Blog #9

            When others ask what I want to do after I get my degree, they often attempt to answer their own question with the question, “Going into private practice?” More often than not I say that is the “ultimate goal” but I am not very committed to that endeavor. The reasons are outlined in Brown’s 14^th chapter and are discussed thoroughly. Simplistically speaking, it’s a copious amount of work!

            Individuals who seek to become involved in private practices have to be qualified in two categories: ethical and legal (Brown, 2012). They have to obtain licensure, certification, and all states have registry laws that regulate the practice of psychologists and counselors (Brown, 2012). Certification takes time, but to be a licensed psychologist, on must obtain a doctoral degree from and APA accredited program, one to two years post-doctoral supervised clinical experience, and pass the EPPP (Trull, 2005). This is an intense program and time consuming. One must be sure this is their ideal job before attempting a laborious venture.

            Another point this chapter made clear to me is the fact that career coaching does not require licensure or certification. This astonishes me because career coaches are in a position to change the trajectory of another individual’s lives with career evaluation and suggestions. What if the coach is wrong and he sends is client into a job that incapacitates him or even killed? This is an area that I found surprising to say the least. The validity of career counseling is mentioned in this text and rightfully so. “Because mush career counseling occurs via telephone, some career counselors have questioned it validity” (Brown, 2012). How can rapport be built through telephone lines? How do you know you are speaking to the correct individual? Just these two questions should scare away individuals from conducting such business.

            Finally, I was surprised to read “career coaching as well as preparation to be a career coach can also be conducted online” (Brown, 2012). I understand that some certifications do not have to be backed by accredited institutions, but at least they have the title of being “certified”! This puts some people’s minds at ease when seeking help. This would allow some individuals to add career counseling to the skills set and also to their list of services in a private practice. I would hope that these individuals rethink the ethic and legal repercussions for identifying themselves with skills they may/may not have.

Reference

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

Trull, T. J. (2005). Current Issues in Clinical PSychology. Clinical psychology (7th ed., pp. 65-66). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.