Navigating the Path to BCBA Certification: Overcoming Fieldwork Challenges

Thinking back on my own time as a trainee gaining fieldwork experience for my board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) certification is always bittersweet. I absolutely loved learning from my supervisor and being able to apply what I was covering in graduate school to the real world. I was excited and proud to tell people about my career goals and aspirations. It was a time of growth, but with growth, there are growing pains. While the journey to BCBA certification is rewarding, it comes with its own set of challenges. I want to discuss some common challenges that our trainees face in fieldwork, and possible solutions to overcome them. 

1. Challenge: Balancing Fieldwork and Life Responsibilities

For me personally, balancing fieldwork and life responsibilities has always been difficult. I want to devote all my time and efforts to one thing at one time, and you can’t always do that during fieldwork. I remember one time I had an evening session with a client. I got home for a break after seeing clients in-school all day. I sat down at my laptop to check on a message from my professor in a graduate-level ethics class. And then I started working on an assignment…and working….and working…until my client’s mom, who was expecting me, called me and asked where I was! 

I had completely spaced out my afternoon client. I no showed and let down a client who was excited to see me. This lapse was totally out of character for me, and a sneaky symptom of not managing my responsibilities well.

It might seem like a small mistake, but what if my supervisor was going to oversee that client, and now I threw off her already packed supervision schedule? What if my absence caused my client distress and threw off his family's routine? After that mishap, I needed to find a solution. Here is what I did:

• Prioritized tasks using a planner. Even today, you can’t find me without a planner close at hand. This is a great tool to learn how to use now- it will pay off in your career as a BCBA.
• Set timers for myself if I needed to leave for work, supervision meetings, or submit school assignments at certain times. Today, I set reminders for client reauthorization reports, parent training, and supervision schedules.
• Set clear boundaries between work, fieldwork, and personal time. This is a tough one, but so important. Don’t let one area of your life interfere with the time you set for yourself. Try to plan personal time and time with family- and keep work and fieldwork responsibilities out of that time!
• Discuss with your supervisor flexible scheduling or remote supervision sessions. This is a great tip as remote meetings can cut down on the time it takes to commute to supervision meetings. Flexible after-hours scheduling can allow trainees to maximize their day easier than trying to fit meetings in between work, school, and family life.
• Remember: It's normal to feel overwhelmed! One of my favorite things to remind trainees of is this. The hectic rush of graduate school, the late nights of working on hours for fieldwork, and the caffeine-fueled study sessions won’t last forever. It's a phase that will eventually give way to a more stable professional rhythm.
  
  

2. Challenge: Navigating Difficult Situations

Working with a client through maladaptive behaviors can be difficult, commuting to in-home cases can be taxing, documentation and reports can be overwhelming. Clients, BCBAs, trainees, are human. And we have off days. Remember when serving others to stay grounded in the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and remember that progress is often gradual. We are seeking progress over perfection. Here is what you can do if you are feeling especially challenged as a behavior-change agent:

• Always seek supervision when needed. Never try to work through a difficult situation without first reaching out to your supervisor and letting them know how you are feeling.
• Reflect on difficult situations and see what you have learned from the experience. Use supervision meetings to discuss difficulties you are experiencing and regularly check-in after those discussions to talk about progress.
• Take a break. Make sure to take your time off, turn your phone off after hours, and set boundaries as a trainee that you will want to maintain as a BCBA.
• Remember: Difficult cases and tasks are learning opportunities that help shape a stronger, more empathetic practitioner- but don’t go through them alone. 
  
  

3. Challenge: Managing the Stress of Supervised Fieldwork Hours

When trainees first start collecting hours- one of the most common things I hear is how overwhelmed they are about the number of hours they must accumulate. For regular supervised fieldwork, 2,000 hours should be obtained to sit for the BCBA exam. This is in addition to a graduate-level degree. The time commitment is intense. One thing that can help manage the stress of these looming hours is to try to think of them as opportunities to learn instead of goals to concur. In addition to trying to change your mindset, trainees can:

• Break down the hour requirements into manageable weekly or monthly goals. Looking at the hours in this format can take away some of the stress of obtaining hours and help you focus on what you need to accomplish in a more manageable way.
• Take advantage of group supervision to gain insights from peers. Collaborating with other trainees can be extremely helpful. I know as a trainee myself, I always left group supervision meetings feeling heard. I was able to relate to others who were in their supervised fieldwork experience and share.
• Remember: As a trainee, you are not alone and seeking support from peers and supervisors is a sign of strength, not weakness! We break down goals into smaller, manageable parts for our clients- why can’t we do the same for ourselves?
  
  

4. Challenge: Building Confidence in Your Skills

Gaining your supervised fieldwork hours should challenge you. This is not a time to be totally comfortable with everything that you are learning. In my own experience, I remember having to learn new skills and techniques that I had never used before. Now, learning some of those skills are my favorite memories- and important for my current practice as a BCBA. For example, I remember the days of working on potty training programs with my own supervisor. At the time, I had never worked on toileting skills with clients before. We spent days pouring over notes, best practices, and techniques. In the end, we helped so many clients learn this important skill- which allowed them to enter pre-school classes and have more opportunities for camps, classes, and activities. It was an amazing experience that challenged me. Some things to keep in mind while trainees are building their own skills:

• Keep a journal to track your progress and reflect on successes. It is fun to look back on how you were feeling about an area that you master later on during your supervised fieldwork hours.
• Engage in continuous learning through workshops, webinars, or additional reading. This is a given since trainees are engaged in learning activities in fieldwork and school. However, once you graduate and obtain your hours and certification- it is important to continually grow as a provider. Obtaining the most current information is not only ethical, but it will have a lasting impact on your clients and trainees.
• Remember: Trust your learning process and growth. Confidence, skills and knowledge are built over time with experience.

5. Challenge: Keeping Yourself Healthy

During my time as a trainee, I was not always kind to my body. To keep up with the demands of graduate school, fieldwork hours, and exam preparation I found myself putting my health last. I skipped out on exercise and relied heavily on fast food and caffeine to keep up with my workload. Here are some things to try to keep in mind during this experience:

• Prioritize Exercise: Even short, regular workouts can make a big difference in your energy levels and stress management. Anytime I have started regularly walking or exercising- I find that I get the time spent back in productivity levels and focus.
• To make more time, you should spend time planning. Plan and prepare meals ahead of time to avoid the temptation of fast food. Keep healthy snacks on hand and try to make balanced choices even when you're pressed for time.
• Establish a self-care routine that includes adequate sleep and hydration. This goes back to balancing everything. When using your planner, it can be helpful to pencil in self-care and activities to keep you healthy.
• Remember: Taking care of your health is essential to sustaining the energy and focus needed to succeed in your BCBA journey. Small, consistent efforts toward healthy living will pay off in the long run.

Final Thoughts

The journey to becoming a BCBA is undoubtedly challenging, but it's also one of the most rewarding paths you can take. Each hurdle you face is an opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally. Whether it's managing fieldwork with life, navigating tough client situations, managing the stress of accumulating hours, building confidence in your skills, or remembering your health—each challenge is a steppingstone toward becoming a skilled and balanced behavior analyst.

The lessons you learn and the resilience you build during this time will shape you into a stronger, more effective BCBA. Keep pushing forward, stay committed to your goals, and take care of yourself along the way. Your hard work and dedication will make a lasting difference in the lives of the clients you serve, and in your own life as well.