Case Study
Patient Demographic:  Initial Intake: Age: 42 Sex: Female Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Ethnicity: Hispanic Relationship Status: Married Counseling Setting: Private Practice Type of Counseling: Individual
Mental Status Exam: The client appears her stated age and is dressed appropriately for the circumstances. She identifies her mood as “somewhat anxious” and her affect is labile and congruent. She is noted to rub her hands together at times and she appears uncomfortable at times as she talks about herself. She demonstrates good insight, appropriate judgment, memory, and orientation. She reports no history of trauma, suicidal thoughts, or harm towards others.
Presenting Problem: You are a non-Hispanic counselor in a private practice setting.  Your client is a 42 year old female who reports that she has been working for the same accounting firm for 10 years and was recently laid off due to a downturn in the economy. She tells you that prior to this firm, she worked in a company doing managerial accounting that she joined right after college. She says that she has liked the people that she has worked with but over the past several years she has enjoyed her work less and less. She reports that she is upset to have lost her job but, in some ways, she sees it as an opportunity to find something else she is more passionate about, but she has no idea where to start. She does say that she wants a job and work environment that is a better fit for her personality. She also tells you that she is afraid that she is too old to begin again or that she doesn’t have “what it takes” to begin a new career.
Other Contexts: Family History:
The client reports no significant family history related to mental health issues or relationship problems. The client tells you that she chose accounting in college because she grew up in a small town and her parents told her that she needed a skill that would help her support herself. Additionally, she states that she has been married for 19 years and has a good relationship with her spouse. She tells you that he is supportive of her exploring new careers but that her income is helpful for the family and it is important that she works.

Question: Which of the following will be the best tool to help the client find a good fit between her personality and a work environment?
(A): What Color Is Your Parachute
(B): Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS)
(C): Strong's Interest Inventory (SII)
(D): Savickas' Career Style Interview (CSI)

Correct Answer: Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS)
Explanation: Holland's SDS is based on his theory of personality as it relates to career choice. His widely-used theory and test suggest that occupations and work environments have characteristics that appeal to particular personality types. By matching types, the client would be most likely to find an occupation and work environment that matches her personality. The book What Color Is Your Parachute is a best-selling job hunting book, but will not help the client match her personality to an occupation or work environment. The SII was developed as an interest inventory and helps the test-taker to explore their potential areas of study, careers, and leisure interests. It focuses on one's work style, learning environment, team orientation, leadership style, and risk taking. The CSI is a structured interview based on Adlerian and constructivist theories that help clients resolve career problems. It is not meant to match client's personalities to work environments or occupations, but to help clients resolve problems that hinder them in their career. Therefore, the correct answer is (C)
Competency: counseling skills and interventions