In this week’s ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with retired American psychologist, Richard Rotberg, who's written a book called Understanding and Managing Career Problems in Therapy.

The key points of this discussion on career counselling include:

• Sometimes a career issue is actually due to/linked with an underlying emotional, psychological, or behavioural issue.
• We don’t leave our personalities at the door when we go to work.
• When discussing your client’s career during counselling, asking the right questions can help you determine if it is a career issue or an underlying emotional one.
• It might feel uncomfortable to ask a client about their work.
• By asking a client what they do, you allow them to speak about their achievements and accomplishments. This may help them to feel more comfortable within the therapeutic relationship.
• They may begin to share more about the issues they’re having with work.
• In career counselling, you might find that your client is struggling with authority, co-workers, or people they supervise. These dynamics may parallel some of the relationships they have outside of work e.g. with family.
• Do the values of the client fit with those of the company they work for?
• You might find answers in a client’s history.