Counseling Phycology

Discussion

Please discuss your impressions from the first day of class. Feel free to comment on what you’d like to learn, what you look forward to about the class, what you are worried about, and so forth. HOWEVER, this is a discussion, so keep in mind you should be “talking” to one another in your posts. This means that you will have read all prior posts before creating your own.

Remember, you need to submit 1 original post (create your own new thread, and write for 2 to 4 paragraphs) AND you need to respond to 2 other posts by other class members. Please see the syllabus for more instructions on the postings.

Note : choose two only from four of them, I gave you alternative.

RESPONSE: ONE

After such a long time away from formal course work I am really excited to be back. Of course I am nervous not only that I may be out of practice, but also trying to me mindful about the workload realities balanced against the other parts of my world. This will be a course that forces/teaches me the art of careful planning, time management, and organization mixed with a bit of grace and compassion towards myself. Being able to walk through the syllabus and hearing the details of it all did also provide comfort similar to what others mentioned.

As Dr. mentioned people react to having to take this class as something that doesn’t fit in to the field they are focusing on.  I think I probably thought that myself at one point. However after listening to the recorded lecture and being in class tonight that perspective has shifted. I think about the amount of time that I spend at work and all of the pieces that come with that. It takes one coworkers bad mood to change the way that I show up for my family at the end of the day, or my desire to return to the office the next day. It really has such a huge impact on all the other parts of my world so I am seeing the value and importance from the start of having the knowledge in this topic area.

I am very excited about the assessments and am looking forward to learning more about myself. I am also looking forward to seeing how these assessments can be used in counseling. It is so powerful to me when feedback can be provided in a way that explains for people why they may do, act, respond, feel etc. a certain way about something.

Finally to echo what others have already shared about the counseling sessions, it will be a nice opportunity to practice counseling skills in a topic area that often feels safe to discuss. Receiving feedback on things always makes me feel a bit nervous but at the same time the value that often comes from it is really helpful and worth it in the end. Just looking forward to the semester and digging into all the information

Response two

I have noticed that most comments so far have touched on the broadening of their perspective  regarding the impact that career counseling can have on “ordinary” counseling, and I’d like to add my personal two cents as well. I’ve gotten to thinking about the clients that I am currently seeing, and how for so many of them “career” is such an important part of what they are struggling with, each in a different way. At this point, I’m not sure that I have a coherent approach to help them deal with that aspect of things, so I look forward to being able to learn more about career counseling, and I appreciate that Dr. views it as part and parcel of general counseling and not a separate discipline.

Another point that has already been alluded to is the experiential component of the class. I, too, was pleased to learn that we are going to be practicing our skills, receiving counseling from our peers and actually taking assessments as part of the course. It seems important to me to be able to experience career counseling in order to be able to best harness it with clients, and I hope that this will serve to deepen the understanding of the didactic elements of the class. Should be interesting!

Response Three

It’s a good feeling to realize you are not alone in your thought processes. After reading the syllabus, I felt intimidated by the work that is required because I am taking 2 courses this semester and I have a full-time job; so like others have stated, time management will be key. I still feel it will be quite the workload, but it seems fairly manageable. Not gonna lie, still nervous about the tests, because on one hand, Dr. Gasser mentioned a couple of times how hard they will be, and then at another time, mentioned that lots of past students got A’s.

I am looking forward to getting a better understanding of this field called Career Counseling. It sounds a bit narrow, but after listening to the lecture and tonight’s class, I can see how there could be a more holistic approach when counseling clients. We can’t compartmentalize individual’s lives, and so I am curious how to integrate this aspect of one’s life with many of the client’s other parts.

I am looking forward to practicing my counseling skills, taking the assessments, having my resume reviewed, etc., and while it will put me in a vulnerable position, I am excited to grow as a counselor, both personally and professionally.

Response four

Hi Class!

I feel indifferent after attending the first day of class. This feeling is due to my concerns related to the quantity of work required and a general interest in this subject. However, as others have mentioned, Dr. enthusiasm and knowledge in this field should make it more interesting to learn. As I noted during our first class, I have worked as a Vocational Consultant for disabled individuals. Based on this experience I believe I have a unique understanding of the general use of career counseling as I have implemented many of the tasks we will discuss.

I am interested in learning more about the assessments and how they correlate to supporting clients. I completed the two required assessments for this course yesterday, and I was unsure of how the questions asked could lend accurate information related to career counseling. Nonetheless, I am eager to understand my results on them to gain a better understanding. I also look forward to sprucing my materials as I often do not need to unless I have to use them for something. If anyone else has done the assessment(s), I’d be interested in hearing your initial thoughts as well!