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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
The connection between career development and mental health has long been established within research as mutually impactful. Given this reality, there are significant implications for counselors working in various settings. Important societal movements focused on increasing access and equity for those with intersectional identities of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual identity, and ableism are rooted in the transformational power of career and work. This speaks to the centrality of career development in the human experience. The recent events of the pandemic have magnified awareness of the impact of struggles with career and work on overall well-being. Given these considerations, counselors are tasked with providing comprehensive and holistic support that addresses co-occurring career and mental health concerns.
Integrating Career Development and Mental Health Counseling focuses on counseling-centered approaches that integrate dimensions of career and mental health. Whether providing counseling in a community agency, K-12 school, private practice, college/university, or other institution, having the capability to address career concerns is essential to comprehensive counseling support. Relevant dimensions of career theory, research, and practice are included. Theoretically and empirically supported interventions that address co-occurring career and mental health concerns are also provided.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
1 Relevance of Career Development in Counseling
Career Development in Relation to Prevention and Wellness
Centrality of Career in the Counseling Profession
Definition of Terms
Career Counseling and Social Change
Frank Parsons
Conclusion
2 Career Development and Mental Health
Societal Trends in Career Development
Integration of Theory, Research, and Practice
Career Development and Mental Health
Executive Functioning
Affective Dimensions
Cognitive Dimensions
Familial and Personality Factors
Trauma
Conclusion
3 Integrated Assessments
Objective Assessments
Subjective Assessments
Conclusion
4 Integrated Career and Mental Health Frameworks
Dimensions of Mental Health
Foundational Theories
Conclusion
5 Marginalized Populations and Career Development
Counseling as a Scarce Resource
BIPOC Communities
LGBTQ+ Populations
Individuals Within Rural Communities
Neurodivergent Individuals
Intersectional Identities and Career Development
Conclusion
6 Integrated Service Delivery and Scope of Practice
Assessment
Practice
Differentiated Service Delivery Model
Referral
Collaboration Between Providers
Recommendations for Integration of Services and Scope of Practice
Conclusion
7 Ethical Dimensions of Career and Mental Health Support
Career Counseling’s Connection to Mental Health Support
Ethical Principles and Integrated Support
Client Safety
Beliefs and Values Related to Career and Work
Conclusion
8 Case Studies
Career and Mental Health in K-12 Schools
Career and Mental Health in Community Agencies
Career and Mental Health in Private Practice
Career and Mental Health in Governmental Agency Counseling
9 Future Directions of Integrated Career and Mental Health Counseling
Practice Considerations
Conclusion
References
Index
About the Author
Technical Support
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
Table 1.1 Significant Events in the Development of Career Development in the U...
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
Figure 1.1 The Indivisible Self Model
Chapter 2
Figure 2.1 The Theory, Research, and Practice Cycle
Chapter 3
Figure 3.1 Holland’s RIASEC Hexagon
Chapter 4
Figure 4.1
Chapter 7
Figure 7.1 The Accountability Bridge Model
Guide
Cover Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
References
Index
About the Author
Counselor Education in the 21st Century
WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
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Integrating Career Development and Mental Health in Counseling
SETH C. W. HAYDEN
Copyright © 2025 American Counseling Association. All rights reserved.
American Counseling Association2461 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 300Alexandria, Viriginia 22314
Published in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hayden, Seth C. W., author.Title: Integrating career development and mental health in counseling / Seth C. W. Hayden, PhD.Description: Alexandria, VA : American Counseling Association, [2025] |Includes bibliographical references and index.Identifiers: LCCN 2024055347 (print) | LCCN 2024055348 (ebook) | ISBN9781556204203 (paperback) | ISBN 9781394221592 (epub) | ISBN9781394221608 (adobe pdf)Subjects: LCSH: Vocational guidance. | Mental health counseling. |Counseling. | Career development.Classification: LCC HF5381 .H3333 2025 (print) | LCC HF5381 (ebook) | DDC650.101/9--dc23/eng/20250128LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024055347LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024055348
Acknowledgements
To my parents, Bill and Nan Hayden, my sister, Jeny Reinoso, and especially my amazing wife, Jaci, who have encouraged and supported me over the years. To my three girls, Hadley, Eileen, and Lanie, who inspire me to work toward creating a world where they can thrive. To my mentors and colleagues at the University of Memphis, University of Virginia, Florida State University, and Wake Forest University, whose dedication to the counseling profession and counselor education is incredibly inspiring. To Carolyn Baker, Christine Fruin, and Tom Cadorette at the American Counseling Association, whose dedication and hard work were instrumental in the completion of this book.
