Hello Clark,
Thank you for sharing your insight and this detailed experience with us. You certainly did showcase many of the helping-related skills noted in Chapter 1 of this course that career development professionals are encouraged to use. The young man that you helped seemed to appreciate the support, but as you can see not everyone (Grandma) was comfortable receiving assistance through the helping relationship. This is a significant point to consider and I am glad it came up. This shows us that different personalities react in different ways to receiving mentoring, guidance, and support. Some individuals will need information explained to build trust while others will simply accept the needed assistance.
Our goal in the helping relationship is to meet the client and/or student where they are and provide them with services based on what they actually want to achieve. You did this for the young man because you could have tried to persuade him to spend more or to make another decision but instead, you discerned what he wanted to achieve and helped him from there. A nice example of being non-judgemental throughout the process. He is not quite ready for a bigger investment and you recognized this. Well done!
Charise