Volatile current events continue to push our physical and mental limits during this so-called “back to normal.” They impact everyone’s ability to make important future decisions that cannot be indefinitely put off, like how to choose career paths and education programs and career change. Here in North America, the Ukraine war, COVID-19’s evolution, economic inflation, and climate change are creating nonstop feelings of anxiety and lack of control.

Now more than ever, students and clients need career development professionals’ support to understand and learn how to control what they can, so they can make good decisions for their career-well-being. In other words, we can help them take the mystery out of change.

In the new 2022 5th Edition of “Counseling Adults in Transitions: Linking Schlossberg’s Theory with Practice in a Diverse World,” the authors list three assumptions, one of which is “we can take the mystery – if not the misery – out of change.” I love this, and their updated approach to Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Framework.

You’ll also like their other 2 assumptions,

1. Practice must be tied to theory

2. Counselors can follow the theory to practice model by organizing their thinking around 3 questions:

• What do counselors need to know?

• What are counselors likely to hear?

• What can counselors do with what they know and hear?

If you need a new reference tool for advising and counseling students and clients, I encourage you to buy this book.  Although the title says, “Counseling Adults,” today’s high school seniors and college students would benefit from the Transition Framework.

For example, the framework refers to “nonevents” as transitions.

• Not getting into medical or graduate school

• Suddenly unavailable financial or emotional support – due to death of a family member, job loss, or mental health crises

I love research-based frameworks like these that we know work – and are updated for today’s world.  I hope you find it useful too!

Reference

Anderson, Mary L, Jane Goodman, and Nancy K. Schlossberg. Counseling Adults in Transition: Linking Schlossberg's Theory with Practice in a Diverse World. 2022. Print.