Therapists in Hamilton, ON

Determining whether a career counsellor is needed involves assessing one's current career and identifying what changes can be made to improve one's overall quality of life. In particular, feelings of loss of motivation, fatigue, anxiety, depression, procrastination, or ongoing levels of high stress can all be indicative of a need for career-related counselling. In addition, individuals changing jobs may want the decision-making support or self-reflection opportunities provided by a career counsellor.

Anyone can benefit from the self-reflection, skill development, and stress management techniques that career counselling can provide. However, individuals who are feeling overwhelmed or burnt out with their current job and individuals considering a major career change may particularly benefit from career counselling to improve their wellbeing. Additionally, individuals who are facing issues in their current job, such as coworker relationship challenges or not meeting performance goals, may benefit from the perspective that a career counsellor can provide. College-age or young professionals may also uniquely benefit from career counselling as they make key decisions surrounding education and job training that will impact their career trajectory.

The length of career counselling can vary greatly depending on the needs of the individual and what type of support they are seeking Career coaching or advising services—which serve clients in a specific, goal-oriented capacity—often last for a shorter duration and are sometimes only a single session or a few sessions in length. In contrast, career counselling as part of a more integrative therapeutic relationship with a counsellor may last longer, particularly if the issues faced by the client are longstanding and/or more complex in nature; in such cases, individuals may expect therapy to last multiple months or longer.

Clients can prepare for career counselling sessions by outlining the specific topics they would like to address with the counsellor, such as current job challenges or hopes for the future of their career. Compiling one's thoughts on such topics often requires reflection on one's career and future goals, which in itself can be beneficial for session preparation. Clients may also want to put together a list of questions they would like to ask the counsellor, particularly if the career counsellor they are seeing has particular expertise in a given career area. Conducting research into potential future jobs, training opportunities, or support resources in one's area may also help clients prepare for career counselling by providing them with a background of what resources are available in their area.