Chapter Thirteen

This chapter was an interesting one. It almost seemed like an amalgamation of the rest of the book and seems like a conclusion of the entire text although we have two chapters to go. I think the whole semester we have been looking at who we are and how they have reflected onto our beliefs about ourselves and our existence. This is good because we have to be aware of our reason for being to be effective counselors . This chapter actually made me look at my worldviews and think about them.

                Last week I talked about how I haven’t had to really grieve because I think that I haven’t really had to suffer or go through anything rough. I think that has tremendously affected my worldview. I want to help other people so that they don’t have to experience negative aspects in their lives but rather can have the same type of life that I had. I want to find meaning in my life through helping other people. Furthermore, it is effecting me at this point in my life too. I have found personal meaning in my desire to be a counselor tied into my eventual desire to be a father and a good one at that. I feel that I can finally move to become a father when I get a counseling job at which point I can try and simultaneously fulfill my most desired goals and achieve meaning in life of helping others whether they be clients or my own children. For this reason I agree with what the text cited as “Bellah and Colleagues” that through social interactions you end up finding your goal or your reason for meaning in life because these things have been pushing me for the past two or three years.

I also agree with the overall concept presented on pages 379 and 380. Most of those things purport that meaning in life is derived from an inter-connectedness amongst humankind derived from being a genuine and nice person to others. I thoroughly believe this and actually think this is kind of a staple of the counseling profession. Life is meant to be peaceful but due to ever-changing proponents of life, also hinted at on pages 379 and 380, it doesn’t always reach that stage and part of our role as future counselors is to do our best in trying to help others acknowledge this and do their best at being genuine and nice to others. This actually reminds me of an exchange I had with my mother on 9/11/01. That day I told my mom I was going to abandon my counseling dream and follow her footsteps and join the military and follow my parents’ footsteps. She immediately responded she wanted me to stay with my original dream because as a counselor I would help prevent people from ever thinking doing something like that is ok in the first place and I agree.

Corey, G. & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Exploration in personal growth (9th Edition). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole