Parent Voices That Hurt Children Unknowingly

A few days back I was in a session with a graduate in Economics. It took her over two months to finally join a session that she had decided upon much earlier. One of the reasons for the delay was her own lack of confidence in choosing a career counsellor, so she had me chatting with a few extended family members before they settled on me! Thereafter the delay was because she wanted her cousin who was senior to her to be part of the session. Add to this the festive season and we have many weeks that just pass without an interaction.

The specifics of her career choice I will save for another blog as we are still working on it. What struck me was how paralyzed she felt as her general style of functioning (quiet, spontaneous, fun-living) was opposed to her father’s (gregarious, ambitious and loud) and how she was often judged and criticized at home for being different. If she returned home from an interview that didn’t go well, the parental voice at home would say, “Ab tumse to kuch hota nahin hai” and that would deflate her further.

Needless to say, I switched gears to help erase the negative self-image and initiate the process of building self-esteem in the child. Career counselling and coaching is not just about choosing courses and careers, it is about personal growth. What do you say?

Addendum: It has been a few months since we completed our sessions. She spruced up her CV and decided to get some work experience before she embarked on another degree. Yes, she has been working on her self-esteem and taming her anxiety. Last night I got a text from her saying she has got a job. Are we happy for her? Yes, we get goose bumps each time a client steps up on their journey!

LifeVidya is committed to a client’s growth! When a client grows, LifeVidya grows! And now you know why we want to keep growing!

Gratitude to all the positive energy we get from the universe!