The Narrative Approach

How does the career counseling process use the past to look towards the future?

The use of the narrative approach within career counseling serves to investigate past events to create a plan to achieve desirable outcomes. 

The first step in the process of creating a career narrative begins with identifying a career problem or problems and setting vocationally-oriented goals.  These issues a client identifies can focus on variety of events including unsatisfactory work environment or salary.

Following the identification of problems and goals, the client is asked to give histories of the(se) issue(s) in order to allow the client and counselor to have a better understanding.  The histories of these career issues detail how the problem arose, what initiated this desire for change, and how the issue has looked over time.  As the client tells his/her story, the counselor and the client work as team to discuss the meanings of these histories to help the client determine how the problem has contributed to the big picture.  This is important in understanding the impact the issue has had.

Next, the counselor works with the client to revisit and explore certain events described within the story to identify a more ideal career situation.  The conversation focuses upon what pieces of the client would like to specifically change or see change to.  This step is crucial, because by revisiting the story, the client is more likely to evaluate the story, and see the story from a different perspective.  This could be as simple as finding a job that has a higher salary in order to alleviate stress surrounding financial issues. 

By creating a different perspective and a more solidified idea of an ideal career situation, the client and counselor can return to the initial problems and discuss how to go about solving them.  Within the narrative approach, the counselor and client work to create a detailed plan in working towards a career goal.  The plan is detailed in the sense that it includes what activities may lead the client towards their goals in addition to potential obstacles s/he will face along the way.  These goals could include returning to school or applying for jobs outside of the client’s current occupational field.  The obstacles a client may identify within this plan could potentially include monetary issues or a decline in level of motivation over time. 

The narrative approach to vocational counseling allows the client to take a step back, and look at their stories more closely. 

·         Investigation of past events can lead to the identification of what needs to change, and potential methods to change it.

Howard, Kelli. (2012, November). Postmodern therapies: solution focused & narrative. Counseling Psychology.  Lecture conducted from University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
  
Savickas, M. L., Nota, L., Rossier, J., Dauwalder, J. P., Duarte, M. E., Guichard, J., Soresi, S.,     Esbroeck, R.V., & van Vianen, A. E. (2009). Life designing: A paradigm for career construction in the 21st century. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75(3), 239-250.