Kashish Chugh is a dedicated student counsellor navigating her final year of studies. Throughout 2025, we will follow Kashish’s journey as she balances academics, practical experience, and personal growth on her path to becoming a professional counsellor. Through her monthly blog, she will share insights, challenges, and valuable lessons, offering a real and relatable perspective on life as a final-year counselling student. Stay tuned for an inspiring year ahead!
Firsts That Matter: Claiming Space in the Counselling Community
There’s something powerful about being the first – not for the spotlight, but for the doorway it opens. As I write this, I stand as the first Indian counselling student invited to share her journey through the Australian Counselling Association’s student blog series.
It’s not something I stumbled into. It’s something I’ve grown into – through long nights of reflection logs, emotionally charged placement days, and the constant learning that comes with holding space for others while carving space for yourself.
This isn’t the peak. It’s the beginning.
Being Seen, As I Am
Representation, to me, is not about ticking boxes. It’s about being in the room without shrinking, and trusting that your lived experience adds something valuable.
Sharing my story through this series hasn’t felt like a surprise, it’s felt like alignment. A reminder that voices like mine—grounded in culture, community, and compassion—belong in our profession. Not on the fringes, but right at the centre of the conversation.
I’m not writing from a place of arrival. I’m writing from a place of becoming.
On the Edge of Something Bigger
Next week, I’ll be attending the ACA 2025 National Conference, a space where ideas evolve and the future of counselling is shaped. To be part of that gathering, not as a distant observer but as someone contributing to the fabric of our field, feels like a natural next step.
It’s not about validation. It’s about stepping into rooms I once admired and bringing my full self with me. It’s about listening, learning, and being part of the very conversations I hope to lead someday.
The conference isn’t a reward—it’s a reminder of the path I’m building. One marked by service, not status.
Measuring Growth Differently
I don’t measure milestones by titles or praise. I measure them by:
● The trust I’ve earned from clients who’ve shared their truths with me
● The messages from fellow students saying, “your words felt like my thoughts”
● The sense of groundedness I feel when I speak—not with doubt, but with direction
These are my real markers of progress. Quiet, but undeniable.
Practising What I Preach
I want to take a moment to thank the Australian Counselling Association for offering this platform to share my lived experience—not as a polished professional, but as a student in process.
This blog isn’t written to inspire others. It’s written to acknowledge myself. To practise the same self-reflection, celebration, and self-kindness I so often encourage in clients and peers. Because if I truly believe that every small step matters, then I must honour mine too.
This is Blog 5. But this is still the beginning.
And I’m walking forward with both feet on the ground, heart open, and voice steady.
