Gibson Article

              I found the supplemental reading this week very interesting. Over the years, genograms and other career development activities have been used successfully with adults, but there has been limited use with school aged children (Gibson, 2005). In the article, Gibson (2005) highlights the benefits of the use of genograms and provides multiple reasons why such activities should be implemented into the guidance program within schools. As I mentioned in my discussion post, I believe that having programs like these in schools would be incredibly useful in the development of students and their potential careers. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to participate in anything of the sort, so it took me quite some time to figure out what it was that I wanted to do. Although I believe that career decisions should be left primarily to the individuals themselves, I also believe that having some guidance could alleviate much of the stress associated to making such an important decision.

            Different uses of genograms can be offered to elementary, middle, and high school students. While the genograms used at the three levels may be similar, they can also be modified to the individual child (Gibson, 2005). Gibson (2005) is certain this will create a nonthreatening method between the child and counselor to asses and discuss career patterns in that child’s family. Within my own family, I have had a somewhat comparable path to that of my parents. None of us ever knew growing up what we wanted to do for our career. Both of my parents had numerous jobs before they landed exactly where they wanted to be and where they still are today. I haven’t had many jobs, but I surely have had plenty of different ideas over the years. I am hopeful that seeing my parents content in their jobs, even though it took while, will encourage me to stick with what I’m doing, and really give it a chance.

            There was an argument in the Gibson article that reminded me of a topic in Brown Chapter 3, as well as, the research study I used in Part 3 of this week’s discussion. In addition to working with students and their careers, counselors may also work with the idea of social justice and the potential oppression their students face. Gibson (2005) says that working with students so closely on family activities could bring up emotions that students may not want to deal with. This goes along with social justice because a counselor could come across this sitation and have to determine how to get past it. Not all clients are going to come from ideal home lives, and the clients may feel like this could hinder their potential success. Arthur, Collins, Marshall, and McMahon (2013) determined in their study that, according to the counselors who participated, maintaining a supportive attitude and being nonjudgmental were key components in developing strong working relationships with their clients. In my opinion, researchers were accurate in their findings because it is crucial for workers to remain nonjudgmental, be supportive, and have an open mind in order to successfully work with their clients

Gibson, D. M. (2005). The Use of Genograms in Career Counseling With Elementary, Middle, and High School Students. The Career Development Quarterly, 53(4), 353-362. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2005.tb00666.x

Arthur, N. n., Collins, S., Marshall, C., & McMahon, M. (2013). Social Justice Competencies and   Career Development Practices. Canadian Journal Of Counselling & Psychotherapy, 47(2), 136-154.