Synchronicity

When I initially saw the title of the article, the first thing that stood out to me was coincidence and perhaps fate, because those two terms I feel as though  I can have a firm grasp on  and have had happen to me.  My example of this would be in meeting my now husband in North Carolina on vacation. The fact that I lived next to him in the summer two years in a row, and only lived 1 hr apart from one another. I considered much of that chance meeting coincidence, since our family’s had both been going down there for at least 20 years, never once meeting in those 20 years. I would like to say that it was fate that brought us together.

            Jung defined synchronicity as the “occurrence of a meaningful coincidence in time” (2002, 197). Synchronicity takes on three forms. The first case study, I was like, okay I can see this happening and I have had friends that have had coincidences happen to them. The next two forms, I had trouble believing that what they dreamed would later help them realize what path they were to choose for a career choice. Perhaps this is because none of my dreams have ever resulted in my picking a career choice in the past or in y decision to attend graduate school to become a school counselor. Perhaps the case studies of both Sarah and Billie’s case study seemed a bit far fetched, Billie’s more so than Sarah’s’. I see the connection between having the recurrent dream of the horse and the colors of the mascot in the dream would be the same as the job she would eventually accept, but I just can’t envision this actually happening.  Dan’s case makes more sense to me than any other. Realizing his passion for owning his own printing press company but not having the financial means to get an actual printing press, and then a friend having come into possession of one, to me is believable and it could statistically happen.

 Whatever my own beliefs about synchronicity are, the counselor’s role in starting the process of realization of what the clients wanted to pursue, did in fact lead the clients to jobs that satisfied their need for happiness and meaning with the job and also providing financial stability. I agree with approaching career counseling holistically but I feel you also need to look at ones skills and abilities the client has, and use the two to help the client find a career that satisfies them and provides meaning. Perhaps if I was a more religious or spiritually person I would believe more in the last two case studies.

 

 

Guindon, M. H., & Hanna, F. J. (2002). Coincidence, happenstance, serendipity, fate, or the hand of God: Case studies in synchronicity. The Career Development Quarterly, 50(3), 195-208.