Career Experiences of Women With Major Financial Barriers

Abstract

The career experiences of women facing major financial barriers are unique and varied. To better understand and assist such women, the authors interviewed 10 women twice to explore their lived career experiences, using photographs in one interview as stimuli to increase participants' voice and triangulate data. Participants' responses were grouped into 20 themes across 4 domains: career as privilege, reasons for engaging in work, supports, and barriers. Women with major financial barriers appear to understand career as a privilege while experiencing significant obstacles to successfully obtaining work. Participants expressed resiliency and selfmotivation to transcend and mitigate these obstacles. This study indicates a need for increased focus on the career development and engagement of marginalized populations in career counseling theory, assessment, and practice while suggesting practical interventions.

Best Practices for Counseling Clients Experiencing Poverty: A Grounded Theory

“…Skills that our participants shared, specifically using person‐centered and relational approaches and recognizing client strengths and empowerment, are reiterated throughout the literature (Baggerly, 2006; Clark & Bower, 2016; Foss‐Kelly et al, 2017). Our findings support these suggestions and echo multiple authors’ (e.g., Foss‐Kelly et al, 2017; Lewis et al, 2003) calls for advocacy in counseling overall, and specifically for marginalized populations.…”

“…Our grounded theory model, which uses the MSJCC as a theoretical outline, synthesizes with and adds to existing literature broadly in multicultural and social justice counseling (Ratts et al, 2015) and specifically in working with clients experiencing poverty (e.g., Baggerly, 2006; Clark & Bower, 2016; Foss‐Kelly et al, 2017). The model combines suggestions from previous literature (Baggerly, 2006; Clark & Bower, 2016) and expands on existing poverty counseling models (Foss‐Kelly et al, 2017) by utilizing an empirical process. The model provides concrete and specific areas of knowledge and skills that are critical for effectively serving clients experiencing poverty.…”

“…In addition to these intersecting factors, the MSJCC also highlight the following domains counselors should attend to in order to achieve multicultural and social justice competence: (a) counselor self‐awareness, (b) client worldview, (c) counseling relationship, and (d) counseling and advocacy (Ratts et al, 2015). These components are often discussed when examining best practices in counseling clients experiencing poverty (e.g., Baggerly, 2006; Clark & Bower, 2016; Foss‐Kelly et al, 2017), specifically in relation to self‐awareness of class identity, poverty barriers experienced by the client, and empowerment/advocacy.…”

“…Although poverty experiences are prevalent (Semega et al, 2019) and related to significant mental health needs (Weissman et al, 2015), there has been little research in counseling scholarship regarding poverty, the people who experience poverty, social class, or socioeconomic status (Clark, Cook, Nair, & Wojcik, 2018). Scholars have provided some strategies for working with clients experiencing poverty (Baggerly, 2006; Clark & Bower, 2016; Foss‐Kelly et al, 2017; Liu, 2001; Myers & Gill, 2004). These strategies include counselors’ awareness of their beliefs about social class, poverty, and people who experience poverty; the barriers and consequences of clients’ experiences often caused by poverty (housing, food, health care, etc.…”

“…These strategies include counselors’ awareness of their beliefs about social class, poverty, and people who experience poverty; the barriers and consequences of clients’ experiences often caused by poverty (housing, food, health care, etc. ); client empowerment; strengths‐based counseling interventions; and advocacy with and on behalf of clients experiencing poverty (Baggerly, 2006; Clark & Bower, 2016; Foss‐Kelly et al, 2017; Liu, 2001; Myers & Gill, 2004). Beyond these strategies, a conceptual model was created to address the counseling of clients experiencing poverty (Foss‐Kelly et al, 2017).…”