnancy center counselor in training.

This week at the Crisis Pregnancy Center, I was a little disappointed. I was about to head into another counseling session with an experienced counselor but at the very last minute, they decided it would be best that I not be in there because the situation was “drama filled”.

While I totally understand this, I was disappointed because I know the best way for me to learn is to see other counselors in action.

That is the way I learned to be a successful teacher. I would go to my friend’s classroom (sometimes skipping school to go to her classroom on those “do nothing” days in high school) and sit and soak in everything. I watched how she interacted with the students, I watched as she dealt with behavior issues and I watched how she taught the students.

At the time, I did not realize how much I was learning, but when it came time for me to play the role of “teacher” during my internship (in her classroom!) and then when I had my very own first class in the fall of 2003 (which was my internship class!), everything that I had learned while observing my friend in action poured out of me.

I was a successful teacher because of everything that I watched my friend do as a teacher.

Sure you can learn by reading materials and going to college to get an education, but when it came to being a successful teacher, I needed to get into a real classroom, with real students and a real teacher and see scenarios happen before my eyes and observe how my friend handled things. I soaked everything up like a sponge.

I felt like not being allowed to be in the room that day with the counselor took away a valuable learning experience for me. But, like I said, I totally understood and it is always important to do what is best for our clients.

Later though, I was asked if I would be willing to share my adoption experiences with that client because, given her circumstances, they felt talking to me might educate her on some options that she wasn’t currently aware of.

Of course I agreed to talk to her if she wanted to.

Immediately, I started thinking about what in the world I would say! I thought, But I haven’t gone through the official training yet! What if I say the wrong thing?!

And so I stopped right there and just prayed that if God opened the door for me to speak with this client, that He would give me the words to say.

And suddenly I realized I didn’t need to have a script on what to say in this situation. I simply needed to let the contents of my heart overflow so that this client’s eyes would be opened to the beautiful option of adoption, should that be a choice she would like to consider for her unborn baby.

Turns out the client needed to be on her way and did not want to talk to me.

That was another disappointment, but I realized that was just a glimmer of things to come.

I look forward to the day when I can talk to my very first client (although I know I will be shaking like a leaf on the inside!) and provide information to her on her options now that she finds herself in a crisis pregnancy.

- Elaine