Chapter 7

            Chapter 7 of Brown (2016) was very interesting to me. Understanding the differences in the processes of career counseling between men, women, and sexual orientation minorities in important in becoming a successful career counselor. Although it has been believed that most of the theories of career development aim mainly towards men, there are numerous theories that disprove that idea. The social cognitive theories, social learning theories, and contextualist theories are just some examples of theories that can be useful with all of these groups. If applied with sensitivity and an awareness of the issues, counselors should be able to create a helpful environment for these clients and insure they gain the benefits from these theories (Brown, 2016, p. 125).
            For women, some of the issues that could cause the career counseling process to be different include pregnancy, inequalities in salary, sexual harassment, and other forms of discrimination. An example of this would be that women are exposed to predetermined stereotypes that have lead them to accept lower-paying occupations, spend more time away from a job because of child bearing, and having a greater willingness to sacrifice their own career advancement so that a spouse can advance (Brown, 2016, p. 125). For sexual orientation minorities, they experience similar predetermined stereotypes. There is constant threat of discrimination that bring a number of career issues to counselors. For example, there are barriers that mainstream society places in their career paths. Sexual orientation minorities can experience “rejection by their families, isolation in the workplace, isolation from heterosexual communities, and rejections by their religious communities” (Brown, 2016, p. 130). This can cause low self-esteem and insecurity.
             It is important for career counselors to understand these issues and how they can have an impact on the career counseling process. Brown indicates that, as counselors, we have two specific obligations to our clients: 1) making clients aware of what lies ahead in the work environment and help them develop coping skills to deal with outcomes that may occur and 2) assert ourselves to improve oppressive forces in organizations, communities, families, and work to revoke policies that have brought about wage inequality. We can do this by, first, thinking generally about the oppressive contexts in which our clients function, other factors that reduce their earnings, and the social action that we may take (Brown, 2016, p. 126). Counselors can then continue by incorporating techniques into the career counseling approach that broaden clients’ occupational perspective, empower them to choose their own path, and advocate for them when they are in need.

 Reference:

Brown, D. (2016). Career information, career counseling, and career development (11^th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 978-0-13-391777-2.