MCDA Fall Workshop

Monday, November 14, 2011

We had a great presentation this year by Dr. Leigh Mundhenk!

Sample Career Counseling Interview Questions

At MCDA’s Fall Workshop, titled “Please just tell me what to do!”, Leigh Mundhenk, Ph.D. shared with us some initial intake questions to use to illicit information from clients. Participants in the workshop discussed those questions and expanded the list. As promised, Leigh is sharing that information with all of us. At the workshop we also saw a great deal of interest in learning more about intake interviews with career clients. You just may see a session offering in the future!

“Please Just Tell Me What To Do”

Using Cognitive Stage Development theory to help us customize career counseling approaches to meet our clients’ needs

Presenter:  Leigh G. Mundhenk, PhD

Why do some of our clients or students look up to us to make career decisions for them, while others enjoy researching options and making their own decisions?  Why do some expect us to direct the career counseling process, while others prefer a more facilitative or coaching approach?  In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the role that cognitive stage development plays in helping our clients and students make and implement career decisions.  We will examine the four stages of cognitive development, and how each impacts how clients experience the career counseling process.  Using this information, we will discuss strategies and tools that we can use to customize the counseling process to engage our clients and students at each stage of development.

Workshop Outcomes

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Possess an understanding of Cognitive Stage Development Theory
• Be able to identify the stage that best describes individual clients, using questions in an intake interview
• Be able to use counseling strategies appropriate for each stage

Clinical Implications

As career professionals, we know that people seeking career counseling/coaching can be seen as following into two groups. The first groupis looking for expert help with career decision making and job search skills. They may also need help with career management strategies. They have no significant mental health issues, but may be quite unhappy or frustrated by their current job (or unemployment) situation), and seek advice or coaching. Generally, doing something proactive about their situation improves their outlook and well-being. Approaches with them can vary from quite directive to facilitative, depending upon their level of cognitive development and sense of personal agency.Many career practitioners believe this group forms the majority of people with whom they work.

The second groupis more complex. Clients in this group may have depression, ADHD, bipolar disease, or any number of conditions that complicate career decision making and the job search. Clinical counselors who specialize in career development may be able to address these issues. People without clinical backgrounds either need to refer them or ensure that they are also seeing a counselor. Some may work incollaboration with a counselor.

When employing cognitive stage development theory in the career counseling or coaching process, it is important to recognize that the client may be developmentally at a particular stage or his/her mental health issues may be contributing to behavior typical of that stage, particularly dualism. Nevertheless, career counselors and coaches will be most effective if they customize the approach that works best for the client, taking his/ her behavior into consideration. Even when the client’s stage is taken into consideration, those with mental health issues often have difficulty staying in the career development process and doing the work that is needed, even when they are unemployed and desperately in need of income, which only serves to exacerbate their mental health problems.

Leigh Mundhenk, PhD is Associate Professor and Director of Field Experience at the University of Southern Maine at Lewiston-Auburn, where she has taught career development courses and run the internship program for 10 years