Counselor Self-Assessment Project
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Counselor Self-Assessment Project
Self-assessment especially for students in the field of counseling is very important since it helps one to attain an effective as a well as a cognitive balance that would help him develop his cultural and social competences. Such assessments are important since they are usually designed in a way such that they will provide the basic knowledge base on some of the developments that are necessary for the career. Through such assessments, the person becomes influenced in a big way and is able to discover his weaknesses and strengths so that he can pull up his socks where necessary. In that case, the assessment would be necessary in helping all the students in the counseling department develop personal reflections and awareness, and draw insights into the professional elements that are necessary in counseling (Nathaniel, 2009). The student acquaints himself with the necessary theories and concepts that would help him in any future self-assessment, and at the same time giving him the chance to explore all possible motivations and goals necessary for the career. The person will also be able to analyze some of the differences, biases, weaknesses that may be addressed if personal development was to be attained. The assessment also helps one come up with different explorations, which are necessary for counseling.
Value Orientation
Values in counseling may be very hard for a given person aspiring to be a counselor to give a specific definition and orientation of (George, 2000). It would hence be necessary that any student studying for a course in counseling integrate the morals generally accepted by the society. This is important because a counselor will not deal with only one line of people, but many people with different backgrounds, moral practices and behavioral values. Counseling is a duty whereby one cannot work without well-stated values (Nathaniel, 2009). This is so because this is a value-oriented career. As a student studying counseling course, I ensure that I have to adopt all moral and ethical values as the cornerstone of my counseling duties. This would be necessary in guiding the counselee or the client to be in a position of understanding what is required of him, and how he can easily achieve such values. This will also play a big role in guiding one’s behavior and adopting the best standards in life.
It would hence be necessary to know the importance of approaching a client’s problem from a moral orientation and positive attitude towards life. This would be appropriate so that the client may not lose hope in life because of the problems that may be traumatizing the individual (Jacob, 2008). Another important thing that would ensure is that I should always analyze my principles carefully and in accordance to the problems, the counselee is facing. For instance, somebody may be a victim of abortion or rape, and in that case, I should ensure that I apply an ethical as well as a natural attitude or approach towards the matter. It would also be necessary that I should see my clients with a positive attitude and give them advices necessary such that they can as well help themselves solve the problem in future. Generally, my value orientation is that I would maintain an ethical perspective with all my counselees when I become a counselor.
My Strengths and Weaknesses as a student aspiring to be a Counselor
One of my biggest strength that I have discovered in myself is that, if I would get a client, I would welcome him/her in a very good way. I would also give individual attention to the person’s problems so that I can understand his/her personal problems and deal with them in an ethical manner without taking the problems personal. I would also maintain eye-to-eye contact with my client. Another thing is that I have very good sense of judgment and interpretation, and because of that I have realized that I can solve quite a number of problems facing different problems when I become a counselor. Another thing is that I can be in a position to give the client all the time he/she requires so that we can think together and try to solve some of the problems raised.
Because we are human beings, there are some of weaknesses that I have realized I had but I have improved after I enrolled in this course. For example, I have realized that at times I could be judgmental even before somebody has given me his/her side of the story. This meant that sometimes I could jump into concluding what problems a person may have even before listening to the whole story. Another weakness I had was the fact that sometimes I could get emotional and feel anger or loathsome to a certain person. This would happen especially if I met a person whom I appeared not to like from the very beginning. This is a serious weakness that I’m very keen on ensuring that it does not recur when I become a counselor. The other thing is that sometimes I may feel tired and be not in a position to handle somebody’s issue. In that, case may end up rushing over things and end up not helping or guiding this person the way I should. In past I used to see people who were not Christians in a different way and in that case if I continued with this weakness to the time I would become a counselor, I would not be able to handle their problems appropriately. However, after I enrolled counseling course I managed to drop this weakness with an ease (Abed, 2002).
It would therefore be necessary that I should keep on practicing ethics that pertains to counseling services in close touch with my strengths so that when I become a counselor the client may have his or her problems dealt with successfully. With the weaknesses that I initially and I have managed to get rid of them, I will look for ways which would be appropriate in avoiding such weaknesses to recur when I become a counselor. In order to do this effectively I would look for experienced professional counselors so that they can help me solve some of my weaknesses that I may not have discovered so far. I will also ensure that I do thorough research so that I can come up with new ideas on how to practice fair and positive counseling. The advice that will be acquired from such professionals and research will have to be integrated to my strengths so that I practice all ethics required for counseling more effectively. When it comes to changing some of my weaknesses, I will make sure that I work hard in ensuring that all of them are dealt with, one by one. I will also be keen so that I do not jump into conclusion when counseling anyone, whatever sex, age, religion or even race. For the strengths, I will also look for means through which I can improve them because they all seem necessary and okay with any counselor, hence the reason I advocate for their improvement (William, 2006).
Biases or Predispositions
As I have already said, human beings are created in human mind with a human thinking ability, which is the reason why any other individual will be biased or predisposed when working together with a different person or groups of people. For instance, even when I am a Christian I should not have a problem whenever I am working with Muslims when I become a counselor. This is so because I am a Christian and therefore I have some sort of apathy against them but this should not be reflected when I am exercising my counseling services in future. This is because if religion dictates my stand in counseling my clients in future I would not be able to deliver the best advice to such a client, as it should be for a professional counselor. Members of opposite sex should not influence me emotionally because in that case I would tend to rush on my advice so that such clients feel that I am always siding with what they want regardless of the consequences. In addition, I have learned to find it easy to deal with even a person who has lost a beloved one to death or some problem revolving around divorce without my emotions being affected to an extent of not making professional advice to my clients when I become a counselor. I should be comfortable to deal with a victim of rape without feeling uneasy or very shocked.
