Is this a big fat red flag?

Question

If someone is majoring in family counseling but thinks that people are only homeless by choice, can they really be an effective and empathetic counselor?

Answer 1

That's probably not a good career choice.
Sounds more like a career in Human Resources, lol!!
They're always mean!

Answer 2

I would say yes, this is a big fat red flag. This person clearly has not researched and seems unempathetic.

They need to understand that the majority of people that become homeless, certainly would not willingly choose such a miserable life. They need to do research into the causes of homelessness and hopefully they will find out that some of the reasons include. Mental illness would top the list. Losing a job has put many a previously well functioning person on the street. Drug addiction and alcoholism are other reasons. This person would also need to understand a person does not choose to be a drug addict or an alcoholic, those conditions in them self are an illness too, and without support of family or friends to try and get them into some sort of rehabilitation, those people can also wind up on the street. There are many reason why a person can wind up homeless, I am just stating the obvious reasons.

The next time this person sees a homeless person in some place like New York City or Chicago in the freezing winter months, they need to ask them self, would someone really choose to live in such misery? Freezing, sick, hungry, filthy etc. I myself really don't think so. I think they need to think of another career if they cannot take the time to find out the root of this very dire state of affairs.

Answer 3

I believe it will be difficult or nearly impossible for this person to be an affective and empathetic counselor.

However, there are mental health practitioners out there who hold similar convictions. William Glasser, MD (a famous psychiatrist and author), came up with "Choice Theory", which stipulates that people choose their own behavior, including things that can be considered a mental disorder. I have a feeling he would also believe that homeless people choose to be homeless.

Read the book Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom. In it, you will discover Glasser believes people choose to be depressed and that the etiology of depression does not stem from problems in any neurotransmittal system, nor from environmental triggers. Instead, the person afflicted with depression chooses his/her disposition and fate.

Answer 4

It sounds like this person is actually very egocentric and immature. Anyone with any counseling expertise would realize that homelessness is caused by a large number of mitigating factors and actually very few people have chosen this avenue. Since the social cuts by government many people are unable to provide proverly and are well below the poverty level. There is no longer a social safetly net. This person sounds like a neo conservative and should be cautious about the kharma that may one day catch up with them.

Answer 5

No. While "choice" can determine a lot of what motivates people, ascribing homelessness to a "choice" seems ridiculous. Many factors (economic, lack of job skills, pervasive mental illness, etc.) can render a person homeless through no fault of their own. This person sounds judgemental and rigid- hardly the attributes that one would expect in a congruent counselor.

Answer 6

Point me toward the research that says empathy is directly related to effectiveness. Maybe this individual has knowledge that their particular form of counseling works. "Tough Love", a non-empathetic form of counseling teens, has been proven to work.

Answer 7

I think they would suck at it
That flag is so red its on fire lol

Answer 8

Yes they can.. they are realistic