Deviating from my usual style of writing, I would like to begin this article on a more personal note, sharing the case of a close friend whom I have known for more than a decade and a half.
I have known Amisha (name changed) closely since we were in Class 7. She was never the most dedicated student in terms of completing class work or homework or studying for exams, but had a very strong, intrinsic scientific streak in her which was difficult to overlook. She always had answers to anything related to the physical sciences without having read about them, and somewhere down my heart I felt that Amisha would grow up to be a successful researcher in the sciences. However, things unfolded in a rather different and surprising way.
Amisha’s father, a highly educated and well-placed corporate professional, influenced her into believing that pursuing a career in the sciences was not the best bet for her. Amisha was instead pushed into pursuing graduation in mass communication and eventually taking up a job in digital marketing. She has been sailing through till date, like your usual corporate professional, but with her spurts of frustration and wanting to go back in time to change her career choices. It cost her quite a huge chunk of her life to gain an insight into the fact that she would have shined unusually bright had she put her foot down and chosen to pursue scientific research. Amisha suffered from clinical depression for close to two years and is now over it, but still wakes up everyday with no drive to go to work.
The relationship between career counselling and mental health has been an underrated one. Let us enumerate a few ways how career counselling is important in fostering mental health.
Cultivates happiness
A good career counsellor will help you recognise your best fitment in the context of what you are innately good at (aptitude), what you like (interest), and what your natural strengths and weaknesses (personality) are. Career counselling is often grounded in this Aptitude-Interest-Personality (AIP) paradigm. When you pursue a career which is a function of these three factors, high chances are that you’d be happy in what you do and would derive satisfaction in your work. For instance, let’s say a person who has an aptitude for economics, is interested in the field of finance and has strong leadership skills, is suggested a career in corporate finance by a career counsellor. Since the recommendation is based on an objective AIP analysis and the counsellor’s experience of years, it is most likely that it will make for a satisfying career choice for the person. Needless to say, a person who doesn’t find their work a liability to bear will more wilfully devote time to other aspects of their lives such as family, leisure, and so on.
Upholds motivation
A career that is chosen after consultation with an experienced and qualified career counsellor is likely to be one that you love pursuing (refer to point above to understand the AIP model). Love for your work will keep you striving to handle and overcome the day-to-day challenges of the industry you are working in. If you enjoy your work, challenges such as dealing with difficult people at the workplace or receiving less than desired money will not seem like the end of the world to you. You will keep looking for better opportunities and even creating some for yourself if your work is something that genuinely engages you.
Prevents pathology
We are aware of the unfortunate deaths by suicide of students in Kota. The movie 3 Idiots was testament to how students are often pushed into careers away from their liking by others around them. Parents, other family members, and friends may not even realise when such frustration starts building up and persisting inside a student who is pursuing something s/he doesn’t identify with. Consulting a career counsellor at the right stages (beginning as early as Class 9) helps students and their parents become aware of what a student actually wants and would flourish in, thereby reducing by manifold the chances of any subsequent mental health pathology.
It is time we start paying conscious attention to the pivotal role that career counselling plays in fostering mental health. Down your guards, meet a good counsellor, let them hold your hand and walk you to a fulfilling life.
This article has been written by Variddhi Gupta, counselling psychologist and career guidance expert.