And to all counselors who tirelessly strive to alleviate suffering and enhance career and mental well-being. Your efforts to support those in need truly make the world a better place.
1Relevance of Career Development in Counseling
“So, tell me about the binder, ” I asked. This statement arose out of curiosity while engaging with someone in a university career center. They came to the university career center for a résumé critique, a reasonably common request in this context. Facilitating a résumé critique is often a relatively straightforward task in which the career practitioner reacts to the information in the document to determine strategies for effectively conveying one’s educational and professional background to secure an opportunity or position. This activity occurred frequently in my work in this facility. Given my background as a mental health counselor and my burgeoning interest in the connection between career development and mental health, I tended to consider the broader context of individuals’ experiences in relation to career and work regardless of the perceived need (e.g., résumé critique, interviewing skills, negotiating a job offer). Most often, these inquiries would uncover a reasonable response directly connected to their perceived need. In this instance, my mindset of comprehensive analysis got the best of me when viewing their significantly large binder. This statement led us down a path to a significant mental health assessment and referral, which was the protocol within this facility.
I have often reflected on this experience as an example of the connection between career development and mental health. Though this occurred within the context of a career center, the experience of career and personal struggles is not facility-specific. I’ve had several experiences across various settings (e.g., community agency, hospital, secondary school) in which co-occurring career and personal concerns were presented. My training as a counselor, focused on wellness, created a lens of seeing all aspects of the human experience as interconnected. My work in my doctoral program in a community-facing training clinic focused on career added depth to my awareness of the impact of the interconnection between career and mental health.
As a counselor educator, I have encountered students who demonstrated a rather tepid interest upon their initial exposure to the subject matter of “career.” This was, in fact, my own first reaction to the study of the career realm. Like me, however, the students soon realize the salience of this aspect of people’s experience upon the commencement of their clinical training. The training of counselors often involves compartmentalizing specific topics within distinct courses, with those specializing in clinical mental health counseling primarily focusing on mental diagnoses and illness, minimizing career as a primary concern.
Events such as the global pandemic, economic downturns, and other societal factors significantly affect people’s ability to fully engage in positive career development and mental health. Given the significant impact of these experiences, counselors are well positioned to support those in need in various settings. Being intentional in learning critical elements of providing career and mental health support is essential to holistically addressing complex concerns.
Career is a central feature of the human experience and, therefore, an essential element of professional counseling. The beginning of the counseling profession in the United States is attributed to Frank Parsons and his establishment of a career counseling center in Boston in 1909 (Hartung & Blustein, 2002). Contemporary formulations of wellness, such as the “Indivisible Self” (Myers & Sweeney, 2004), also indicate career as an essential element of wellness.
Career Development in Relation to Prevention and Wellness
The Indivisible Self Evidence-Based Model identifies career as a secondary factor within the primary factor of Creativity (Myers & Sweeney, 2004). The interconnected domains indicate the relationship between different elements of functioning (see Figure 1.1). As one experiences challenges in one area, it will likely contribute to difficulties in other domains. For example, anxiety around making a career decision might contribute to challenges in one’s relationships, sleeping patterns, etc. A point of hope for counselors related to this interconnectedness is that receiving positive support with a concern can have positive manifestations across other domains of functioning. This speaks to the importance of offering effective support in multiple areas of an individual’s experience. More specifically, research on wellness and career-sustaining behaviors for professional counselors found a link between these variables (Lawson & Myers, 2011), further illustrating the connection between career and wellness.
Figure 1.1The Indivisible Self Model
Researchers have also linked career development with prevention, a primary focus of the counseling profession. The effects of providing effective career support related to mental health and wellness factors can mitigate deleterious outcomes in these domains (Kenny & Di Fabio, 2009). Career development support also has the potential to enhance personal agency by empowering individuals with skills for effective career decision-making and problem-solving (Hayden et al., 2021). Prevention and wellness and their connection to career development offer further evidence of focusing on career development within counseling.