Since I inspired to be a counselor, I have always known that such problems be a hindrance in my future counseling career. This is something I believe applies to almost all other counselors or may have happened to all the counselors during the development of their careers. I should be able to deal with all groups of people, and especially the older generation that may not be easy for the ordinary young people to understand. This is because I have realized the importance of seeing them just the same way I see all other people of all ages and not as my parents which would make me find them below my dignity to share some issues with them. The only thing that I have observed is that I would always feel good whenever dealing with people of my age. This is because, when I’m counseling an age-mate, my heart would be open and free with the world hence putting me in a good position such that I can solve their problems by giving them the necessary advice they need (Abed, 2002).
Ways of Getting Extra Knowledge and Experiences
It would be necessary for any aspiring counselor to be free and roam here and there so as to learn new procedures and methods that may improve his career by being able to listen to people’s problems with varied cultures, races, religions and even societies (Caleb, 2003). That being the case, I have always been keen to learn new experiences so that I can increase my scope of understanding when it comes to counseling issues in future. In that case, I have formed a league with different students and lecturers with different backgrounds so that I can be in a position to improve my potentials as a counselor. In addition, I always ensure that I interact with different cultures, races and age-sets so that I widen my knowledge on different people and the nature of problems facing them. In addition, I always ensure that I rely much on recorded information and documentaries that serve a big role in giving me useful information on guidance and counseling. It would also be important for any other person to read widely so that he or she understands the practices of different religions and cultures and in that case be able to understand common problems faced by the people and how these problems may be solved (William, 2006). I also make sure that I watch movies and other documentaries that can help any person aspiring to become a counselor. In that case, I am in a position of acquiring new values, experiences and beliefs that would be integrated to my culture and experience, then come up with good counseling skills.
Values, Beliefs and Behaviors that May Influence my Performance as a Counselor
After doing this self-analysis, I have realized that I have a potential in counseling. I have also understood myself better and in that connection, I have been able to look at some of the issues and weaknesses that may doom my dreams of becoming a reputable counselor. However, I am very keen in ensuring that I look for all possible means to address such weaknesses. My personal values are quite good to be a counselor, but there are also a number of things that would need to be addressed. This is because I am an equal human being who will always have his or her very weaknesses and strengths and the question that remains is: what should I do to address such weaknesses and be in a position of doing this to my best? In that case, I have realized that I have some good behaviors and values that may bring some light to my future career. Incidentally, I have found that some hatred and despise may be dangerous and may make a person lose the desire of becoming a counselor. Such loathsome attitude to people or different religions, sex and age may never be necessary or being judgmental and therefore the next thing I should do is to address such values as soon as possible and in that case be able to help others (David, 2001).
My Personal Style and Theory of Counseling
It would be necessary to have a personal style and theory that you will always adopt for the best counseling process (Jacob, 2008). The theory that I would use is whereby everything I do is mainly Client-Centered. What I mean here is that, all what I would do is to listen to the client’s problems and try to solve them as if they were my own. In that case, I would ask the client about his/her problems by giving him/her the necessary time and ample time he needs. At the same time, I would ensure that I give this person the best ear and then draw from all the problems he/she has said. From there I can be in a position to advice the person accordingly. Sometimes I may be convinced that a person is lying, but I would interrupt the person.
Over the semester, I can say that this has developed since from the beginning, I could not put myself into the shoes of a client, but now I can. I have also acquired a style whereby we have an interactive dialogue and in a normal mood, so that the problems can be easily noted for effective advice. The other important thing I anticipate is that in the future, I would be in a position to practice the same with all the people, all religions, all races and even all ages so that I can provide the best I can to them. This is so because this self-assessment project has given me the right ideas and knowledge, which are useful in my future counseling career (David, 2001).
Conclusion
It will be agreed that the practice of self-assessment is very important in whatever field or career somebody is in. This is so because it gives one a power of self re-examination hence being able to notice the weaknesses, the prejudices and even the strengths, which the individual may be possessing in his studies. For instance, someone’s weaknesses translate to failure in that particular job or career. Strengths in a person are necessary and they need to be re-addressed so that they bring about the best to the individual. Once such a re-assessment is done, it helps the person merge his strengths and look for means of improving the areas where he or she is weak. This should therefore be a process, which people in different career can be doing frequently so that they always keep on recording improvements. In may case, this self-assessment exercise has given me the necessary information about myself and my counseling potentials and in that case I can now go head and come with better strategic plans that would eventually see me achieving the best in giving counseling to my counselees. I have been able to realize my weaknesses and I can now go ahead and look for means and ways through which I can improve in my Counseling career.
References
Abed, J. (2002). Guidance and Counseling: History and Development. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Caleb, G. (2003). Changing How People Live. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
David, M. (2001). Counseling: The World Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
George, L. (2000). Issues of the Youth: Guidance and Counseling. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Jacob, K. (2008). Christianity: Guiding and Counseling. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.
Nathaniel, J. (2009). Emerging Trends: Counseling in the 21st Century. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
William, K. (2006). Guidance and Counseling: Issues of Students in Schools. New York: Wiley and Sons.