New directions for career counselling: paradigms in transition

Abstract

The importance of human development and of structural ecological and life-span perspectives of human development for conceptualizing and organizing career interventions is outlined. The commitment to goals of facilitating human development, the utility of a systems approach in conceptualizing and intervening in human career needs, concerns and problems, and the congruence between these values and career counselling action will be recognized important elements to change and construct the future of career counselling. Accordingly to these perspectives, new developments in professionals’ models and practice as well as actual contextual scenarios for women and academic life populations will be briefly referred. Finally, we will refer to some of the Portuguese practice in this area, where recent attempts have been made to define a more inspired developmental orientation of intervention strategies and techniques.