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9 resources to boost your narrative career counselling practice

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Stories help ground our understanding of ourselves and those around us. Narrative career counselling involves engaging in a person’s story and developing that story to help inform their career decisions and related actions. Here are resources to help practitioners who are interested in applying narrative career counselling. 

Another Story to Tell: Outcomes of a Single Session Narrative Approach, Blended with Technology (Canadian Journal of Career Development) [Journal] 

To encourage continued engagement beyond an initial session that uses the narrative approach with technology, this study suggests that career professionals should elicit client stories, embrace evidence-based methods, and find and use tools to help clients organize their thinking. Page 43 features recommended methods and strategies for practitioners seeking to improve engagement in initial and follow-up sessions.   

Career Theories and Models at Work: Ideas for Practice (CERIC) [Book] 

This CERIC publication, edited by Dr. Nancy Arthur, Dr. Roberta Borgen (Neault) and Dr. Mary McMahon, includes a chapter on Narrative Career Counselling: The Storied Approach. In this chapter, Pamelia E. Brott provides an overview and explains the theoretical foundation of the Storied Approach, and then dives into its application in a case vignette.  

My Career Story Workbook (Mark Savickas) [Workbook] 

Mark Savickas is highly respected in the field and is often cited for establishing the narrative approach to career counselling. On this page, under the title dropdown menu My Career Story Workbook, the PDF titled 1. MCS description provides contextual background on narrative models and methods as the third wave of career intervention. The second PDF, titled 2. MCS-2, is a workbook that jobseekers can use to help them tell, understand and author their career story. 

Narrative Career Counselling: From Theory to Practice in Diverse Cultures and Contexts (Mary McMahon and Peyman Abkhezr) [Book] 

The third edition of this book publishes in fall 2024. It provides a theoretical foundation for narrative career counselling, presents a range of approaches that demonstrate the integration of theory and practice, studies the application of narrative career counselling in a range of cultures and contexts, and provides examples of practical applications.  

Narrative theory and life design (Tristram Hooley) [Video] 

Tristram Hooley is a professor of career education. In his lecture for the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hooley focuses on narrative theory and life design. He covers the way people refine stories about their career, the concept of life design, how to get people to tell stories, three-scene storyboarding, as well as criticisms on the approach.   

Online Storyteller: Who You Are Matters! Platform (OneLifeTools) [Tool] 

This resource is used as a self-directed narrative assessment and as a collaborative tool to enhance one-on-one sessions and includes a conversation aid. Clients are guided through a simple and engaging process of reflection, which results in substantive takeaways and guides next steps. 

Re-authoring career narratives: exploring identity in contemporary careers practice (British Journal of Guidance and Counselling) [Research] 

Researchers explored how re-authoring practices help clients make career decisions. They suggest that these methods help clients rethink their stories and understand their career identity as it evolves with changing career and work landscapes. One case example explores a structuralist questioning style that aims to identify actions in terms of “next steps” and “outcomes” as the basis for career decision-making. Another case example looks at questions that relate to answering who are you becoming? 

Storytelling: Connecting Culture, Creativity, and Career Development in the Classroom (NCDA) [Article] 

The Seven Stories Exercise and the SOAR method (situation, task, action, results) are among the strategies covered to help practitioners apply narrative career counselling in career exploration with young adults.  

Using storytelling in career development (CareerWise) [Article] 

Harnessing the power of storytelling can help jobseekers advance their career development. This is a list of several resources that career practitioners can use to help clients on their journey. 

Katrina Rozal Author
Katrina Rozal is a Communication Specialist. She has 10 years of combined experience in producing content for Canadian news media and the British non-profit sector.
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Katrina Rozal Author
Katrina Rozal is a Communication Specialist. She has 10 years of combined experience in producing content for Canadian news media and the British non-profit sector.
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