How to Get From Here to There Joyfully: A Dynamic Model for Facilitating Great Career Decisions

Dialogue 2008Leigh Anne Saxe

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Overview: Who We Are – University Career

Counsellors The Model What it incorporates Intervention examples It’s about you

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Who We Are: MA or M.Ed in Counselling Members of Professional Associations: Cdn Counselling Assoc., National Career Development Assoc., members of Int’l Assoc. of Positive Psychology. Case Conferencing, partnerships across campus Mentoring for Counsellors (level I, level II)

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Career Development is lifelong.

We believe it starts in the Early Years and continues through life…

Lots of supports for students and alumni at University!

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What it incorporates:

• 2 Processes: - Internal Clarification - Inspired Exploration

• Narrative/constructivist• Planned happenstance and chance• Law of attraction• Thoughts and feelings

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Based on a Narrative Approach…Questions such as:

What did you like to do when you were a little kid? What did you like in school, classes and outside of school? ie: Lego… why does this matter? There are themes through your life… go through each chapter of their life… what was fun?

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Internal Clarification Process:

Walking a client/student through his/her story

Using the Career Sketch to document their data (Desires, Abilities, Temperament and Assets) in their words

The OTHER PEOPLE, Other Factors

Career Curiosities – What are these?

Creating an affirmative, intentional, Career Statement that provides a focus for their Inspired Exploration.

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Inspired Exploration Process:

Using your personal Career Statement as a compass to guide you through Exploring your thoughts and feelings re: work, career, next steps Taking Action – inspired vs. motivated Opportunities – created and recognized

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A Tool from Internal Clarification:

DESIRES: What I want and what is important to me

People certainly know what they don’t want…

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Desires Intervention: From Don’t Wants to Wants

WANTS DON’T WANTS

To have a boss watching myevery move!

To sit at a desk all day behinda computer!

To have movement, to be outside part of the day

To have independence, to make my own decisions

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Exercise:

Think now about something you DON’T LIKE or WANT about your current career…

Now change this from a DON’T WANT to a WANT.

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Questioning Tool: For ABILITIES…

Who do you admire? What do you admire about them? What are you most proud of?

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Inspired Exploration Intervention:

CHOOSE YOUR MINDSET

LEARNER mindset – leads to discovery and understanding

JUDGER mindset – may lead to frustration and regret

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Judger Questions/Thoughts are:

What is wrong?Who is to blame?How can I be in control?Why bother?

Learner Questions/Thoughts are:

What works?What can I learn?What is possible?

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Switching Questions: from judger to learner

• Am I in a judger mindset right now?• How else can I think about this?• What assumptions am I making?• What do I really want?

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York University’s Career Centre: Moving Forward Workshop 2008

The Emotional Scale: The Importance of Feelings

DespairFear

RageRevenge

Anger

Frustration Pessimism Hope Optimism Belief Eagerness Passion JoyAppreciation

Feelings of Powerlessness Feelings of Self Empowerment

Source: adapted from Abraham-Hicks,’Ask and ItIs Given’

Feeling of relief

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It’s About YOU

As a Guidance Counsellor…

What do you WANT – for your student, for yourself, for your session?

YOU, feeling better – assists your client, improves your therapeutic alliance.

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Ways to Feel Better For YOU:

What are your Desires? Focus on your WANTS! What do you intend for your student session? (set your intentions) What are you expecting? What is your MINDSET? Feeling better is natural… we do things to make us feel better all the time.. What can you do? Look at a picture of your kids, play some music, think about the positive aspects of the work you do..

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THANK YOU!