Interrelation between counseling and career planning

Interrelation between counseling and career planning

Counselling psychologists are interested in answering a variety of research question about counselling process and outcome. Counselling process refers to how or why counselling happens and progresses. Counselling outcome addresses whether or not counselling is effective, under what conditions it is effective, and what outcomes are considered effective—such as symptom reduction, behaviour change, or quality of life improvement. Topics commonly explored in the study of counselling process and outcome include therapist variables, client variables,the counselling or therapeutic relationship, cultural variables, process and outcome measurement, mechanisms of change, and process and outcome research methods. Classic approaches appeared early in the field of humanistic psychology by Carl Rogers who identified the mission of counselling interview as to permit deeper expression that the client would ordinarily allow himself.

Career planning can be viewed as a sequence of activities aimed at assisting an individual to make informed decisions about work or about work related problems. Gichinga (2011) defines counselling as a relationship in which one person helps another to understand and solve their problems–the ultimate goal is a helping relationship. Nthangi (2007) views career counselling as a personalised process that helps a person understand themselves,explore career options, and clarify and obtain desired career goals. It contributes intuitive and cognitive techniques.The counselling offers insights, guidance and support to help a person understand and manage varied career choices.A career counsellor advises people making and validating career decisions and choices.The counsellor also works with those coping with such changes as a new course, redundancy, or a new career.

Effective career counselling at the work environment may assist employees to discover themselves and take bright options. Career counselling is a two-way process in which the counsellor and the counselee both contribute to make career counselling efficient and effective. Counselling hence develops a rationale to interrelate internal and external factors. The counselee discovers themselves and their potential thus empowering them to make informed and independent decisions. The human resource department has a key role to ascertain that employees are well adjusted at the workplace, and this can be effected by problem diagnosis. The employees exhibiting certain problems could be advised to attend counselling sessions. New employees may also exhibit certain problems needing counselling. Lufthans (2011) reveals that specific techniques of socialising new employees would include the use of mentors, role models, training programs, reward systems and career planning. He ultimately recommended the following steps for organisational socialisation: provide first challenging job, provide relevant training, provide timely and constant feedback, select good first supervisors to be in charge of socialisation, design a relaxed orientation program and place new recruits to work in groups with high morale. Managers in firms could be encouraged to embrace counselling as an essential program which can enhance productivity at the workplace.