Blog 6

            This week the theory I chose to focus on is Super’s Life Span, Life Space Theory. As with most of the theories we have studied thus far, I believe there are both real strengths and weaknesses in this theory. When working with clients individually, a real strength to this theory is that it gives counselors a basis to build off of. By using the generic experiences of these stages, we can possibly be better prepared to understand our clients when they walk in the door. Helpers can then take the general knowledge provided by the theory as well as the client’s specific experience to tailor treatment accordingly. When working with groups, a true strength of this theory is, being that this is a developmental theory, each stage is already accompanied by groups of people. While it is a well-known statement in this field that no intervention will work for everyone, it can be helpful for counselors to have a “toolbox” of interventions that have worked for the corresponding groups and then use them accordingly. Being in a group session of people experiences like problems could also prove to be a validating experience for clients as they learn that they are not alone in their struggles.

            While assessing this theory as well as reading the responses of my peers about the other theories, I have come to notice the overwhelming importance that critically evaluating these theories will have on our future practice. If we were to read about these theories and take them at face value, we would be doing ourselves and our future clients a disservice. In my opinion, by doing these assignments not only are we critically evaluating what is useful and what is problematic about these theories, we are also forming our own personal beliefs and seeing which we subscribe to most. These values will undoubtedly influence the way we treat our clients. These assignments have also driven home my belief of how important it is to see the value in a number of different theoretical orientations, and recognize that they all have their strengths and faults equally. Although the work seems overwhelming at times with the sheer amount of theories we are covering, it is encouraging to know the wealth of analyzed knowledge we will have when we begin our practice.

References:

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development. Upper

            Saddle River: Pearson Education Inc.