One’s Unique
Worldview
Caption: The Lens
Through Which You View the World
URL: https://docsandlin.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/worldview.jpg
While many individuals share the
same race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or social status, each person is a
unique human being with their own personal story. Throughout life, we experience
many difficulties, and we are potentially taught what to believe by our parents
or peers. We construct beliefs and even cultivate unconscious prejudices as we
navigate this life.
Understanding that each individual
is unique and has their own worldview is important as counselors. However, our
clients oftentimes will not directly tell us their worldview. We must carefully
listen and attempt to understand their meaning system in order to fully grasp
how they view the world (Young, 2017). Clients may experience the same
circumstance in their lives, yet respond in a completely different manner due
to their worldview and the meaning ascribed to the event. Leontiev (2007)
stated that individuals tend to see things as “we are” as opposed to seeing
things as “they are.” Therefore, we begin to have a narrow focus and filter our
experiences through the worldview that we possess even though that worldview
might be inaccurate or unhealthy.
Regarding
the meaning given to certain situations and circumstances, Leontiev (2005)
indicated that our activities, our consciousness, and our personality work
together to form meaning. Therefore, when counselors attempt to practice the
skill of reflecting meaning, they are essentially seeking to understand the
client’s background and perspective about life and various situations (Young,
2017). While it may be a difficult skill to learn, it is important to practice
as the client will feel valued and respected. Furthermore, it may help the
counselor gain insight regarding the situation and allow him or her to adequately
help the client achieve a state of wellness.
References
Leontiev, D. A.
(2005). Three facets of meaning. Journal of Russian & East European
Psychology, 43(6), 45-72.
Leontiev, D. A.
(2007). Approaching worldview structure with ultimate meanings technique. Journal
of Humanistic Psychology, 47(2), 243-266.
Young, M. E.
(2017). Learning the art of helping: Building blocks and techniques.
Pearson Higher Ed.
Joe,
ReplyDeleteAs future counselors, we must take into consideration that our clients will come from various backgrounds and cultures. Clients also have their own worldview, which is essentially the lens through which they view the world. A person’s beliefs, values, and experiences usually contribute to the development of their worldview. Using our skills to understand meaning behind what the client says and reflecting meaning back to our clients will give us a more accurate evaluation of their worldview. The quote you included in your post that pointed out we tend to see things as “we are” rather than as “they are” is often true. Each person’s worldview influences the way they see the world. As counselors, we need to approach our clients with sensitivity and respect, even if we hold a different worldview.
Kaitlin Troutman