Personal Counselling Philosophy

Personal Counselling Philosophy

When asked what his personal counselling philosophy might be, Steve Chen replies; “I am aware that I must possess certain characteristics to carry out my responsibilities”. Chen adds that he has to be caring and honest with clients. He says counselor-client bond is essential in counselling. Chen says the process must be collective and goals for each session met. Chen says this is a self- realization journey by the client and that he acts as a teacher. He says he does not have all the answers to clients’ problems. He realizes that each client has different needs that should be handled at an individual level. He says self-realization helps client to be honest with themselves which is an essential goal for psychotherapy. He says that clients should be in control of their choices and should forge their own career paths and accept themselves for their inner strength and self-worth. Chen says that each client’s story is unique.

Theories Guiding Chens’ Practice

Chen is guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). Developed by Robert W Lent, D Brown and Gail Hackett in 1994, it is aimed at explaining three associated features of career development: how basic education and career interest grow: how academic and career options are made: how education and career success is acquired. This theory includes a variation of options, for example, interests, environmental factors, abilities and values. Three related variables serve as the basic stepping stone of SCCT.

Self-efficacy, which refers to beliefs about individual capacity to execute certain actions. People vary in self-efficacy, for example a person maybe confident in a business field and less comfortable in a science field. It is assumed that it is extracted from our primary source of data,

personal, performance and accomplishment; social expectations refers to outcomes of doing something. Chen says that people engage in an activity to a point at which they see value for that activity. Options that people have and their effort entail consideration of result self-efficacy;

Personal goals maybe defined as engaging in a particular activity to attain an objective. In SCCT these goals are known as choice and performance goals. Chen says that by setting goals, clients plan and guide their actions. He says that the objectives are tied to both social-efficacy and outcome expectations.

Day to Day Activities

Chens day revolves around assessing the abilities and skill levels of individuals. This entails reviewing the clients resume, examining professional and academic experience, interviewing clients on the kind of job they prefer and gathering data on special skills. Chen also says that he spends his time finding out the proficiency of his clients and identifies their strengths and weaknesess. He then works with potential employers by connecting with human resource managers by phone, in person or electronically. He gives the manager accurate information and if the client does not get employed, he assists them with joining programs that help them gain necessary experience and develop a marketable strategy. Chen says he helps clients improve on their communication skills and increase their self-realization.

Professional Development

Professional and career growth are essential. When asked what professional activities he involves himself in, Chen says that he participates in professional organizations such as attending local and international workshops. He says that he presents papers at different forums which are meant to help job seekers. Chen improves his job performance by sharpening his skills and keeping up with new discoveries in his field. With the changing technology dynamics Chen says he pursues classes that offer these courses. He says that he conducts research on the job market and the changing landscape and he is able to connect clients with potential employers. Chen says he takes up challenges, either short or long term. Chen says he also conducts in-house trainings to the interns who work in his office. He says there are approaches to professional development which include skill based trainings; which help participants gain new information and behaviours; job assignments involve dealing with real life dilemmas. Finally developmental relationship which Chen says he learns by interacting with other people. He says an effective professional development plan should stretch a person out of the comfort zone;

Rewards Achieved

When asked what is his greatest reward, Chen says it is when he helps a person know that the question is not whether they can or cannot but how to. Chen also says he takes pride helping a client see and understand his strengths. Also, he says that it is rewarding knowing that you are the person behind a client’s support to go for what they want. When tasked to single out one success story, Chen says it is impossible to do that because he has a lot of success stories. He says his desire to see people get good jobs motivates him to work harder. He concludes by saying that his clients have become successful people by following their dreams.

Frustrations in This Field

Chen says some of the frustrations that he faces in this fields include a client missing on that job after much preparation. He says it is frustrating that you cannot offer a client that job directly after going through the trainings. Chen also says that there are clients who do not follow instructions and some insist on going ahead with the interviews unprepared. It puts him under a lot of pressure and stress to as a counselor. Chen says that it is frustrating dealing with a client who does not want to change his mentality. He says it is essential to let clients know that they are not ready to be in the program to avoid frustrations; this should be done in a systematic and transparent manner to protect the client from falling into depression. Chen says identifying strengths and weaknesses of a client early in the program saves both him and the client future frustrations.

Strategies Used to Facilitate Career Development

Chen says that he has strategies that he uses to facilitate career development. He says developing therapeutic relationship with the client is essential just like all other forms of counselling. He says this forms a connection with his clients’. Chen says he gets a deeper understanding of his clients which a vocational test cannot reveal. While most use aptitude and personality interviews, Chen goes beyond career guidance; Chen also says that he helps his clients define their goals by stating their objectives. He says he focuses his clients’ attention on essential things; he says his counselling sessions lead to self-realization by not concentrating on vocational tests only. Chen says that he lets his clients know the best field they are best suited to join and the necessary skills required. He says that he follows the market closely, it helps him in understanding where to place each client. Chen takes his clients on a self-realization journey. He says that he updates his clients on the rapid changes in technology which is essential in the modern world. Chen says that vocational tests are just the beginning. Lastly Chen says that he helps his clients uncover hidden passions for particular jobs. He says that he helps people get into careers they are best suited for.

Strategies Used with Special Population

Chen says that there are limited special access to resources for people with disabilities and the minority groups. Chen says people with disabilities face stigma and those with non-apparent disabilities are sometimes referred to as lazy by some people. It means people with disabilities compete with normal people for employment, which means they are at a disadvantage. He says that building the esteem of these clients is important. The esteem builds their confidence and they are able to pursue their careers. Having faith is an essential strategy. He says that he believes in these clients’ because it might be the first time someone believes in them. Showing these clients that they can pursue what normal people do boosts their confidence. Chen says that when these clients are done with the program successfully, some come back with gifts to show appreciation for the help he offers them in pursuing their career path. He says he follows up on these clients’ progress and advices those that need to be advised. Chen says he avoids using phrases that portray a disability because it might anger these clients. Lastly Chen says that he does not use language that clients’ with special needs do not understand. He strives to bring the best out of his clients and connects them with the best employers in the market. He also avoids sarcasm and goes straight to the point.