Counselor Spotlight: Alina

CCCRD Intern, Alina Eisele shares her counseling journey.

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I was born and raised in South Jersey and I currently live there with my husband, Kyle, and son, Maximus, with a baby on the way! I am getting my Master’s degree in counseling from Eastern University. I come from a big Christian family who loves to play games, be competitive, and hang out with each other. I will take any food suggestions and love to cook but I love to go out to eat even more! My husband and I lived in Philly for two years and our favorite thing to do was try new restaurants.

What do you do for fun?

For fun, I love going to the beach, a good coffee shop, or a restaurant with my husband or friends. Having good food and good company is all I ask for! I also like warmth because I am not a winter person, so any day I can go to the beach or spend time outside is a great day for me.

Favorite book, movie, or artist?

My favorite movie is About Time.

What does your ideal day look like?

My ideal day would be going on a walk with my son and husband with an iced coffee in hand and spending some of the day outside and then going home to make a nice dinner and end the night with ice cream and a movie, I would also love to throw in a game like spikeball or pickleball somewhere in the day. 

Do you have any pets?

I do not have any pets. I grew up with a dog, so I hope to get a dog one day. 

Cake or pie?

100% cake person.

What was your journey to becoming a counselor? 

Becoming a counselor for me was a process. I worked as an intake coordinator for a private counseling practice and realized I wanted to be the one to help and work with the clients, so I started grad school to start that journey. The counseling practice showed me how much people need someone to talk to and need someone to walk beside them through their pain, and that felt like a path that God was calling me to.

Describe your approach to counseling.

I try to approach counseling from a psychodynamic perspective and get an understanding of the whole person. I love learning about people and knowing where they come from and what brought them to where they are and how they came to be the person they are today. It is not easy to get a full picture of someone quickly, so it takes time and a strong relationship to be able to see them for who they really are, and I feel very honored that people have let me in on deep and significant parts of their life.

What areas of counseling are you most passionate about?

Working with mothers and women who are pregnant or postpartum is an area I am the most passionate about. Becoming a mother has shown me how much I need community and someone to be there for me in my most vulnerable times. It is such a huge life change that no one can prepare you for, and I would love to walk alongside women as they navigate becoming a mother. I also love to work with people who are working through faith problems or questions, helping them navigate their beliefs through a Christian lens. Having a relationship with Jesus and a strong faith will help people through the hardest of times, but that does not mean people will not have questions or go through things that do not make sense. I love to be there for people and walk with them through their questions and hopefully strengthen their faith.

Any advice for someone considering becoming a counselor? 

If you are considering becoming a counselor, do it! But, be ready to be humbled and learn a lot about yourself through the process. Being there for people is what we are called to do and something that counseling lets you do on a deeper level.