The Constructivist Approach With The Solution-Focused Therapy

Introduction

The purpose of higher education is that it fosters and produces the skills and knowledge for individual self-growth, drives innovation, and challenges societal norms (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2011). For an individual student, higher education is seen as a place that cultural capital is obtained or challenge, in which students are able to reconstruct their identity in society (Corey et al. 2011). Self-growth for an individual is not only limit to cultural or social growth, but also pertains to career exploration through the courses and the work related experience they are exposed to in higher education. The theory that I chose to analyze in this paper is the constructivist approach with a dual use of both the Solution-Focused Therapy

I see every student as independent actors with their unique stories on life and treat every counseling session as a learning opportunity to understand and assist my students find solutions to their problems. It is because of this that I do not use the same counseling method for every student, but construct every counseling session to fit the problem that the student is facing. Constructivist therapy echoed my personal philosophy in counseling and allowed me the liberty to incorporate different strategies used in other counseling theories to better assist my

Healing occurs when students are able to externalize their relationship with their factors that are creating problems for them both in and out of the classroom. In Sharf’s (2015) “Theories of Psychotherapy and Counseling: Concepts and Cases” book, she explains how a constructivist does not focus on the origin of the problem, but centers on the external factors in place that stimulate how the student views and approach their problems (p.457). From an SFT perspective, s student had the resources to solve their own problems and the counselor has a role in bringing students in realizing it in solving their problems (p. 457). From a narrative therapy perspective views people’s lives being consumed through narratives that are greatly influenced by culture, environment etc. Changing a narrative via different points of view assist the students to work through their problems (p.466).

Without external support outside the counseling session many underrepresented groups are not being assisted in a variety of ways. The NACADA declaration of core values states “Advisors are sensitive to the values of the surrounding community of making higher education more accessible through educational opportunities and resources”. Brilliant students who do not receive academic or financial assistance through supporting services (e.g. Learning Centers, EOP&S, and Puente Program) will focus on factors not