The
last article I posted dealt with the most frequent question I receive: “Am I a good candidate for your services?”
The
next most frequent question I receive is “What can I expect from the services
offered at the Career Counseling and Assessment Clinic?”
While
there is a brief process overview located on our FAQ, I wanted to give a
bit more detail concerning what each session looks like.
Overall,
there are five meetings with a counselor and one meeting for assessments. The meetings with the counselor last for
approximately 50 to 60 minutes, and the meeting for the assessments lasts for
approximately three to four hours.
Overall, our services generally last from six to eight weeks depending
on the time it takes to score assessments and scheduling.
The
first meeting with the counselor is known as an intake session. During this session you and the counselor
meet to discuss the initial forms. These
forms focus on an individual’s current and past educational, professional, and
personal narratives. This session is
also designed to help a client ensure that these services feel right for
him/her.
The
second meeting, known as the assessment session, takes place with our qualified Psychometrist. The tests administered include
the California Psychological Inventory, the Strong Interest Inventory,
the Minnesota Abilities Estimation Questionnaire, and the Minnesota
Importance Questionnaire. These
assessments cover a range of personality traits, interests, and work
values.
The
next three meetings are known as interpretation meetings. During these meetings, counselors present the
information from the assessments. While
the scores of the assessments are important, the counselors present the
information in a more beneficial manner. Instead of just giving the scores, the
counselors help the clients understand why and how the information from the
assessments is important and what it tells them. While the information gathered by the
assessments is important to discuss, the information may lead to bigger
conversations during the session.
The
last meeting is titled the integration meeting in which all of the information
that has been discussed throughout the prior sessions comes together into a
more solidified picture. This session
can also be used as a time to discuss any other questions an individual may
have.
During this last session, clients will receive a summary report, which details all of an individual's assessment results as well as what was covered within the sessions. Additionally, the summary report includes goals and next steps to take towards those goals. The summary report is the client's hard record of what the counseling process looked like, so they can look back it as often as they would like.
During this last session, clients will receive a summary report, which details all of an individual's assessment results as well as what was covered within the sessions. Additionally, the summary report includes goals and next steps to take towards those goals. The summary report is the client's hard record of what the counseling process looked like, so they can look back it as often as they would like.