Centrality of Career in the Counseling Profession
Researchers have long considered the relationship between career-focused counseling and traditional psychotherapy (McIlveen, 2015). The connection between mental health and career issues frequently leads mental health-focused counselors to help their clients deal with work satisfaction, underemployment, or unemployment through psychotherapy (Cardoso, 2016).
The definition of counseling, in addition to accreditation standards, specifically identifies career as an essential component of counseling practice. The 20/20: A Vision for the Profession of Counseling project was a multi-year endeavor to develop a consensus definition of the counseling profession. Through an intensive process that implemented a Delphi method (i.e., input from experts) and consultations with divisions of the American Counseling Association (ACA), the project produced a consensus definition of counseling: “Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.” (Kaplan et al., 2014). The inclusion of “career” in this definition highlights its importance within a conceptualization of counseling.
The National Career Development Association (NCDA), a division of the American Counseling Association (ACA), predates ACA with its initiation as the National Vocational Guidance Association in 1913 (NCDA, n.d.). This illustrates the long history of career development and counseling within the counseling profession and in the United States.
In addition, the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation standards have consistently included career development in the foundational counseling curriculum. This has precipitated the provision of a specific career development and counseling course in CACREP-accredited programs of study. The 2024 standards pertaining to career development and counseling include the following: theories and approaches to career development and decision-making (Standard 3.D.1); approaches for conceptualizing the interrelationships among and between work, socioeconomic standing, wellness, disability, trauma, relationships, and other life roles and factors (Standard 3.D.2); developmentally responsive strategies for empowering individuals to engage in culturally sustaining career and educational development and employment opportunities (Standard 3.D.7); and strategies for improving access to educational and occupational opportunities for people from marginalized groups (Standard 3.D.11; CACREP, 2023). The definition of counseling, the inclusion in accreditation standards, and the history of career development in relation to the profession emphasize the importance of this topic within counseling services.
Despite these indicators of this topic’s importance within counseling, it is a puzzling reality that students often view career development as less important than other topics within the counseling curriculum. Instructors of the career course indicated the challenge of engaging students in a topic they had little interest in, as well as making the course relevant for them (Osborn & Dames, 2013). In addition, professional school counselors have indicated a lack of confidence in facilitating career readiness in their settings, in both practice and training (Ockerman et al., 2023; Novakovic et al., 2021). Research has indicated that school counselors are more likely to engage in college and career readiness activities when they feel it is important (Novakovic et al., 2021; Anctil et al., 2012), emphasizing the need to elevate career development and counseling within counselor education and training as it impacts the delivery of counseling services.
This creates a unique tension in the preparation of counselors to effectively address career concerns within counseling, as there is a misalignment between the profession and the aspirations of those pursuing careers as counselors. One of the aims of this text is to support those associated with counseling in approaching career concerns both clinically and pedagogically by enhancing their understanding of the complexity of career development, its connection to mental health, and instilling enthusiasm for the subject matter.
Definition of Terms
Before discussing career development and its relevance to counseling, it is important to acknowledge the terminology used to define elements of career development support. There are variations in the specific terms used to describe career services, impacted by history, the context of service delivery, and global elements. Savickas (2003) has spoken at length about the origin of career support in vocational guidance and the evolution of language in describing the iterations of career support. Herr (2013) detailed the history of vocational guidance and its ongoing development in the counseling profession. The following are specific descriptions of various career and vocational support iterations to ensure the reader understands their similarities and differences as we examine career development within counseling. They are listed in alphabetical order for ease of reference.
Career coaching
: Future-focused support involving a more directive approach in which concrete steps are provided for the individual to research and reflect on their careers (indicated by Megan Collins Myers in Lupton-Smith et al.,
2024
).
Career counseling
: A specialty within the profession of counseling, one that fosters vocational development and work adjustment of individuals at each life stage by engaging them in life planning aimed at the psychosocial integration of individual’s abilities, interests, and goals with the work roles structured by the community and occupations organized by companies (Savickas,
2003
).
Career development
: Lifelong psychological and behavioral processes and contextual influences shaping one’s career over the lifespan (Niles & Karajic,
2008
).
Career education
: Refers to the totality of experiences (school-based and otherwise) that help individuals acquire and use the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to make work a meaningful, productive, and satisfying part of life (Rojewski,
2006
).
