Experiences Playing a Role in Your Goals

In the postmodern approach to career counseling, a sequence of solution-focused belief career counseling (SFBCC) was implemented. Accorded to Brown, citing Amundson (2003), the steps are as follows: “The client identifies the issue to be addressed, identifies the goals to be made and scales the goals, is encouraged to search for exceptions, identifies personal strengths and strategies used in past successes, revisit the goals in follow up sessions, and the counselor may encourage second-order questions if the client is having difficulty” (p. 71). The point that I mostly relate to is identifying goals to be made. It talks about encouraging clients to set a goal and focus on the positives of that goal in regards to their future. It also talks about having the client take ownership of problematic situations.

            When I decided psychology was a career I was interested in, it was difficult to figure out the next steps. I knew I wanted to go to college, but who was going to help me with my application or help me financially with college? Being the first in my family to attend school, I did not really have anyone to help me with these things and I had so many questions. I quickly became overwhelmed just by the process of getting to school. When expressing my concerns to my guidance counselor, she helped me get on the right pathway to college. Every week we would meet with a different goal in mind each time. Her being positive allowed me not only to apply to schools and be accepted, but to receive an abundance of scholarships. She helped me put my goals into perspective and take ownership of my future. In the beginning I was overwhelmed, but by the end of the process I was happy knowing I completed my goals of applying to college, being accepted in colleges, and receiving scholarships to go to college. Although I already had a career choice in mind, I think this approach can be applied in multiple ways especially in my situation. 

            Another part of chapter three that resonated with me is when Brown, citing Young and his colleagues (2002), mentioned an essential part of career counseling is knowing their clients story and experiences. By this process, clients should be able to identify a few career choices and I think this is how I landed at psychology. At the time, when I thought about my life story there were many things pointing to helping others. My experiences with family members that are mentally ill or my sister dealing with my parents divorce allowed me to interpret my experiences into my career.

            Being able to interpret your own experiences and establishing goals are an important part to establishing one’s career. It is also important to remain positive throughout the whole process. How would any of us progress in life without remaining positive and setting goals for ourselves? 

References

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed., p. 71). Boston: Pearson.