The right counsel

Cases such as Raghav’s are on the rise and they’re proving that today’s youth is opening up to professional help and counselling and aptitude tests are being taken very seriously. As embarking on the right career path is an important decision,students and parents today are shedding their previous inhibitions and seeking professional guidance with much more openness. Shares Dr Seema Darode,clinical and school psychologist and psychotherapist,”There is an upward swing. Students who come to us are more open and not apprehensive about discussing their careers,which I think is because of the growing awareness about the importance of counselling.”

Isha Bhide,who is currently pursuing fashion designing,shares her counselling experience: “I scored well in my twelfth science exam and I was keen on becoming a doctor,but then I picked a course in nutritional sciences and became a dietician. Two years into the field,I realised that I was not cut out for it. After seeking professional help,I decided to pursue an advanced course in fashion designing. I’m really happy with my choice now.” Success stories like these also point to the fact that students across the spectrum are seeking such advice. Earlier regarded as a post-HSC activity,many students from graduation and post graduation courses are now visiting counsellors for advice. Agreeing with this,career counsellor and psychologist Dr Sheela Vaidya says,“An increasing number of people who already have a degree in hand are now coming forward for counselling sessions as they need help with exploring the options ahead.”

Pankaj Mohalkar,who recently got an engineering degree,shares,”After I finished my mechanical engineering,I had doubts about what to take up next. After various tests and a few interactive sessions,I decided to do MS. The talk that I had with the counsellors really helped.” Interestingly,it is also seen that students who score well have been visiting counsellors more often. “A lot of students who come for counselling are high scorers and very sensitive when it comes to making a choice,” adds Vaidya. H Kulkarni,an athlete,was in a serious dilemma when she suffered from an injury that put an end to her sporting days. “After that incident,I went for counselling which showed me the way ahead. I was good in studies and this helped me in pursuing a degree in computer application and now I am working with a well-known IT company in Magarpatta,” she shares.

Parents are usually apprehensive about their children opting for unconventional courses,but now,with counselling,they’re slowly accepting the fact. Leela Karan’s 18-year-old daughter wanted to take up photojournalism as a profession,but it was only after Leela visited the psychologist that she was able to come to terms with the fact that this unconventional course would make her daughter happy. “After my daughter told me that she wanted to be a photojournalist,I was really unsure,but now I feel more confident of her choice,” she shares.