Action without action planning: the potential of the Career Thinking Session in enabling transformational career learning and development.

This paper examines the application of the Career Thinking Session (CTS) model to career guidance and counselling practice with young people through a critical consideration of a qualitative research study focusing on the case study of a client involved in the transition to higher education. The pilot study is summarised and the setting for the research is described. The origins of CTS are critically evaluated in relation to a number of relevant strands from published literature. The interpretivist qualitative methodology is then defended. Next, a case study of one client is presented to highlight themes identified in the data, showing the impact of the CTS model and its possible effectiveness as a tool for enabling agency, building confidence and establishing greater self-efficacy. The paper is concluded with some insights into the ways in which critical thinking in relation to self and career development can be encouraged and supported through the use of CTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]