Problems in Career Counseling

Counseling Mistakes

A Word With Marty: "JOURNAL"

A Too-Honest Counselor: A short-short story

Honoring a Playful Nature

People vary from the serious to the playful. With playful friends, customers, coworkers, etc., it helps to adapt to their style My Psychology Today article today describes, (ahem) play-by-play, what happened in a client session today.

The Art of Counseling: Seven things counselors argue about.

We think of counselors as conciliators. Yet even they—after the clients are gone—are not above arguing. My Psychology Today article today presents both sides of seven common debates.

The Art of Remote Counseling for Counselors and Clients

Whether you’re the helping professional or the client, we’ve all gotten used to remote sessions. I had been conducting them long before COVID but have done many more during the pandemic.

My Psychology Today article today offers some things I’ve learned that may be of help.

How to Be a Good Counselee: 6 keys to getting the most from your sessions

So you decided to see a counselor. My Psychology Today article today suggests six things you can do to get the most from your counseling.

Private Practice Made Easier

I’ve been a career and personal coach for 36 years now and a number of my clients have asked me how I can not be burned out after all that time. I answer that in my Psychology Today article today. 

The Case Against Talking About Your Trauma

 Conventional wisdom, especially among psychotherapists and counselors, is that it's wise to "process" your trauma. My Psychology Today article today makes the case that that is often, though not always, unwise.

Making the Most of Counseling’s Final Session: Advice for client and counselor

The client says, “I think this will be our last session for a while.” (S/he appended “a while” to soften the blow.)

Or the client doesn't state it overtly but by implication, for example, “Now, as I’ll be sallying forth without training wheels, thank you for helping me accept myself.”

My Psychology Today article today offers thoughts on making the most of the final session.

How to Address Challenges in Counseling's Middle Sessions: Advice for counselors and clients

The first counseling session is often easy for both counselor and client. It’s all new, challenges haven’t had time to emerge, and hope prevails. The final session may also be easy. Sure, it may be hard to say goodbye, but final sessions are normally devoted to summarizing past takeaways, with no new painful efforts to unearth the hidden within. But middle sessions, perhaps sessions 3 through 6, can pose particular challenges. My Psychology Today article today addresses them.

 

Making Your Clients Feel Special

Think of when you’re a client, patient, or customer. Don’t you want to feel that the provider likes you, maybe even thinks of you as special? Might you even be more likely to follow their counsel?

Well, when you are the helping professional, salesperson, or fundraiser—there are myriad things you can do to make your client or customer feel special. My Psychology Today article today presents my toolkit..

Career Counseling for Counselors; Self-assessment, growing, changing

The saying goes, “Physician, heal thyself."  Indeed, I've seen that be useful advice to counselors. Perhaps they’re so busy healing others that they neglect themselves.

As a small antidote, my Psychology Today article today offers thoughts on how counselors and other helping professionals might help themselves, in other words, counseling for counselors.

Making the Most of Counseling

Two identical twins could see the same counselor for the same issue yet one twin derives far more benefit. My Psychology Today article today offers ways to make the most of your counseling, whether career, personal, relationship, whatever

Difficult Clients: Advice for counselors, and a wake-up call to clients

If you’re a helping professional, chances are you’ve had difficult clients. My Psychology Today article today offers composite examples of difficult clients I’ve had and what has worked best in working with them.

And if you are a client or patient, perhaps you will see something of yourself in one or more of these, which might help you get more out of the relationship.

 

The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of a Career Coach: Life lessons for all of us

My Psychology Today article today offers a composite of the experiences of career and life coaches and counselors I have known. It embeds life lessons for us all.

The Case for Counseling by Email

Over the years, a small but growing percentage of my clients work with me partly, or even mainly, by exchanging emails. My PsychologyToday.com article today makes the case for its advantages and then include an email exchange with a client.

10 Mistakes Counselors Make

My Psychology Today article today describes ten errors commonly made by counselors, therapists, and other helping professionals:

“The Counselor Was Nice but Didn’t Help Much: ” Seven causes of client discontent

My new-client questionnaire includes a question, “If you've previously had counseling, what were the results?” A number of clients have written that the counselor was nice but didn’t help much.

Of course, in the first session, I ask clients to explain. My Psychology Today article today lists the factors they most often mention.