ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the process and practice of career counseling and career development. The profession of counseling owes much to the field of vocational guidance. The field of career counseling is as old as the profession of counseling itself. Career development theories have their roots in many of the major theoretical orientations familiar to psychology and counseling students. As the career counselor is helping clients assess their traits, the career counselor must understand a host of work environment factors. Nancy Schlossberg’s theory has contributed greatly to career counselors’ ability to help clients cope with job loss and other significant life transitions. In working with clients, a career counselor might ask how each of the tasks is being attended to in their lives with the goal being a more integrated work, family, and community individual. Career counselors use a variety of tools and assessments to help inform their work with clients.
