Cognitive Information Processing Model

To ensure that all possible clients of all walks of life are successfully benefiting from the counseling profession, advancement in the assessment field should be of a primary concern for present and future counselors. It is understood and respected that a multitude of counselors vary in the foundations of their theoretical framework and collectively not all counselors participate in assessment with their clients, but as the counseling profession continues to grow the demand of expansion is critical.

In the lives of counselor’s assessment plays a great role. Assessments are what shows the counselor what it is that their client is in need of help in. Like our book states, assessment is a complex, problem solving process that allows us to collect information in order to better serve our client (Drummond, Sheperis, & Jones, 2016). I was not aware of how involved counselors are in the testing process until I began this class. I now see that assessments also helps the client understand their own problems as well, it is just up to us to help them interpret the assessment.

Counseling uses two types of assessment to get a better understanding of their clients which are testing and diagnosis. Clients have the privilege to understand the purpose of what an assessment process involves and counselors are responsible to maintain the security test that they use and the proper supervision for the test-taking process (Remley & Herlihy, 2014, p.289). Chapter 11 discusses the dynamics of using psychological tests when assisting to resolve clients’ problems.

Cultural competency is critical in psychology practice. In the United States, the groups, which considered as cultural and ethnic minorities, are growing in the population (APA, 2003). Culture often influences the content and quality of people’s experience, perception, and response. Thus, it is important for psychologists to be aware of cultural influences on client’s presenting experience(s) (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2010). Without a regard for cultural influence, there is a significant risk for the psychologist to misunderstand, misinterpret, and misguide his or her client. Such misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and misguidance are not only unhelpful but can be detrimental for the client (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2011; Pope, & Vasquez, 2011).

I believe that this assessment is a valuable tool in the field of career counseling because it helps the counselors to have more information about the students and their overall wellbeing. By discussing each element counselors can identify the reasons for their struggles as they share their stories. It can help counselors to provide resources and information to improve their overall wellbeing especially with the career wellbeing. With this information, career counselors can refer them to different departments if more help is

In all psychological and biological assessment, the use of culturally attuned assessments is top priority. “We may define culturally informed psychological assessment as an approach to evaluation that is keenly perceptive of and responsive to issues of acculturation, values, identity, worldview, language, and other culture-related variables as they may impact the evaluation process or the interpretation of resulting data” (Cohen, Swerdlik, & Sturman, 2013). Through this process key individuals contribute to the understanding of the client including family, friends, and coworkers input and information. Through the use of translators and other cultural affiliates clinicians are able to demonstrate a clearer understanding, a culturally applicable assessment, and ensure that the client understands the ins and outs of the assessment process. One important aspect of the implementation of the “one size fits all approach” to culturally attuned treatment and care in our mental health facilities (Cohen, Swerdlik, & Sturman, 2013). Assessment and clinical evaluations should not be a cookie cutter experience. The amount of patients that are

I consider mental health assessment to be a collaborative process, and I am trained in a variety of assessment instruments that will address your unique needs and provide us with a holistic picture of your experience (ACA, 2014, § E.2 Competence to Use and Interpret Assessment Instruments; Corey, et al., 2015, pp. 392). Together, we will look carefully at the assessment results and co-create a diagnosis that takes into account your strengths, resources, cultural orientation, family background, and social context, as well as your individual concerns (ACA, 2014, § E.5. Diagnosis of Mental Disorders; ACA, 2014, § E.8. Multicultural Issues and Diversity in Assessment; Corey, et al., 2015, p. 385). This assessment process will allow us to formulate a treatment plan uniquely designed to meet your individual needs, and we will continue to use tools throughout the course of therapy to evaluate the progress of our work together (Corey, et al., 2015, p. 378-379). I strive to achieve cultural sensitivity in my practice and I believe that you are the final expert in your own life; therefore, I invite your active involvement in the assessment

