Chapter 6 and 14

I thought there were a lot of interesting points made in Chapter 6 in the textbook (Brown, 2011).  I think if there’s anything I didn’t like it’s referring to the individuals mentioned in this chapter as clients with “special needs,” which has negative connotations. I’m sure there’s a more thoughtful way to phrase the title of the chapter, but that’s all semantics.

It’s kind of funny how the model for minority identity is translated almost exactly in the section on women to explain how women develop their attitudes towards sexism in the workplace. Even though they aren’t really numerically a minority group, they are treated in the chapter as if they are. I think the issue of women being paid less than men is an interesting and important issue in today’s sociopolitical climate, however I’m not sure if it’s an issue that can be directly attacked for the most part. I’m sure there are cases where men and women in particular jobs are being paid differently for doing the exact same amount of work, during the same hours with the same amount of experience with the company, however I have a feeling these cases are the minority. I’m sure there are more cases of women wanting to have flexibility in terms of career choice and hours in order to take care of a family. If this is what they want than this isn’t a problem, however if this is a case of women feeling overly pressured to fill this role then this is an issue that needs to be solved socially and not through any sort of institutional intervention.

In reading the chapter on LGBT issues in career counseling, I was somewhat surprised to see PA wasn’t on the list of states that have laws prohibiting workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. Looking into it further I found that of the top ten states by population only three had laws on the books against such discrimination (including California, Illinois and New York). I think the best advice offered in this section was understanding your own biases against LGBT individuals and if you feel like you can’t be objective in counseling them then you should just refer to someone that’s better suited with this demographic.

The last thing I like that Brown covered was being mindful of PTSD in returning veterans of war. I think that it’s also important for counselors to be mindful that it’s not just individuals that have PTSD that have difficulties adjusting to civilian life. I definitely found this to be one of the more informative chapters over Chapters 4, 5 and 14 which covers information that either I’ve already covered in other classes (Multicultural in particular) or is completely irrelevant to me as a clinician (Ethics and Private practice for career counselors).

Reference
Brown, D. (2012). Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.