Career guidance
: Supports individuals and groups to discover more about work, leisure, and learning, and to consider their place in the world and plan for their futures (Hooley et al.,
2023
).
Career planning services
: The active provision of information designed to help clients with specific needs (NCDA, 2015, p. 3).
Other terms, such as vocational education and vocational guidance, have been historically used to support individuals in their career development in various counseling and educational settings. There has been an evolution of vocational guidance to career guidance, with earlier forms focused primarily on supporting adolescents and delivered within schools. Career guidance programs, career counseling, and career services involve consideration of the total spectrum of children and adult populations, including retirees (Herr, 2013). The provided definitions are designed to provide a basic understanding of relevant concepts within career development pertaining to mental health support and the provision of counseling.
Career Counseling and Social Change
The counseling profession has a long history of supporting many diverse populations, many with their own specific concerns. Within the helping professions, counseling possesses a unique origin and identity that impacts several aspects of the profession. Since its initial genesis, counseling has evolved significantly. The focus within clinical and scholarly aspects of the profession has shifted based on prevailing elements within broader society and awareness of dimensions of mental health. The importance of work cannot be understated. A quote from the In-Work Project, an endeavor aimed at improving the improving of marginalized populations in the labor market and funded by the European Commission, effectively describes the importance of work:
It is not only an indispensable means of enhancing individual senses of usefulness and belonging, but also of providing financial means. Work is also central in several other dimensions, namely in its role as a socialising mechanism, as a source of social exchanges, and individual identities. Thus, work can be seen as the pillar of social organisation, but also, to a large extent, as an important pillar of the existential organisation of individuals. It is a fundamental feature in many dimensions of social integration, such as health, housing, and interpersonal networks. (in-work-project.eu, n.d.)
Career development has historically been a touchpoint for awareness and action in social consciousness and mobility. As societies have evolved, the impact of work on people’s lives and well-being has had significant implications. Within the United States, notable events have changed and shaped both career and work, which has provided an enhanced understanding of the centrality of work in people’s lives. The aforementioned roots of the counseling profession in the United States involved societal advocacy when Frank Parsons conceptualized career development as involving personal factors and focused on social reform for poor immigrants (Stebleton & Eggerth, 2012).
Societies evolve with geographic shifts, technological advancements, and significant events and movements. At the heart of many of these changes is career and work. Advancements for marginalized groups such as women, LGBTQ+, and people of color have been made through occupational access and attainment. Dr. Mark Pope’s Social Transition State Model (2000) examines the evolution of career and work in the United States. Starting with the 1890s and working up to 2000, he identified various societal events and movements in the U.S. and their implications for career-focused support in service delivery and educational settings. This work contextualizes this ongoing process of social change and how it intersects with career services.
There has been additional consideration of career development and its connection to broader societal events and forces. Hagen and Hagen (1995) examined the profound effects of the Civil Rights Acts of 1965 and 1991, expanding on the application of disparate impact and treatment of employment discrimination. Legislation such as this has often focused on the workplace as a venue for the manifestation of equal treatment under the law.
Alshabani and Soto (2020) have also examined the impact of career counseling for women in the early 20th century and its influence on their mobility within the workplace in the United States. The feminization of careers, variation of support based on racial groups, and focus on providing career support to White, educated, nonimmigrant women have inhibited the development of effective career counseling for women. They recommend future research on career-focused counseling for women of color.
Shen-Miller et al. (2012) outline the historical events concerning career development in the United States (Table 1.1). This organization of career and work in stages indicates a shift in career based on developments and societal events.
Table 1.1Significant Events in the Development of Career Development in the U.S.
