Appendix 4A: Guidelines for Creating Self-Portraits and Examples of Self-Portraits
The appendix provides a summary of the steps to follow when working with a client. It ends with examples of two Self-Portraits for clients from dissimilar backgrounds with different values and aspirations.
Guidelines for Creating a Self-Portrait
The General Steps to Creating a Self-Portrait
- Prepare the client for the Self-Portrait by doing some preliminary work, e.g., develop your relationship with them, clarify your roles, set guidelines, and explain the process.
- Facilitate the emergence of outcomes and explore meaningfulness.
- Draw out specific activities that the client wants to undertake to reach each outcome.
- Identify the skills and knowledge (tools and techniques) the client needs to undertake the above activities successfully.
- Format and organize the Self-Portrait to ensure that it appears in a form suitable for the client.
Determine Meaningfulness and Outcomes
Start with the first question. If difficulties arise, go on to one of the following question variations. If resistance or stress occurs, go on to another section altogether, returning to this section later in the process. Here are some prompts that you can use to help the client determine meaningfulness and outcomes:
- In the best of all worlds, what do you want to get out of your life?
- Let’s say you’re 70 years old and have lived your life exactly as you wanted. Everything has gone your way. I’m 85 now, and I bump into you again. I ask you to tell me about your life. What would you say?
- Just sit back and relax for a moment… as you feel yourself beginning to relax, I want you to start thinking about doing something you enjoy. Just for this moment, remove any barriers or restrictions, and say to yourself, “If I could be doing anything, anywhere, what would it be?” I’ll give you some time to get that picture in your mind… now, describe to me what you are doing.
If any of the sections in the columns under meaningfulness or outcomes are not complete, or if there are difficulties answering any sections, you can use the following questions:
- Values: Why are your outcomes so important to you? For example, why is “nursing so important?
- Beliefs: What sorts of beliefs are leading you toward your goals?
- Interests: You mentioned several things you enjoy doing. Are there any that you really get a kick out of?
- Barriers: Is anything preventing you from reaching the outcomes you told me about?
- Work-Related Outcomes: I know you don’t know exactly what you want to in the “health sector, but do you have any ideas regarding how you would like to be involved?
- Educational: We’ll talk more about this later, but do you have any educational or training goals?
If you have time, it is helpful to elicit the values for all relevant life roles and have the individual prioritize them as soon as they are elicited.
Determine Activities (Preferred, Past, and Needed)
Preferred: “In the best of all worlds, what would you like to be doing on a day-to-day basis? How would you ideally like to reach your goals?
Past: Review accomplishments and other enjoyable activities. It’s easier to begin with accomplishments that an individual feels particularly proud about.
Needed: Review career development needs (e.g., research, resume development, etc.).
Determine Skills and Knowledge
Review activities and ask:
- What sorts of skills did you need to undertake this activity?
- What kinds of knowledge did you need to undertake this activity?
- What attitudes did you need to undertake this activity?
Prioritize the Portrait
- Review and prioritize meaning, outcomes, activities and skills sections.
Examples of Completed Self-Portraits
Example: A Self-Portrait Created Within a Short Duration
Arden was a single parent who was laid off without notice. They had recently moved to a new community and urgently needed to find full-time employment. This portrait was completed during the first meeting. Arden was referred to a Job Finding Club. They found a full-time sales role by the end of the three-week club.
| MEANING | OUTCOMES | ACTIVITIES | SKILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| VALUES:
My children are #1 in my life. I value the home environment and the “good” life. I prefer to have autonomy and independence in my work. BELIEFS: Children come first in my life. I believe in myself and have a strong self-image and am self-confident. INTERESTS: To travel and sightsee. Expanding my horizons. Reading, growing and learning. Spending time with my children. BARRIERS: The challenge of contacting many people. Knowing the right people. Financial constraints. |
PERSONAL:
To have a stable home that I own, preferably a ranch style house. To send my children to college. To live comfortably and be able to afford to buy the things I like. To own two horses. WORK-RELATED: My childhood dream was modelling and acting. I love fashion and clothes designing. Work that involves some form of glamour and attention is attractive to me. I have considered going into business for myself. My aim is to balance my time between working outside and working within the house. EDUCATIONAL: I have my high school diploma. I prefer to learn by reading and doing, rather than by sitting in a classroom. |
PREFERRED:
I enjoy applying make-up, hairstyling, and doing facials and manicures. Designing clothes, sewing from templates, sketching women’s fashions and making costumes for children. I am a picky and fussy clothes buyer and enjoy the process of shopping and meeting people. I have a friendly manner with others. I enjoy both machine operations and people. NEEDED: To get out and network with people in my new community. To get support to find a good job. |
I have good self-management skills and can work independently on projects where I have autonomy.
