Counselling, Assessments In

Introduction

The allied fields of counselling and counselling psychology have long shared a core set of values that have sustained their scholarly and professional contributions. Recent research has identified three central commitments that distinguish the field (Neimeyer & Diamond, 2001). These include a commitment to a lifespan developmental model of adjustment (as opposed to pathology), a commitment to vocational and career issues, and a commitment to issues of diversity and multiculturalism. Each of these commitments, in turn, have clear expressions within the field's contributions to the domain of assessment.

The Assessment of Development and Adjustment

Conceptualizing clients' problems through a lifespan developmental model of adjustment is a central feature of the field of counselling. This commitment is reflected in the interpretation and selection of various assessment instruments. For example, Blocher (2000a, 2000b) highlights the importance of interpreting assessments within the full context of an individual's life situations. This contextual awareness encourages counsellors to conceptualize client problems in terms of adjusting to a life stage or novel environment rather than pathologizing the problem as a deficiency. Danish (1981) states that issues of adjustment occur throughout the lifespan and can be categorized in the following ways: (a) normative influences that are usually either biologically or socially determined, e.g. menopause or compulsory retirement, (b) historical influences that tend to affect all individuals within a particular generation, e.g. Vietnam War or the Civil Rights Movement, and (c) non-normative life events, e.g. loss of a job or divorce. Although there has been much theorizing about lifespan developmental models of adjustment, these considerations have not yet produced an array of assessment instruments designed for use in individual counselling (Hood & Johnson, 1997). Instead, the lifespan development framework represents a context within which various assessment tools can be understood and utilized.

While counselling psychologists strive to understand assessments within the context of the individual, there are particular assessment tools that specifically embrace the field's commitment to more normative and positive adjustment. These assessment tools provide the counsellor with information regarding individual adjustment to a particular problem or situation. Personality inventories such as the California Personality Inventory (CPI) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) accomplish this by investigating enduring interpersonal personality characteristics. These inventories contrast sharply with more pathology-based personality assessments, such as the MMPI-II, that focus assessment on aspects of pathology, dysfunction, and deficiency, rather than strengths, competencies, and capacities. Additionally, the concentration on this person-environment fit, on personal capacities and strengths, and on effective adjustment and growth are clearly reflected in the field's longstanding dedication to vocational and career assessment.

Vocational and Career Assessment

Early career counselling was conceptualized as a process of helping the individual to select an appropriate career. Consequently, most assessment tools focused on aspects of trait-factor matching (e.g. matching skills or abilities to occupations). The redefining of vocational counselling as a developmental process (Super, 1957), [Page 271]however, turns the attention in the field away from a focus on the choice itself, and instead towards developmental features of the person making the choices. Attention to career preparedness, uncertainty, maturity, self-efficacy, and commitment all reflect this shift towards a developmental framework.

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