Post #8

           I was very interested in the chapter “Ethical and Legal Guidelines and Competencies Needed for Career Development Practice. While reading about the different principles in the chapter, I was instantly drawn to “Principle 3: Respect Clients’ Rights to Choose Their Own Directions.” I believe this is a very important point because as a future counselor, I know that ultimately a client has to make their own decisions and I have to support those decisions fully.  According to Brown, “many career counselors forget that they are influential, and careless statements made without qualifications can have disastrous consequences” (2012, p. 83).  It is important for counselors not to force their own values and beliefs onto a client and be sensitive that the client may have beliefs that are different from their own.  I believe that “Principle 1: Above All, Do No Harm” is the most important principle for helping professionals to follow.  Clients who come to see counselors are often times very vulnerable. It is the counselor’s duty to help these clients and to create a safe environment where the clients will feel comfortable. 

           

            While reading the article “Metacognition and Multicultural Competence: Expanding the Culturally Appropriate Career Counseling Model,” I really began thinking about my own past experiences.  According to the authors, “every individual belongs to many cultural groups, and thus all people are culturally diverse” (Byars-Winston & Fouad, 2006, p.187).  I can remember an incident that happened during my freshman year of college.  It was the first day of class and I remember my professor doing roll call.  When the professor got to my name, he stumbled over saying my last name and instead of asking me how to pronounce it he asked “Are you Greek?” I replied with “yes” thinking that would be the end of the conversation.  He then went on to respond “Oh, you’re one of those.”  I can remember, even after 6 years have passed, how embarrassed, offended and confused I was by his comment of “you’re one of those.” To this day I still wonder what he meant by that comment and if he was even aware that it had affected me this way.  I believe that as a future counselor, it is important for me to be sensitive of other peoples’ different cultural backgrounds. Everyone has different histories, beliefs and backgrounds that are important to them, and it is imperative that counselors treat every client with the respect they deserve. 

References

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Byars-Winston A.M. & Fouad, N.A. (2006). Metacognition and multicultural competence: Expanding the culturally appropriate career counseling model. The Career Development Quarterly, 54(3), 187-201.