Stage
Timeframe
Notable Events
One
1890–1914
Post-Civil War, Urbanization, Beginning of Vocational Guidance
Two
1914–1929
Focus on Measurement, Vocational Education and Organization, Post-WWI Vocational Support
Three
1929–1939
The Great Depression, Widespread Economic Depression, Vocational Legislation
Four
1940–1957
Post-WWII, Increase in Vocational Instruments, Shift from Vocational Guidance to Career Counseling and Development
Five
1958–1970
Space Race, Increased Focus on Science and Technology, Civil Rights Movement, The Great Society
Six
1970–1979
Enhance Attention to Career Needs of Ethnic Minorities and People with Disabilities, Career Development Theory Focused on Social Learning
Seven
1980–1989
Second Largest Wave of Immigration, Increase Attention on the Needs of Diverse Populations, Shift to Holistic Models of Career Development
Eight
1990–2005
Enhanced Focus on School-to-Work Transition, Attention to Inclusivity within Career Development Theories, Career Counseling Outcome Research, Rise Postmodern Career Theories
Nine
2005–present
Information Age, Globalization, Automation of Labor, Pandemic, Social Justice Movement, Standards and Credentialing in Career Services
Though a central feature of the human experience, career development is not always fully considered within the counseling profession. One could argue that counseling originated within the context of addressing societal elements of career. The enhanced focus on mental health within counseling is an understandable development, given the evolving societal awareness of mental well-being. This text aspires to step away from the compartmentalization of domains of human functioning to provide evidence for the integration of career development and mental health and the implications of integration for counseling practice, research, and training. The following is information on the history of career-focused counseling and social movements in the U.S. and how career development connects with the primary features of the counseling identity (e.g., wellness, prevention).
Frank Parsons
Frank Parsons’s work was instrumental in shaping the counseling profession. Parsons advocated for a systematic approach to understanding oneself and determining the degree to which this knowledge informs vocational choice. From 1906–08, he developed the vocational guidance movement (Jones, 1994). He advocated for using a scientific approach to select a vocation with consideration for a person’s aptitudes, abilities, ambitions, resources, and limitations (Parsons, 1909). The creation of the Vocational Bureau of Boston and the establishment of principles that guided vocational guidance were landmark contributions to the field. This expansion of the process of vocational choice, which includes dimensions of self, was instrumental in establishing the profession of counseling (Blustein & Hartung, 2002).
Parsons’s approach was instrumental in enacting social change in the realm of work during this time (O’Brien, 2001). The early 20th-century social and political reformation movements possess the possibility of offering a relevant vision for contemporary times by comprehending career decision-making and counseling as a socially situated process entailing purposeful reasoning, prudent intuition, and sustained efforts at ameliorating social injustice (Hershenson, 2008). This legacy of improving societal conditions and enacting interventions designed to enhance an individual’s ability to work meaningfully still resonates with the counseling field (O’Brien, 2001).
Parsons’s Trait and Factor Theory
Parsons (1909) viewed three primary factors in vocational choice: a) a clear understanding of yourself involving aptitudes, abilities, interests, ambitions, resources, limitations, and their causes; b) knowledge of the requirements and conditions of success related to advantages and disadvantages, compensation, opportunities, and prospects in different lines of work; and c) true reasoning on the association between these two groups of factors. Contemplating the combination of these elements is essential in making the “greatest decision” of one’s life (Parsons, 1909, p. 5). The introduction of this framework stimulated research focused on obtaining detailed information about individual differences and methods of assessment (first step), occupations (second step), and the decision-making prospect itself (third step) (Herr, 2013).
This focus on traits and factors that inform the career development process has been a bedrock for career frameworks and theories since its inception (Hartung & Blustein, 2002). Many contemporary theories have stemmed from this approach. Though there is some indication that the concept of trait and factor within vocational guidance predated Parsons (Hershenson, 2008), Parsons’s systematization of the approach and identification of specific characteristics, such as the aforementioned primary factors, contributes to the continual attribution of the beginning of vocational guidance to his early conceptualization of career decision making.
More can certainly be said about Parsons’s work. There are also several additional iterations of career development and frameworks for support. Subsequent chapters will discuss additional career development theories and relevant factors related to career development. As indicated, this text intends to centralize career development within the counseling profession and enhance the abilities of counselors and those who train them to address the career development concerns of those they serve. Though abstract at times, the information provided is designed to be directly applied in practice and training. The following sections are designed with this aim in mind. Views from the Field offers practitioners’ perspectives on specific topics within each chapter to provide diverse voices from those in the field operating in various settings. The Pro Tips for Providers is designed to offer quick reference tips for consideration for those addressing career-related concerns within counseling. The aim is to focus the information on developing specific interventions to implement within a therapeutic engagement.
The following chapters will expand on what has been identified in this chapter and introduce new elements for consideration. My aspiration for this text is that it will help ensure all counselors consider the connection between career development and mental health in all settings.
