After reading chapter 6, Brown made it a point that we, as career counselors (or counselors in general), need to be advocates for our clients. It does not matter what race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, SES, or whatever else the client may be, but our job is to advocate for them. Looking back on my life, I have been known as a person who speaks my mind. I have had a tendency to have strong opinions which have come solely from my emotions and my judgments on others. I am not saying that I rip someone just because they are a certain way, but I guess I had my own opinion of who they were (without really knowing them). As the years have gone on, I have been a part of many situations which have helped me become more mature. This maturity stems from many opportunities where I have been engaged with others who are “different”. These differences have led me to believe that we all have problems and we all have deficiencies, but what matters is how we deal with them. As a counselor, advocacy for cliental is definitely a must, but what I found more important in reading chapter 6 is the need to develop increased sensitivity and to promote self-esteem.
All of the special groups mentioned in Chapter 6 are separated into different categories, but they have many commonalities. As a career counselor, one has to be sensitive to the special needs that clients bring to the career counseling process (Brown 2012, page 118). Like I mentioned before, this sensitivity has to be built over time. If a person isn’t exposed to individuals within these special groups, it will be quite difficult to understand what they are truly going through. I feel that you have to have some kind of perspective. Simply reading out of a text book isn’t the same as experiencing it first hand. Knowing this, a career counselor can then approach the client in a sensitive manner. This sense of awareness can further provide a stronger counselor/client relationship that is built on trust and respect.
Also, as rapport is developed, a counselor can begin to promote a client’s self-esteem. Self-esteem is something that can hinder many of us. There are many days where I feel defeated, but it is all about the people around me who raise me back up. One way a counselor can help build a client’s self-esteem by recognizing his or her exceptions (solution-focused style). These exceptions are situations or qualities of a client’s life that they have responded or acted in a way that is good, or times when a problem could occur, but does not. Along with recognizing these exceptions, a counselor should compliment their client. Acknowledging what a client is already doing well, and acknowledging how difficult their problems are encourages the client to change while giving the message that the counselor has been listening and cares. Compliments in can help to highlight what the client is doing that is working. The more ownership that a counselor gives to a client, the more their self-esteem will increase. All people want to feel worthy. Recognizing even the smallest positives in a client’s life can really make a difference in their own self worth.
Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New York , NY
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