Making and Taking Time to Reflect, Renew and Refocus

67 Pages·2013·0.81 MB·English

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“Making and Taking Time to Reflect, Renew, and
Refocus:
The Utilization of Fables in Enhancing Your Counselor

Judgment”

Jan Case, Dustin Reed, Susan Analla
Department of Rehabilitation Counseling
LSUHSC
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“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know
what to do with it.”
(Ralph Waldo Emerson, The American Scholar, 1837)
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• This quote from Emerson also applies to our conference
theme: “This is Our Time: To Reflect, to Renew, to
Refocus.”

• This is a very good time, and in today’s session we will
gain further insights about what to do with it as we strive
to:

Reflect
Renew
Refocus
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Presentation Goals
• To familiarize participants with the topic of counselor judgment
(heuristics) and recent professional literature of note
• To introduce the use of literature, specifically fables, as one
effective tool to facilitate timely counselor reflection, renewal,
and refocusing efforts in the delivery of counseling services
• To equip participants with the skills and the confidence to
assimilate this tool into their current practices, thereby
enhancing their reflection, renewal, and refocusing efforts
• To help participants consider how fables can also be winsomely
and beneficially assimilated into their other life roles
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Let’s Begin with a Brief Visit with Bias
• Bias = “a mental leaning or inclination; partiality;
prejudice…”

• Bias can be tied to any number of “issues” such as ____,
____, ____, and maybe even a little short-sightedness –
how we “look at things.”

• If that’s the case, the call to Reflect, Renew, and Refocus
seems very important, even to counselors!
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Consider These Examples
Bias in Others -- Teacher/Student

• Steve is a freshman in high school and has an IEP with the
school. The Special Education teacher pushes for Steve to
be placed in a non-college track math class solely based on
the fact that Steve has an IEP. The teacher continued to
insist after Steve states that he does not need to be in that
class and he urges that he can do the work in the college
track class, Algebra I.
• Do you see where the teacher could have been fairer in this
situation?
Perhaps the teacher could benefit from taking the time to
reflect, renew, and refocus!
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Bias in Others -- Employer/Perspective Employee

• Victoria is an 18 year-old Hispanic female. She reads about a
construction company hiring on the internet. When she goes to
inquire about the job the manager asks her if she is sure she is right
for this type of work. He then asks her if she has any experience in
office work, ignoring the original inquiry.
• Do you see where the employer could have been fairer in this
situation?
Perhaps the prospective employer could benefit from taking the time to
reflect, renew, and refocus!
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WE KNOW BIAS!
•We know bias when we see it.
•We recognize problems it can cause.
•We appreciate the need for others to reflect,
renew, and refocus; and don’t we wish they
would!!!
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…But what about us?
• Do we have personal biases?
• What about biases as counselors?
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Counselors and Possible Bias? The possibilities are numerous!

• Counselors could find themselves interpreting assessment
results with bias.
• Counselors could have bias toward particular client
populations.
• Counselors could have bias when it comes to trusting the
professional judgment of other counselors and helping
professionals.
• Counselors could have bias toward the capabilities of clients
due to past education/work history/counseling experiences.