Avoiding the hazards of this profession

This is the beginning of a series of blogs about avoiding burnout in the mental health profession.
You could say that counseling is a profession that isolates you. Is it just you, and your client. I don't necessarily agree with that statement. Recently I was having a conversation with a friend and colleague of mine. I won't go through the details of the conversation, but suffice it to say I was having some stuff that I needed to talk about. My friend was able to listen to me without judgment, my friend did not offer any advice, she was someone that just listen to meet without judgment. And for that I am appreciative.
I recognize that some of you reading this blog, might be starting out a new practicum placement. All I can say is don't isolate yourself. If you believe counseling is a individual profession, then you won't last long in the profession. I know that I will all ways need colleagues to consult with on challenging cases. I will also need to be able to talk to find ways to deal with what my clients are dealing with. I recognize that counseling is a very difficult profession, we do not need to practice alone. We always need to remember to practice as a team. What we do is something that is very challenging. We need to be able to the people, that we trust and seek support. If we do this we will become stronger mental health counselors. If you need help, just ask. I had the privilege of doing some work with success for kids and families. They are a local community mental health agency. I was told that asking for help is not a weakness, it is actually a way to make you a stronger mental health professional.
So what