Integrating Personal and Career Counseling: A Challenge for Counselors

Abstract

In recent years career counseling has often been viewed as separate and distinct from personal counseling, ignoring a long tradition in the career development field that h a s consistently recognized the importance of personality factors in the process of choosing and maintaining a career. This paper argues for the use of an eclectic career counseling model that embraces both personality and career development theories. The model requires the counselor to be able to move back and forth between the active and directive role of the career counselor and the facilitative and exploratory role of the personal counselor. A case is presented to demonstrate its application and implications for counseling and training are discussed.

Attitudes Regarding Career Counseling: Perceptions and Experiences of Counselors‐in‐Training

“…Findings of this study are consistent with the findings of previous studies (e.g., Anderson & Niles, 1995;Dorn, 1992;Imbimbo, 1994;Krumboltz, 1993;Manuele-Adkins, 1992) which showed that counseling students hold misconceptions regarding interrelationships between career and personal counseling. Participants with no previous career counseling experience lacked a framework for understanding the purpose or value of career counseling.…”

Career development with transgender college students: implications for career and employment counselors

“…Employment and career counselors should consider their role as a personal counselor as well as a career adviser. Imbimbo (1994) reported that distinguishing between career counseling and personal counseling disregards the reality that individuals have underlying issues that may interfere with career development (e.g., dealing with sexual orientation issues) and that a connection exists between one's work and one's life roles. Imbimbo also contended that each client will be different, and one may require short-term career guidance whereas another may need help dealing with self-esteem issues.…”

The well-being outcomes of career guidance

“…Fortunately, there are accounts of case studies where career counselling interventions have positively resolved personal or psychological difficulties (e.g. Blustein, 1987; Imbibo, 1994; Lenz et al, 2010; Lucas, 1993; Super, 1993; Tolsma, 1993). This is not the most robust kind of evidence, as these are counsellors’ own narrative accounts.…”