Kevin Stoltz

In working with people from different employment backgrounds, the topic of meaninglessness in work inevitably enters into the discussion. I have heard clients utter statements concerning meaninglessness numerous times in counseling sessions and have even uttered this myself on occasion. However, this is not to say that such statements should be taken lightly or without serious concern. There are countless reasons for saying these comments or assertions and they can reflect a sense of being lost or discouraged in how one contributes to a greater endeavor. This is yet another example of how “career” counseling can intersect with mental health work.

Too many times I have limited my thinking of the use of technology in career counseling to the administration of assessments, job search services, and career research strategies. Recently, I was confronted with a much more difficult case and was able to bridge a cultural gap by using several tools available on the internet during my meeting with this international individual. I was able to learn a great deal on how to utilize technology to fill in communication gaps regarding a language and cultural barrier.

Okay, every adult had a childhood and in that childhood we used to play. Many of those play themes had to do with work. Specifically, I played with cars under a large tree in our backyard. Much of the play themes centered on me traveling from house to house visiting people and building lakes and bridges. We also daydreamed and had specific characters from books, movies, or television that had special meaning for us. One of mine from early childhood was the Lone Ranger (Yes, I am old enough to have watched the series in black and white on a real black and white television!). But, I digress. The meaning of the Lone Ranger had special significance to me. I saw this man as an ethical person that was concerned about the world and society from which he came. However, there was a down side to his drastic independence; he had very little connection to the society that he spent his life trying to protect. In many ways I lived this theme in my early work life.

By now, if you have been keeping up with my blogs, you realize that I focus much of my work into career counseling. But, as I have argued in the past, I advocate for no division between mental health and career counseling. Given this position, it would follow that I would write a blog about the usefulness of the Holland coding system in understanding clients from more than a strictly career perspective. My experiences as an employee assistance (EAP) counselor really helped me to understand that Holland (1992) intended these typologies to represent more than interests and a career personality. I have found that the types help me understand the persons’ approach to life.

I am not sure we have done a great job as counselor educators in identifying that career assessment and job search services are activities that are different from career counseling. I am often struck that career centers rely so heavily on career assessment and make little room for career counseling. I realize that I am generalizing here, and that many career centers do support and provide very extensive career counseling services. However, there are many career centers, both university and private, that rely on assessment and job search services as the primary function of the organization. Why is this so?