I have a commitment to quality work. I am a self-initiator and self-starter. I am very mechanically inclined and can do most home repairs. I enjoy working with people. I like to have my independence.
|
Example: A Self-Portrait of a Mid-Career Professional
Quinn was a 40-year-old professional nurse and nurse educator. Due to an amalgamation, their role was terminated, and they were laid off. Quinn actively participated in a career transition process, and their portrait is an example of the level of detail that can be gathered through this approach. You will see a pattern of teaching throughout the profile. Quinn ultimately decided to become a secondary school teacher.
|
MEANING |
OUTCOMES |
ACTIVITIES |
SKILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
|
VALUES:
Financial security and tenure. Service and dedication. Autonomy and independence — having my own niche. Quality of care and service. Additional: Family relations. Egalitarianism and humanitarianism. A non-judgemental approach that demonstrates concern for the person as a human being. BELIEFS: Belief in egalitarianism and that the ‘rules’ apply to each person, I don’t like the “squeaky wheel gets the grease” attitude. I don’t like to take risks. Change is only relevant if it leads to an increase in quality of service. I have a strong career orientation. INTERESTS: Teaching and training others. Variety in the workplace. Get a big bang out of groups like choir, historical play, teams of nurses and in general the camaraderie of others. Prefer to do academic work individually. A sarcastic sense of humour. I love art. BARRIERS: Sometimes I let what others say and think influence me and stop me from doing what I really want; I am not a risk taker. |
GENERAL OUTCOMES:
My outcomes are intertwined between work and personal self, I do not separate these out. As a general outcome I would like to think that I would make some sort of impact on the community — environment, e.g. “Quinn created X”. This would be accomplished more by what I modelled than anything else. It relates to How I am and Who I am as a person. PERSONAL: To develop an intimate and personal relationship with options for the development of my own family. To be secure enough so that in retirement all I have to do is paint, sew, visit and drive around. WORK-RELATED: That others will say upon my retirement: “Yes, Quinn was a really great teacher!” I like to see tangible success outcomes from my work. Receiving positive feedback from patients and students, e.g. thank you notes. Completing a project and getting all the details in place. EDUCATIONAL: PAST: Master of Science in Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing PLANNED: Bachelor of Education |
PREFERRED:
Associated with some group — anchor. I have my own role or niche. To work hard at a challenging position (but not 18 hours per day) and have time for my personal interests and hobbies. Working with a mix of ages (womb to tomb). Helping others through health and teaching. Doing something that makes the people who participate better (readers, writers, able to take their own blood pressure, etc.). Creating my own daily agenda rather than having it imposed. PAST: Taught students at the RNA school. Educated patients in the hospital. Developed many new curriculum changes. Produced choir productions for 8 years. Narrated historical play at church. Many good sewing and craft projects. Organized 5-year class reunion. Acted as tutorial assistant with good feedback. Narrated infant bath video that is still in use. NEEDED: Extensive research into roles that involve both teaching and health through a process of informational interviewing.
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SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS: I am responsible, conscientious, and thorough as exemplified by my willingness to work overtime for my employer. I am a creative person with an artistic flair and yet very organized in my approach. TRANSFERABLE SKILLS: I have proven teaching skills gained during 8 years of teaching at a reputable school through many curriculum changes and yielding good results. I am an empathetic listener and perceptive with regards to people’s needs and feelings; this has been born out in my work with patients, students and parents. I am creative and enjoy visual and performing arts such as my experiences in public speaking. I can write, plan, organize and articulate ideas as demonstrated in my proposals, curriculum, and public speaking activities. TECHNICAL SKILLS: People: Counselling students, teaching, supervising clinical practise, leading change, motivating others, modelling behaviour, co-operating with agency and staff. Data: Record keeping, scheduling, balancing budgets. Performing Arts Sector: Piano, voice, video and film projector. Healthcare Sector: Health equipment (needles, syringes), ostomy equipment. Ideas: Problem solving —alternative solutions, devising new curriculum. |
