Blog #14 - :)

Blog #14 – 5/14/2013

The final chapter of the Corey and Corey book was encouraging and inspiring.  Throughout this journey, I have honestly tried to give careful consideration to the various points raised and my subsequent feelings concerning them.  I believe that “you can deliberately choose experiences that will help you become the person you want to be” (Corey and Corey, 408).  It is certainly my intention to attempt to be more mindful of my choices, thoughts, and feelings as I continue my life pathway.  In accordance with this, I plan to add several suggested readings to my summer reading list and hopefully promote some self-discovery and learning that will be beneficial to both my future counseling students and myself. 

I would especially like to focus upon the choice theory, which emphasizes self-evaluation as a first step toward change.  I believe that everyone can profit from becoming more aware of the myriad influences that affect us each and every day.  Hopefully, I will be able to successfully encourage my future clients to include some type of self-reflection into their routines, no matter how small it may be at first.  As Corey and Corey note, “growth has no small steps” (pg. 408).  Certainly, no one is ever perfect, and as Maslow would argue, everyone is constantly searching and striving for self-actualization.  There is always room for improvement and areas in our lives that can be advanced with some attention and work. 

The section concerning Counseling as a Path to Self-Understanding (Corey and Corey, pgs. 410-413) offers the excellent suggestion that individuals who may have experienced some struggles with various topics or choices that may have materialized during their self investigation consider seeking counseling.  There is a list of statements provided on page 411 that individuals can read through and determine if any of them fit with what they may be feeling.  I found the list to be comprehensive and definitely things to be given serious contemplation.  These are definitely helpful ideas to possibly offer to anyone who comes to a school counselor.  It is certainly possible that a student may require more counseling than you, as a guidance counselor, can provide.  It would be essential that such a situation be identified as quickly as possible so that the individual could be put in touch with other services and begin to address what is necessary.  I absolutely agree that seeking counseling is not a sign of weakness, but actually a sign of strength.

The final section is about utilizing the content of dreams to enhance self-understanding.  I have always been intrigued by the practice of dream analysis, and admittedly attempt to discern personal meanings within my own dreams.  I am definitely adding the suggested book by David Fontana, Teach Yourself to Dream, to my summer reading list and just ordered it from Amazon! J  I believe this will be a helpful and thought provoking resource both personally and in my general level psychology class at Elizabethtown High School.  Students tend to be very interested in dream theories and have many questions. 

Thank you very much for the opportunities afforded me throughout this course to meet some fantastic people, experience a variety of relevant and thought provoking activities, and engage in some self exploration and discovery.

Corey,G.,& Corey, M.S. (2010). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth. (9th ed.). Belmont, California: Brooks/Cole.