1. Career Counseling: A Holistic Approach CHAPTER 16: CAREER-RELATED PROGRAMS FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2. Middle School Counselors should not overestimate or underestimate the severity of concerns children in middle school bring to counseling The process of moving from childhood to adolescence heightens one’s vulnerability to some forms of psychological disorders Counselors are to carefully evaluate personal problems in terms of long-term consequences ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3. Psychological Impact of Puberty Rapid growth accompanied by types of physical changes that mark the transition from childhood to young adulthood Girls typically start their adolescent growth spurt earlier than boys Body image becomes the center of attention Girls are especially affected by their appearance Early and late maturing differences have their own related costs and benefits ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

4. Peer Relationships Good friends help one another cope with the stresses of daily life Students can also be misled by friends Middle school students seem to be especially influenced by peers A most important factor in peer relationships is one’s popularity and acceptance Being rejected or neglected by one’s peer group can be devastating ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

5. Identity Issues Numerous transitions from childhood to adolescence can cause turmoil The major danger of this period is role confusion A young person unable to avoid role confusion might adopt what is referred to as a negative identity, assuming forms of behavior that could lead to long-lasting consequences Marcia’s stages of development (p 373) – identity diffusion – lack of commitment to a set of values and subsequently, occupations ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

6. Cognitive Development and Learning The transition from concrete operational thinking to formal thought is a gradual process During early adolescence patterns of problem solving are quite unsystematic Near the end of middle school the adolescent has the ability to deal with abstractions, form hypotheses in problem solving, and sort out problems through mental manipulations In formal thought the adolescent can direct emotional responses to abstract ideals & to people ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

7. Information Processing The move from childhood to adolescence also includes changes in one’s ability to process information The working memory, and the speed with which one processes information, achieves adult-like levels in adolescence Problem solving becomes more advanced Decision making abilities increase ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

8. Developmental Stages and Career Development Developmental stages provide a sound basis for identifying needs and concerns of students in both middle and high school The Ginzberg group concluded that occupational choice is indeed a developmental process and their focus generally covered a period of six to ten years, beginning around age 11 and ending shortly after age 17 ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

9. Career Goals and Competencies CCR – Resiliency is key (self-regulation skills, spirituality, etc) Self-knowledge, educational and occupation exploration should continue ◦Decision making skills ◦Strengths and weaknesses ◦Educational awareness ◦Economic awareness ◦Occupational awareness ◦Work attitudes ©2016. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.