Career Exploration
Finding a vocation one is passionate about can be a difficult task. Whether you are a student looking for a college major, or someone exploring a mid-life career change, a consultant to guide you in the process may be a valuable asset. Clients work with me to find their interests, strengths, and core values, and then relate this profile to the world of work.
Sometimes exploring interests, temperament, and strengths may be sufficient. Other times we need to look more deeply for hidden values that will guide one to a fulfilling career.
I have included a few tools on this page that may be of help in getting started in your career search.
The following, though not real clients, give examples of some of the ways I work with clients exploring career options.
Jasmine was not sure what she was interested in studying in college. A sophomore, she had taken a wide range of classes, and while successful in all of them, and especially excelling in math, nothing really stood out to her. She came for career counseling and discovered that while she was good at math, had no passion for it. She was really interested in nature. As we explored her interests she found out that she could use her passion and her skill together: becoming a statistician for the parks and wildlife service.
Hugh had been successful as a salesman through his mid-thirties, but did not have a drive for it. When he got divorced he saw an opportunity to make a big change, but was not exactly sure what that change should be. He had a lifelong passion for music, but had stopped playing piano and guitar long ago. As he explored his passion for music, he discovered that he could enter the entertainment management field, at first on a small scale, but gradually building up a career that was satisfactory. Though he did not make as much money as he did in sales, he was much happier with his new field.
Process
The Career Exploration Process involves two steps: (1) Exploring Self and (2) Exploring the World of Work. A more detailed explanation of the two steps can be found at the link below.
Health Psychology
Concerns about weight and body image are common. Many people use diets to attempt to control weight, but unfortunately, these are almost always a short-term solution. Many people loose weight on a wide variety of diets, only to regain or gain even more weight when they stop the diet. I do not advocate diets; rather, I work with people to understand and moderate emotional eating, accept themselves at any weight, and maintain healthy patterns of eating and movement. The cases below are not actual clients, but are typical of my health psychology clients and therapy.
Jan came to me very concerned about how she looked. She felt she was 80 pounds overweight. She had tried multiple diets and had been able to lose some weight on each one, but only stayed on a diet for about 6 months at a time. When she got off the diet, she returned to her original weight. We did not discuss diets, but did talk about her weight set point. Both of her parents were heavy, and most of her relatives were somewhat heavy. She thought that her whole family was weak, but learned that each person has a weight set point that their body tries to maintain. Through this discussion, Jan learned that her weight was natural for her. Jan’s self-esteem rose and she started feeling attractive even without losing any weight. Her new confidence and self-esteem then allowed her to develop a healthy romantic relationship.
Roderick had been diagnosed with type II diabetes. His dietitian suggested that he would benefit from counseling. Roderick struggled to maintain the food plan his medical professionals suggested and became depressed feeling that he was deficient as a person for developing diabetes. We worked on finding ways to alleviate his depression and to motivate himself to stick as closely as possible to this recommended food plan. He began to see himself as a role model for others with type II diabetes, and accept that he is not always perfect on his food plan. He still enjoys eating, but is careful in planning his meals.