There are distinctive social rules, behaviors, interpretation rules, production rules, and proximity rules that exist in varying cultures (Taylor & Payne, 1983). This impacts how a client will address and behave towards a clinician depending on their background. Within this bias fall misunderstanding and misinterpretation due to what is acceptable in one culture versus what is acceptable in another culture (Taylor & Payne, 1983). Situational biases develop from the pragmatics aspect of language, reflecting the possibility of response variability based upon the situation, the audience, and the topic (Taylor & Payne, 1983). Next, the article discussed directions or format bias, which reveals the faults within the framework of test materials. The format of certain tests and the directions within the test usually do not consider various cultures, and may not be relevant to some cultures. The article gives the example of Chicano children who have field-dependent orientation to cognition; they may not know how to respond to an assessment question that deviates from the norms within their culture (Taylor & Payne, 1983). For example, it’s like taking

Most individuals struggle at the stage of making career choices and hence they decide to go for career counselling to guide them to the right path by weighing various factors that influence a career like personality. This is where career development theories come into place, these are frameworks that guide the career counsellors in examining and explaining individuals’ career related behaviour. Each career development theory gives a certain unique way to career development and choice. As quoted in Schreuder & Coetzee (2011),” Career counsellors must understand well established and emerging career theories, their strengths and weaknesses and how to apply them to client career development and choice to be able to effectively and

In a multicultural counseling perspective there are four key approaches when counseling individuals, (a) multicultural awareness of culturally learned assumptions about self and others leading to accurate assessments of clients, (b) multicultural knowledge of information, (c) multicultural skills and interventions, that are appropriate treating clients, and (d) individuals are from a variety of backgrounds, demographic status, and affiliation of cultures. The three-stage approach, will direct the counselor towards levels of multicultural competence in therapy by providing a successful outcome in the recovery process. When conducting a psychotherapy session with a client the counselor should be able to demonstrate skills, when exploring the client’s cultural background. Counselors should also be able to focus on the essential skills and pattern behaviors, when identifying cultural differences. Counseling a minority from a different culture counselors’ must be able to identify their own personal behaviors. These behaviors are crucial when counseling these individuals. First, a counselor must be able to sense the clients’ viewpoint or issue in some way. Secondly, a counselor should be specific when asking a question rather than being unclear and confusing.

Career assessments are very beneficial when an individual is trying to determine what career path they may be wanting to take. Sometimes new information will become apparent and other times information that is already known to that individual will just be simply solidified. It is important to answer the questions as accurately to oneself as possible. My personal results only reassured me of what I already knew.

Counselors must gain awareness, knowledge, and skills in counseling diverse groups of clients (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014). Some ways to become culturally competent include, but are not limited to, respecting religious and spiritual beliefs as well as family roles; understanding the impact of adverse social and environmental factors when assessing problems and providing interventions; and providing group members with the expectations of the group process (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014). In order to create a respectful, productive, and beneficial group some ways to become a more culturally competent counselor include continuing to self-reflect on my own cultural identity, values, beliefs, and biases; read about, practice and implement group interventions that have been shown to be effective with different cultural groups; gain supervision when needed; and avoid imposing my own personal worldview onto the group members (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014). By doing these things as well as seeking out opportunities to learn more about the various cultures that I will be working with can help to expand my knowledge of diverse groups, continue to expand my personal self-awareness, and improve my skills towards becoming a more culturally competent

Career development is a lifelong journey combining an individual’s personality and interests with their world of work. When it comes to educating and counseling about careers in an elementary, middle, and high school it will look different, since there is an array of topics to focus on for each level of education. The focus of this Career Curriculum is for 7th Grade Students and has been based on theories appropriate to this level and created with Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory and Erickson’s Psychosocial Development Theory in mind. This particular unit focuses on Personal Awareness (Career Development including values, interests, and skills), Career Awareness (Career Development and Planning), Goal Setting and Decision Making. It builds on the same general topics as covered in the 6th Grade Curriculum but takes it a step further, asking students to implement strategies they have already learned about goal setting and decision making as well as exposing them to a wider range of career opportunities. Some of the activities and ideas in the curriculum have been adapted and modified from the Newfoundland Labrador Department of Education and Learning for Life.org. as well as the Chapter on 6th and 7th Grade Career Education in Curry and Milsom.

Career Counseling, or Career Services depending on the institution, is frequently offered on a one-on-one basis, but at times this service is provided through group workshops, classes, or computerized guidance systems. Traditionally a standard function of the career services role is to help students develop job search skills however the scope of the

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