A (guided) meta-reflection theory of career counselling : a case study

Abstract

Major changes in the global economy over the past decades have resulted in increased levels of workand career-related uncertainty. Workers are continually confronted with issues of restructuring and transformation in the workplace. The theory and practice of career counselling need reshaping to enable young people to design successful lives and adapt to changing needs, changing interests and novel work experiences. Globally, career counselling theorists have taken on the challenge of revisiting and revising extant career theories to enable them to provide a time-appropriate service to their clients. This article discusses the theoretical base for a novel career counselling strategy that entails guiding clients to reflect and meta-reflect on their own career-related responses. A case study is discussed. It is hoped that the explicated strategy will provide career counsellors with a strategy to help clients choose not only appropriate careers but also use these careers to design and live successful lives.