Chapter 4&5 and metacognition article

Chapter 4 was very informative and made it very clear that it is important for the counselor to know the ethical standards like the back of their hand. The client and their information must be protected under all costs unless the information will cause harm to self or others (Brown, 2012). The set of guidelines provided by the APA is not exactly clear at all times and the counselor must use their discretion (Brown, 2012). Based on this information, I believe that it is crucial for the counselor to report to a supervisor or a fellow peer if he or she has questions. This way, the counselor and the client are more likely to be protected. I enjoyed reading chapter 5 because I strongly believe that in order for the counselor to effectively work with a client, he or she must be aware of their client’s cultural impact. I enjoyed examining the tables and learning about the different cultures’ values (Brown, 2012). I also thought that time was an interesting point that was brought up in this chapter. In the United States, time has such a large control over a person’s daily life, but in other cultures, time is just a number (Brown, 2012).  I also enjoyed reading about the different minority groups and how their values differ from a Caucasian’s Brown, 2012).  I thought it was particularly interesting to learn about the different cultures where the parents or grandparents made the career decision for the client, such as the Asian Americans (Brown, 2012). As a counselor, it would be very important to know this so that you don’t put the client in a predicament to choose between you and their family.

            The article went right along with the readings in that the counselor must have insight about their own biases in order to effectively counsel a client. The article stresses that career behavior develops through interactions between the individual and the social systems the individual is involved in (Fouad & Winston, 2006). It was stated that career counseling is more effective if life experiences, world views and multiple identities are included (Fouad & Winston, 2006). I thought that the three domains of understanding mind-set were very relevant.  I think that the knowledge of the cultures is one thing, but that the ability to apply the knowledge is more important (Fouad & Winston, 2006). Finally, the ability to process what you think about the knowledge and the processes is also important (Fouad & Winston, 2006). These three domains allow the counselor to provide true counseling to the client because they have dealt with their own biases and have the ability to put that aside. Being present with the client is vital for the counselor/client rapport. As the counselor, you have to put away your own stuff aside and be fully with the client so that they receive the best counseling experience from you.

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

Fouad, M.A.  & Winston, A. M. (2006). Metacognition and Multicultural Competence: Expanding the Culturally Appropriate Career Counseling Model. The Career Development Quarterly. 54. 187-199.