Conclusion
Career development and counseling are the foundational focus of the counseling profession. As society has evolved, realizing the importance of work in personal fulfillment and societal advancement has inculcated the intersection of career development and mental health. Counselors with an awareness of the centrality of career development in the human experience are well positioned to offer integrated career and mental health-focused support. The dynamic landscape of career and mental health necessitates an informed and integrated approach in which these topics are addressed simultaneously. Through this lens, individuals can form a framework of counseling in which attention is devoted to both career and mental health concerns and the relationship between these domains.
Pro Tips for Providers
Become familiar with the history of career in relation to the development of the counseling profession as it contextualizes the unique identity of the counseling profession and its focus within the helping professions.
Learn the connection between career development and other elements of human functioning via conceptualizations of wellness.
Consider career development as a means of prevention and ways in which career support can mitigate difficulties in other areas, such as mental health.
Career development can also be viewed as a means of enhancing agency in relation to career decision-making and problem-solving via skills development.
Emphasize career development within counseling practice and training as this reflects indicated evidence of the importance of these topics within the experience of those receiving counseling services.
Views from the Field
Amy Willard, MA, NCCWake Forest University
Any Willard has over ten years of career development experience working with individuals and groups in the higher education setting. She is currently the Director of Student Career Education and Experience in the Office of Personal Career Development at Wake Forest University, where she serves liberal arts and sciences undergraduate students. She collaborates with academic and campus student engagement partners to integrate career development across campus.
The intersection of career development and mental health is a compelling narrative that unfolds frequently within the university setting. Drawing from my experience as a university career counselor, I witnessed the transformative power that intentional career guidance can have on the mental health of students. Contextual influences, including social, political, and economic factors, shaped career counseling interventions.
These factors affect university students’ mental health. This was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and the years since. University students were grappling with loneliness on full campuses, social/political reckoning nationally, virtual technology fatigue, the loss of internships and jobs, and grieving the loss of loved ones. These instances affected students across colleges and universities nationally, and their well-being suffered.
During the pandemic, my career center’s career counselors sent emails to our caseloads offering support for our students beyond career development to mitigate and triage their mental health. One reply I received from a student was noticeably clear. They were suffering from depression after losing a job opportunity that they had worked so diligently to land. The student felt hopeless that no one was in a similar position as them (no internship experience and no job/internship offer) and dwelled on other areas of their life that were not going well. The pandemic compounded these feelings for this student. I shared that many peers experienced similar, if not the same, circumstances—they were not alone. I worked with them to instill hope, focus on their strengths, and receive appropriate services for their underlying symptoms. Symptomatically, what the student was experiencing was beyond the boundaries of competence within my role. Therefore, I referred the student to another university service where the student received proper care.
However, addressing mental health concerns without acknowledging the role of career can leave a critical piece of the puzzle unexplored. As a result, I worked alongside the student “to foster greater self-clarity within [themselves], who then [used their] enhanced self-understanding to identify career options that help translate life experiences into career opportunities” (Amundson et al., 2014, p. 3). This translated to the student switching career paths to positions better aligned with their background, interests, skills, and values. Additionally, I encouraged the student to register for an alumni event to connect with industry professionals. By increasing their self-efficacy, creating attainable goals, and reversing their narrative from a place of deficit to strength, the student landed a full-time position a few months later.
As a career counselor, I utilize essential helping skills to navigate the underlying stress and anxiety expressed through their body language (often not shared verbally) and hold space for students. Oftentimes, they enter the office with a particular career development question(s) to solve but cannot move forward. “The client’s presenting issues aren’t necessarily the only or most immediate need” (Smith, A. C. & Peterssen, K., 2024, p. 245). Therefore, students bring not only their career aspirations into the room but also their life stories and backgrounds, which can affect their mental health. Recognizing the interconnectedness of these elements allows us to provide more holistic and effective interventions. Redekopp and Huston (2019) state that “In essence, all career development interventions are well-being interventions” (p. 252). Addressing these issues enables students to progress in their career development more effectively. It comes from a place where they increase their mental well-being and focus on their strengths, what is happening now, and what they can do to keep advancing toward their goals. In the dynamic landscape of counseling, understanding the centrality of career in the human experience is paramount.
