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  • Shaping the story
  • Maree JG
  • ISBN: 9780627026843
  • eISBN: 9780627029035
  • ePub ISBN: N/A
  • 252 Pages | Published: 2007

Current career counselling narratives still relies predominantly on the results of psychometric tests. Furthermore, the use of psychometric tests in diverse contexts is problematic because

  • the results of the psychometric tests are often exaggerated and the career counsellor is regarded as the only expert whose recommendations are followed without questioning
  • the degree of objectivity that psychometric tests lend to career counselling does not give the client suficient opportunity to explore and develop the self.

We clearly need a shift away from the practice of modern counselling approaches, and narrative therapy is likely to be particularly appropriate, since it is part of the culture and way of life of the majority of our clients. For the first time ever, current approaches have been brought together in one publication. Eminent scholars, including Larry Cochran (Canada), Mark Savickas (US), Norm Amundson (Canada), Charles Chen (Canada), Wendy Patton (Australia), Mary MacMahon (Australia), Mark Watson (South Africa), Paul Hartung (US), Mark Winslade (US) contributed to the publication. Personal narratives of some exceptionally eminent people, including Belle Wallace (UK), Robert Sternberg (US), Erika Landau (Israel), Eunice Alencar (Brazil), Dorothy Sisk (US), Joe Renzulli (US), Alexinia Baldwin (US) and June Maker (US) are also included. The publication is concluded by R. Bar-On and M. Elias (US), who delineate the connection between storied counselling and social and emotional learning.

This book

  • presents an overview of international perspectives on the issues of narrative career counselling
  • critically analyses germane questions, such as "How vital and feasible is it to build on life stories in career counselling"?
  • facilitates an understanding and application of theories, goals, methods and assessments in narrative counselling
  • focuses on narrative counselling as an emerging theory for facilitating success in life
  • provides practical guidelines on the practice of narrative counselling in different contexts
  • examines the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of hermeneutic-narrative, postmodern and constructivist approaches to career counselling
  • presents ideas on how to engage clients actively
  • suggests ways of using life-story counselling to produce new identities for career practice.

This book is a priceless resource for scholars, academics, researchers, psychologists, teachers and, indeed, clients.

Prologue: Reshaping the story of career counselling

SECTION 1: THEORY
Chapter 1: The promise of narrative career counselling
Chapter 2: Narrative counselling: an emerging theory for facilitating life career success
Chapter 3: Theoretical underpinnings and practical application of a hermeneutic-narrative approach to career counselling
Chapter 4: Constructing a career narrative through the care of the self
Chapter 5: Life story counselling: producing new identities in career counselling
Chapter 6: Postmodern career counselling and beyond
Chapter 7: A storied approach to multicultural career counselling

SECTION 2: PRACTICE
Chapter 8: Career construction: principles and practice
Chapter 9: Theoretical underpinnings and practical application of constructivist approaches to career counselling
Chapter 10: "Listen to my story": identifying patterns and purpose in career counselling
Chapter 11: Weaving a learning community by the telling, deconstructing and retelling of life stories
Chapter 12: Utilising reminiscences: constructing boxes of memories to tell stories for life choices
Chapter 13: Engaging clients actively in telling stories and actualising dreams
Chapter 14: First steps in developing an interest inventory to facilitate narrative counselling

SECTION 3: PERSONAL STORIES
Chapter 15: Personal narratives of some eminent people

Epilogue: The relationship between Narrative Career Counselling, emotional intelligence (EI) and social-emotional learning (SEL)

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