Blog #6

I think that this chapter came at the perfect time for me. Something that was very minor in the grand scheme of the chapter was very important to me. It’s the very reason I shifted my focus from Secondary to Primary. The notion I’m talking about is “withitness.” My ability to relate to children and hold conversations about children’s shows, items, and interests while I was TSSing in primary schools is what made me shift my focus to primary. This relation was genuine and made me realize how important someone to talk to is for younger children just as it is for teens and adolescents. However, I have been missing that the past 3 or 4 months and thus it has effected my relationships with children and thus my work. Admittedly I read the chapter on Monday and so today I actually remembered to be “with it” and it completely changed my dynamic at work and prevented the burnout I’ve recently been experiencing. As a result I was able to provide individual pseudo-counseling to a student today and did so without any sort of frustration but rather coming out of the experience with all parties smiling and happy.

As for the actual focus of the chapter – counseling – I found it interesting that individual and group counseling in this book, and chapter, has thus far been thought of as an afterthought in the grand scheme of things where as usually we think of it as a primary function in the field. Two things I particularly liked about this chapter were the considerations presented when working with younger individuals and various ways to apply Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory to counseling.

As a TSS almost all of my clients were primary and often times I would forget that their cognitive processes were limited because a.) I generally worked with very intelligent children and b.) I tended to generalize the abilities of these intelligent children to all my clients of similar ages. This is something I clearly need to be aware of when I begin practicing. As some people know I am a huge fan of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory. I’ve had off-topic conversations with several members of the cohort about it. However, I ever thought about applying such a concept to the counseling setting. I think it is such an awesome thing that I have very much overlooked. I didn’t contemplate that there might be certain theoretical counseling interventions that Kinesthetic or Existential learners may work with more easily than others. While I was aware of techniques involving art and music, etc I never realized there could be the connection to Gardner’s theory! I am seriously excited about this and will definitely take this forward with me into practice. In fact I plan on using one thing presented with my Brief client next Monday. And although Dr. Gardner(the Millersville one) would kill me for saying this but I’d very much like to be eclectic in this nature by borrowing various aspects there though remaining with a Solution-Focused basis.

In regards to other aspects covered in the topic I am also very much a fan small and large group counseling. As my platform involves social skills I am definitely into the group dynamic because as stated in the text it emphasizes peer interactions. I very much look forward to implementing group sessions although my interviewed counselors all expressed difficulty with finding time to do so. However, if I can utilized my “withitness” to keep things fun perhaps I can pull them during recess or lunch and make it as fun as the alternative.

I am also a fan of modeling and therefore I would also want to implement a peer modeling dynamic into my setting like the one presented in the chapter.

All in all I very much loved this chapter. Despite being so short I feel that it was one of the best – though not most informative on the ASCA National Model – chapters so far in the book.

Dollarhide, C.T., & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs (2nd

            

           Ed.). New York:   Pearson, Inc.