Does Self-image Matter? Client’s Self-image, Behaviour and Evaluation of a Career Counselling Session: An Exploratory Study

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Abstract

This exploratory study addresses differences in self-image as a client characteristic in career counselling by using the Structural Analysis of Social Behaviour (Benjamin, L., Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1203–1212, 1996; Benjamin, L., Journal of Personality Assessment, 66(2), 248–266, 1996) and an adaptation (Andersson, W.P, and Niles, S.P., The Career Development Quarterly, 48(3), 251–263, 2000) of the Therapist Intention List (Hill C. E and O’Grady K. E., Journal of Counseling Psychology, 32(1), 3–22, 1985; Hill et al., Journal of Counseling Psychology, 35(3), 222–233, 1988). Expected and experienced behaviour of self and other, recalled helpful and non-helpful events during sessions, and evaluation of sessions were compared between two clients with identified positive self-image and two clients with identified negative self-image. The results indicated that the clients with a positive self-image compared to clients with a negative self-image expected more positive behaviours and experienced more positive in-session behaviours from both themselves and from the counsellor; they recalled more positive and fewer negative events in-session and they evaluated their session more positively. Implications for career counselling are discussed.

Keywords

Career counselling Self-image SASB Critical incident technique Expected and experienced behaviour Session evaluation 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Umea UniversityUmeaSweden

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