Post 5-Synchronicity

                I have always been a person that enjoyed thinking about superstition and coincidence, but I never really thought about those types of things as they could relate to career development.  This article intrigued me because it related coincidence and happenstance to life decisions and counseling.  I found one quote in the article that was extremely motivating to me. “The key to what career counselors do lies in the fact that whatever specific techniques they may use, they assist clients to make therapeutic change in order to find fuller meaning in life” (Guindon & Hanna, 2002, p. 196).  This really made sense to me.  It is up to the counselor to find the right tools to appropriately suit the needs of the client.  Whether the counselor completely agrees with a theory or practice, it is still important for them to use whatever ideas may support the client and help them to see a meaning in their life.  The article went on to describe career development as a “search for meaning” (Guindon & Hanna, 2002, p. 196). 

                I think that although it sounds logical to do whatever works best for the client, I also think that this may be easier said than done.  I am sure that counselors get in a routine and have a few techniques that they feel very comfortable with.  It may be hard to change your own professional pattern for each and every client.  The hardest part of this though would be to not only change your pattern, but to explore something that you yourself do not believe in.  This would especially be the case with synchronicity.  One of the four elements to support synchronicity is, “a willingness to investigate one’s own sense of spirituality in its broadest context” (Guindon & Hanna, 2002, p. 206).  I think that it would be extremely hard to force a counselor to investigate their own sense of spirituality if that is not something that they believe in.  It is important to try your absolute best with every client, but I do understand that not everyone holds the same beliefs and you cannot expect every career counselor to explore the idea of coincidence, happenstance, or the hand of god.

                The case studies in the article were extremely helpful in seeing the different types of synchronicity.  I am still a little confused by the different types explained.  They all seemed rather similar to me and the definitions were a little bit confusing.  I am hoping to discuss this more in class.

Guindon, M. H., & Hanna, F. J. (2002). Coincidence, Happenstance, Serendipity, Fate, or the Hand of God:  Case Studies in Synchronicity.  Career Development Quarterly, 50(3), 195-208.