Career Counselling with Community College Students: Applicability of a Narrative Approach

Due to changes in the economy and therefore in the workplace, increasing numbers of students are attending community colleges. The applicability of traditional career counselling models for today's students is questioned, and a narrative approach is proposed as uniquely situated to complement and enhance existing practices. Many narrative interventions, such as the writing of therapeutic documents and the identification of "guides," mimic the community college culture, with its homework assignments and program advisors. Use of metaphor is a helpful tool for work with many types of clients represented at community colleges such as young adults and those from other cultures, and the strengths-based nature of this approach can help reduce acculturative stress. Lastly, the holistic examination afforded by a narrative approach can help illuminate potential internal or external client factors that may impact career decisionmaking.