It’s always interesting to see how counselors define success. For some, they dream of advanced degrees and credentials – the status of a PsyD or a signature line with impressive letters. Others find meaning by becoming well-known trainers, sharing their thoughts and opinions with clinicians who share a common niche. Some love academic or supervisory roles, shaping the next generation of residents (often while being buried under endless paperwork). And then there are those who gravitate toward a particular home office vibe – whether it’s power suits in corporate office suites or pajama bottoms at home.

For me though, success comes down to something less tangible but more enduring: building and fostering community. 

In a world that often feels unpredictable, isolating, and unsafe, authentic connection is deeply needed and increasingly rare. Even in therapist spaces – places that should be compassionate and safe – I find that conversations can quickly become divisive. And in the DC metro area where I live and work, clients often report feeling deeply lonely and disconnected, despite the city’s size. Our current political situation only seems to accelerate the disconnection, as many people pull back from friends and family out of fear or exhaustion. 

But counselors have a unique opportunity to create little pockets of community. We can create this through working closely with other clinicians, offering safe spaces for clients to discover that they’re not alone, and planning events to celebrate our collective strengths. We can help clients unlearn shame and find courage in opening up to each other. We can model what healthy communication looks like. 

I’m discovering this sense of community in my own work. Counseling is emotionally demanding. We carry the weight of our clients’ traumas and constantly have to protect against burnout. But I felt so relieved when I discovered a workplace where “community” is more than just lip-service. At the practice where I work, I have come to depend on the small and predictable signs of community, like my coworker that shows up to our team meetings with a ridiculous Teams filter, just to make us laugh. I also know that when I’m in the office, I’ll be able to hear another coworker’s laugh through the walls because he always finds a way to enjoy life, even when things are difficult. I know that another coworker will predictably send an inspirational message on our Teams chat every morning at 8 a.m. And then there are the big things: when life brought me to my knees with a cancer diagnosis last year, my coworkers were there – supporting me through the rough news, but also celebrating each victory along the way. At the end of the day, life is heavy. But in this field, we don’t have to carry it alone. Success, for me, is measured in how well we hold each other.