Post #8 Metacognition

I value the topic discussed in Byars-Winston & Fouad’s (2006) article. To me it just makes sense. I think it is an essential component of effective counseling period. I don’t ever want to do this work and not be aware of myself in it. I think this for 2 reasons. First, I believe it is a necessity if I want to take good care of myself within the job that I do. If I don’t know what is going on with me in the counseling relationship and process, I might miss an opportunity for my own growth. I believe I have learned a great deal about myself in working with other people. For me, it is important to not ask anyone else to embark on a journey I myself am not willing to take. I know I can’t help me if I don’t know or am ignoring what is going on with me. Secondly, I really believe in social justice. It is so important to me – even more so after I had a child. I always want to be very aware of what I am passing along. I do not want to be a part of prejudice, discrimination, or social inequality. That being said, I am European American – specifically Irish – Italian descent – so I was raised in a dominant culture in America with attitudes and values that are so ingrained, I often don’t know they are there. So I have to be mindful. I enjoy working with diverse populations. Somehow subconsciously, I think I always sought it out. I have worked in juvenile detentions, prisons, hospitals and clinics. I have been to interviews where I was surprised to be asked the question, “Are you sure you want to work here…with these people?” I do. I know that it doesn’t matter how many diverse experiences I have, I will never be completely free from America’s dominant society attitudes. I value my diverse experiences very much, and hope to pass them on. I know I have to be aware of what goes on in my own mind. This career is actually a lifestyle. I think I have to live a certain way to do my job well.

A message that I garnered from the article was the need to listen thoroughly and ask questions, don’t assume that I already know. The authors talk about not offering “premature solutions” and gathering insight to the client’s cultural contexts. I appreciate the statement about having cultural empathy for the clients “lived experiences” (Byars-Winston & Fouad, 2006). Each person will live through an experience in a unique way. When the author’s talk about identifying with one’s in-group, I found myself thinking that often times people in my “in-group” have very different attitudes, perspectives and experiences than I do as well. I keep coming back to the idea that developing metacognition is simply a good, effective counseling practice. This even came up for me in the CBT course I took earlier this year. Something was happening for my client that elicited a somewhat negative response in me. And my client was definitely representative of my in-group. Luckily, I had a superbly skillful supervisor who immediately asked me in supervision – what was happening for me with this client? It immediately helped me to address it within myself. The outcome of this awareness was significantly more compassion for my client, who fully deserved it. And as much as I always try to be aware and mindful of myself – sometimes I need that extra prod or push to explore it. It is also our responsibility to be genuine with our experiences in supervision. I think metacognition is a challenge, but one well worth it for myself and those I counsel.

Reference:

Byars-Winston, A.M. & Fouad, N.A. (2006). Metacognition and multicultural competence: Expanding the culturally appropriate career counseling model. The Career Development Quarterly, 54, 187-201.