Week 4

     After reading Chapters 2 and 3 (Brown, 2012), I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of theories presented.  I found myself wondering how to keep all of them straight and recognize the differences and similarities, which are somewhat subtle at times, between all the different theories.  I wrote a little last week about the case study we did in class and how applying Holland's theory to an actual case was very helpful in solidifying the important premises of the theory.  I left class with an increased understanding of Holland's theory and an added confidence in being able to use it practically.

     The Savickas article helped me understand and solidify the important premises of the postmodern theories, particularly Young, Valach, and Collin's Contextualist Theory of Career (2002), in much the same way. Indecision in post high school graduates will always be present as they embark on a completely new stage of life, filled with new experiences and infinite choices.  In addition to individuals in their late teens and 20's, however, it seems like more and more post college graduates are seeking to change careers as well.  People in their 30's, 40's, 50's and beyond, are all free to leave the career they've known for something else, something more fitting for who they've become through time.  I like that, when using this theory, the end goal is to look at and prepare for the future.  I imagine the client leaving each counseling session feeling encouraged and empowered to make choices that will lead them to personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

     I am still a bit unclear of the how to apply the first step of postmodern theories, evoking stories, to career counseling.  How do you get the client to share such specific stories?  How do you, as the counselor, pull out the most important ones related to the current life theme or themes you want to identify?  In the example case study from the article, how did the counselor decide on those three specific stories and why did the client title them in the way that she did?  Would the themes have been different if she would have chosen different titles?  I would like to explore some additional examples of constructivist theories in action to get a better grasp of how to identify the important stories that lead to the life themes.

     The constructivist theories have all been introduced to the world of career development fairly recently compared to the previous theories we have looked at.  It makes me wonder why they came about.  Maybe they were not needed prior to the early 2000's.  Maybe there was not as much freedom or societal acceptance for people to have different career hopes and dreams as the contexts surrounding their lives changed.  The emerging of this group of theories shows that the world of work and the individuals within it are constantly changing, which means the world of counseling must be constantly changing and evolving as well.


Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Savickas, M. L. (1995). Constructivist Counseling for Career Indecision. The Career Development Quarterly, 43(4), 363-373.