\n\tI like attending to detail and organizing stuff! I prepared for the National Counselor’s Exam by meeting weekly with two classmates from graduate school. Of the three of us, I was the one who asked the nit-picking detailed questions in an attempt to understand the sample test questions. Between meetings, I created flow charts and diagrams to help us learn and remember theories, vocabulary and statistics. In time the other two came to rely on me to tutor them. We allowed lots of time to prepare, so by the time of the exam, I had compiled a large stash of note cards, a zillion lists of names, words and concepts. I had ploughed through two big guide books about the exam; listened to hours of exam review questions on cassette tapes; watched DVD’s on how to memorize large quantities of information, did every on-line test question I could find and found dozens of tips on how to take the exam. When the test day came, I was ready!\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe National Counselor’s exam was the third big exam I had successfully passed on the first attempt. In preparing for the other two- one for a national licensure for medical technology and the other for massage therapy- I learned how to get engaged with the studying process and how to stick with it until I had a sense of mastery.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tNow that the exam is behind me, I am just as committed to seeing others pass it successfully and as painlessly as possible! In fact, it actually is fun to help others really “get something” that was foreign to them, to find ways to not panic during the test or to create a real possibility that they WILL meet their goal of being licensed.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tI know that counselors, who want to be licensed, want to pass the national counselor’s exam on the first try with the least amount of time taken for study. Students want to learn the material and retain it long enough to pass the exam. After all, after the exam is over, just how often will you be asked to name the three levels and six stages of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development? Studying for and taking the test can just seem like one more extra thing that you have to do to earn “licensed” status.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWorking with students, I offer an organized and systematic approach to learning the material. While the guidebooks can be helpful at offering lots of information, they can be less-than-helpful because the information is not well organized. Some books are written in a question and answer format. These are great for review but are very difficult to use as a basic text because the information is presented randomly. Knowing where to is a mystery.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWith this in mind, I have designed each lesson so that information flows logically and smoothly. Most lessons begin with an introduction to vocabulary relevant to each section of the test followed by flow charts or diagrams of the names of theorists and their theories. I present the research and appraisal sections in ways that even the most math-phobic students find easy to comprehend. I want students to succeed and I know how to break down the information into manageable bites.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tI’ll admit it; there is A LOT of stuff to memorize! How to tackle such a volume of material can seem daunting. If your mind slips every so often, as mind does thanks to menopause, it is important to know memorizing techniques that do not require rote learning. Besides, rote memorization is highly ineffective for most people. To this end, I introduce several effective techniques to make memorization and recall easier. There are experts out there who know how this is done and I gladly share some of their “secrets” with my students.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tSome student’s anxiety is so high that the act of taking the exam terrifies them. With this in mind, I support students in finding ways to relax as it is often a key component in the learning process. To help prepare them for the test taking process, several exam tips on how to take a multiple-choice exam accompany each lesson. We also discuss strategies on how to hang in there for what can be a four-hour exam.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tSome students, on the other hand, are quite confident about being able to master the material, but really struggle to not procrastinate about studying. Working with a tutor can help them stay accountable to the process and get the job done in time for them to take the exam. Together we design a study plan that will allow students to cover all the necessary material at a pace that allows them to comprehend and integrate the information in a timely fashion. After each lesson, I also present homework to help students review what was presented and to prepare for the next lesson.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tI have designed the tutoring to be very flexible to meet a wide variety of needs. Some students have not been in graduate school for years and appreciate a comprehensive review. This usually takes at least nine two-hour blocks of tutoring time. Others are fresh out of school and want a refresher in just a few sections of the exam. No matter how extensive the tutoring program, I present just the information that will be crucial for you to need to know in order to pass the exam. (I have already done the homework of deciding what is important and what is fluff.)\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter I passed the National Counselor’s Exam, I launched the tutoring business as a complement to my private practice as a psychotherapist and the impulse to teach continues to this day. After graduation in 2004, I returned to my alma mater, Naropa University, where I am delighted to work as an adjunct instructor in the counseling graduate program. Assisting third year students grow from novice interns to competent psychotherapists reminds me of the yummy work I did as a doula when I assisted moms to bring new life into the world. I have been teaching for over 25 years and I hope to be doing the same in the next 25.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t![\"rockies-fan-w-cap-revised2.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/healingaftertrauma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/02\/rockies-fan-w-cap-revised2.thumbnail.jpg\")
\n\tLiving in Colorado I have grown fond of hiking, attending the Rockies baseball games (when they are winning). On sunny days I enjoy driving to the tippy-top of the highest drivable mountain in the world and along other thrilling mountain passes.
\n\t![\"maggie-at-summit-of-mt-evans-07.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/healingaftertrauma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/02\/maggie-at-summit-of-mt-evans-07.thumbnail.jpg\")
\n\tYes, for an “older woman” I love to take an occasional risk. To keep me grounded after flirting with edges of 1000-foot drop-offs, I dance like a fool at the dance hall, soak in hot springs or tube down the Arkansas River.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe following quote continually motivates me to bring my gifts as a teacher to help others find ways to make the drudgery of studying and test taking into something bearable, successful and maybe even fun! <\/em>\n<\/p>\n \n\t“Celebrate your life. Bring pleasure into it whenever you can and see that pleasure as truth not as some secret sin. When you begin to blossom and glow and dance down the street just because you are happy…then you are free.” Emmanuel’s Book\n<\/p>\n \n\t~Maggie<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How Maggie Makes Preparing for the National Counselor's Exam Easy How I Came To Be a Tutor I like attending to detail and organizing stuff! I prepared for the National Counselor’s Exam by meeting weekly with two classmates from graduate school. Of the three of us, I was the one who asked the nit-picking detailed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutoringforlpcexam.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutoringforlpcexam.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutoringforlpcexam.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutoringforlpcexam.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutoringforlpcexam.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/tutoringforlpcexam.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":464,"href":"https:\/\/tutoringforlpcexam.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions\/464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutoringforlpcexam.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}