Constructivism

Constructivism

beginning in the late 1980-1990s

theorists move from modern theories to postmodern ideas

also known as: constructivism, constructivist, constructionism, social constructivism, contextualist, narrative 
Image result for career counseling constructivist approach
constructivism - defined by a type of learning theory that describes how individuals construct their own ideas about themselves, others, and their words, as they try to "make sense of" their real life and world experiences (knowledge is constructed by people and does not reflect actual reality: internal processes)

social constructivism - covers a range of views regarding social processes and relational practices (external processes)

belief: individuals do not separate individual and external processes but that they construct and live lives using both internal and external processes, that is set and social respectively 

the blend of these approaches requires counselors to enter the psychosocial sphere of a person's career system, or using the narrative approach within the career counseling processes to help clients tell their story starting where they are (past, present, and future desires in career themes and patterns)

to use these theories: gather information, perform Life Career Assessments, explore the genogram, and discover how the client views themselves, others, and the world (their roles, settings, significant events, barriers, constraints, etc.)

pro tip: use their language 

for a broader perspective: Constructivism as a Theory


Gysbers, N.C., Heppner, M.J., Johnston, J.A. (2014). Career Counseling: Holism, Diversity, and Strengths. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

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