My friend's husband Martin on the weekend over Portuguese lunch (keeping in line with the Portuguese wedding we were attending) with his funny Belgium accent asked me"Ame whozz are thaz Counsellor's thatzz have inspirzzed youzz?". I embarrassingly replied "Ummm....I actually haven't thought about it!". Moments afterwards I thought to myself "It was just last week I asked my good friend Suzanne about photographers who have inspired her work and she proudly ran off a list of names, truly I thought I cannot be a good counselling student".
So, here I am in my bedroom doing research on this Anzac long weekend to identify notable counsellors who inspire me. But firstly, I have come across wikepedia (I knowww... I should have gone to the state library, climbed a ladder and reached the top shelf of dusty books) which provided insight on the personality traits of a Counsellor. It explained Counselors correlate primarily with the Myers-Briggs (self-assessed personality questionnaire) type INFJ. What I found surprising is that this type accounts for 1–3% of the population.
I have listed the acronym INFJ definition below...
I – Introversion preferred to Extraversion: INFJs tend to be quiet and reserved. They generally prefer interacting with a few close friends rather than a wide circle of acquaintances, and they expend energy in social situations (whereas extraverts gain energy)
N – iNtuition preferred to Sensing: INFJs tend to be more abstract than concrete. They focus on the big picture rather than the details, and on future possibilities rather than immediate realities
N – iNtuition preferred to Sensing: INFJs tend to be more abstract than concrete. They focus on the big picture rather than the details, and on future possibilities rather than immediate realities
F – Feeling preferred to Thinking: INFJs tend to value personal considerations above objective criteria. When making decisions, they often give more weight to social implications than to logic.
J – Judgment preferred to Perception: INFJs tend to plan their activities and make decisions early. They derive a sense of control through predictability
J – Judgment preferred to Perception: INFJs tend to plan their activities and make decisions early. They derive a sense of control through predictability
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For you budding counsellors like myself here is a further overview of a counselor's personality:-
Counselors are introspective, cooperative, directive, and attentive. Counselors find helping others to personally develop and reach their potential to be personally gratifying as they have a strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others. Counselors often communicate to others in a personalized manner and are positive and kind when dealing with others. Counselors are good listeners and are highly intuitive. They are often able to detect the emotions or intentions of another individual before the individual is aware of them.
Counselors usually have intricate personalities and rich inner lives. They tend to keep their innermost thoughts and emotional reactions to themselves, which can make them tough to get to know. Counselors tend to be private people, possibly because their ability to take in the emotional experiences of others can cause them to be easily hurt. They have great depth of personality and can understand complex issues and individuals.
Counselors often prefer to work on a one-to-one basis with others or to work intensely with people close to them. Counselors are happy doing jobs that require solitude and close attention. They are also happy working with others provided that the personal interactions are not superficial and they are given some quiet time in order to reenergize themselves. Counselors usually exert their influence behind-the-scenes rather than being a visible leader.
Counselors often work well in organizations. They value staff harmony, are good at consulting and cooperating with others, and they are concerned with the feelings of others. They strive to make an organization run smoothly and pleasantly. Counselors can also act as a barometer of the feelings within an organization.
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Further into wikepdia it explained that David West Keirsey (renowned psychologist) identified well-known individuals whose behavior is consistent with this specific type (INFJ) described above and as illustrative purposes were also identified as notable counsellors. Three of the individuals identified which made me excited as I have read about their lives inside out - were Mohandas Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt and Nelson Mandela. There were also other notable people listed who I am not not very familiar with such as Emily Bronte, Mary Baker Eddy, Jane Goodall, Sir Alec Guiness, Carl Jung, Queen Noor and Sideny Poitier.
In a nutshell though I can now go back to my friend's husband Martin and confidently say in my best Belgium accent "Martinz, Mohandazz Gandhiee, Eleanoreaa Rooseveltaz andzz Nelsoonz Manzzdela inspirezz mei". =)
Now over to you "Who are the people that have inspired you in your career?"
