Week 6: Bloch Article

Week 6:

According to Jung (1933, as cited in Bloch, 2005), most clients are lacking a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives, and not suffering from greater psychological disorders. As career counselors, our purpose is to help clients move from a state of being stuck to a state of flow. According to Bloch (2005), complex adaptive entities are dynamic and ever-changing. Entities fluctuate between a state of order and chaos. While this chaos, or transitional period, is only temporary, it is quite meaningful. Even the smallest of changes can yield large and lasting effects. According to Bloch (2005), several patterns can lead to chaos, including point attractors, pendulum attractors, and torus attractors. Regardless of the how the client ended up in a state of chaos, the role of the counselor remains the same. How can we help the client become un-stuck? How can we help them make sense of what seems to be very messy?

Csikzentmihalyi’s (1999) research regarding flow is quite interesting and applicable to our work as career counselors, particularly as it relates to helping clients in a state of chaos. He described flow as an experience that is so engrossing and enjoyable, it becomes worth doing for its own sake—even if there are no external rewards. Often times, flow is achieved during creative activities, musical activities, sports, and religious practices. I know there are several activities in my own life that create a sense of flow. One of these is when I am so caught up in playing a piece of music, I feel as if I am literally inside the music. I have no concept of time or what is happening around me. It’s as if I feel the music with every fiber of my being. Another experience that leads to flow is when I am worshipping at my church. I become so consumed with praise and thanksgiving that my awareness of myself almost disappears. As I become aware of the voices all around me singing, I begin to feel a sense of connectedness, oneness, both with those singing around me and with God. I found it very interesting that Csikzentmihalyi (1999) stated that it is important to find flow in complex activities that provide potential for growth over the entire life span. As counselors, we can help students identify the activities when they achieve a sense of flow. We can then help them find ways to turn that passion into meaningful work, or spiritual work. In order to achieve this, challenges must be in balance with the individual’s skills. If the challenges exceed skill level, anxiety ensues. On the other hand, if skill level greatly exceeds challenges, one is likely to feel bored. As career counselors, we can help clients identify and assess their skill set, as well as find activities that provide the appropriate level of challenge.

Bloch (2005) identified seven connectors that help individuals maintain a sense of interconnectedness. By identifying work that leads to a frequent or constant state of flow, individuals are fulfilling the connector called harmony, where one works in a setting that harmonizes with their talents, interests, and values. It also fulfills the unity connector, as one believes that their work has a purpose beyond earning a paycheck, but has greater contributions to the world. 

References:

Bloch, D. P. (2005). Complexity, chaos, and nonlinear dynamics: A new perspective on career development theory. The Career Development Quarterly, 53, 194-207. 

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. (1999). If we are so rich, we aren’t we happy? American Psychologist, 54 (10), 821-827.