Career counseling

I want to love my work. That's why I'm back in school. I've paid my dues taking classes to get my B.A., and now I'm doing something that I hope will ultimately lead to my dream job. My classes encourage us to be self-reflective. So I imagine I'll be doing a bit of that in the near future.

One of my bigger assignments in my career counseling class is to design a handbook I can use for reference in providing career counseling specific to the population I want to work with. I'm thinking about gearing it toward adults who are wanting to change careers or get back into the job market after a leave of absence. This would include working professionals who want to change careers, those who have wanted to do something other than they're doing but got "stuck" out of necessity, former stay at home moms or dads who want to find a career, and of course college graduates who have no idea what to do with their English degrees. ;) Anywho, I'm excited about it because I get to design something tangible that I can use in my future career.

I'm mostly interested in grief counseling and helping others walk through the practical steps they need to take when a loved one dies. I'm not just talking about the stages of grief - I'm talking about how to file a death certificate, talking to insurance agents, dealing with a funeral director, budgeting, etc. Sometimes, families come together and work through these things together. It seems like as we become more individualistic, sometimes we don't have family as a resource. I think along the same lines as this handbook project, I'm going to start the same kind of resource for myself in dealing with a loved one's death. It will need to be general, geographically. It may end up as more of a how-to guide. Maybe I'll write a book or series of books.

Sometimes I forget what a taboo subject death is. I have a weird inability to remember others are uncomfortable talking about these things. I value open communication so highly that sex/death/whatever has never been difficult for me to talk about, except for when others are clearly uncomfortable. I don't have the slightest clue where that comes from, but I think it's a good thing. :)