Managing the Presence of Personal Issues in Career Counselling: Using Transactional Analysis with Possible Selves

Research indicates that career counsellors who integrate a client's personal issues into career counselling are rated more highly in terms of effective outcomes (Kirschner, Hoffman & Hill, 1994; Nevo, 1990). The challenge is how to address the personal and feeling component of clients' lives within career counselling contexts, where there is limited time and money. This paper presents a working solution. It argues for the use of the possible selves construct, as a framework for career counsellors to work with their clients in the processes of career development, and transactional analysis as a framework for the processes of career counselling. (Contains 2 figures.)