Career Counseling & Testing
Your career is an integral part of your life and your happiness. Career counseling and testing offers you the opportunity to think through where you fit in the world of work, choose a career path, or make adjustments and changes to your current career path. It might not necessarily mean changing careers, but instead addressing issues like anxiety and perfectionism which take a toll on your career and your happiness. Imagine waking up in the morning and actually looking forward to going to work! Career counseling and testing is available both in person and by Skype, so no matter where you live it is available to you.
For Those Already Working
Career Transitions
It is no longer the norm to find a job and stay in it throughout your career. On average, a person changes jobs more than 11 times in their lives. Those choices can have a huge impact on your life’s happiness. No matter your age, it is never too late to make a change. Some people find that as they advance in their career, they want to break out on their own and start their own business. That can be an exciting and possibly scary transition, and making a thoughtful and sound decision is critical to managing the worries and unknowns of becoming a small business owner. For career counseling and testing, I use a highly regarded and validated career assessment to determine what types of environments and activities would be the best fit. Imagine what you might choose to do with your career if fear wasn’t holding you back.
Issues in Career Development
Sometimes the issue isn't the career itself, but your confidence and comfort fulfilling your role and finding your voice. I work with many professionals and executives struggling with perfectionism and anxiety who devote extensive time to over preparation and worry, and go into every day feeling anxious about their performance at work. Imagine feeling good about yourself and relaxed at work, and going to sleep at night without racing thoughts or worry.
For Students
College and University Selection
With over 4000 colleges and universities in the United States, the choice of school can feel overwhelming. Transferring schools can ultimately cost both time and money. In making this important decision, it is important to consider the student’s personality, level of development and independence, as well as career goals.
There are multiple factors to consider in making this decision including:
- small liberal arts college versus a large university
- public versus private
- geographic location: near versus far
- career goals and interests
- student loan burden compared with likely salary
The best college fit happens when the student’s personality, development, and career interests match well with the school they attend. The best strategy is not simply picking the highest ranking school they are admitted to.
Struggling at an elite school and earning a lower GPA can harm a student’s application for grad school compared to someone who thrived with an excellent GPA at a lower ranked school. Career counseling and testing can help a student make this decision and start on a path of success.
Career Testing for High School Students
Testing to identify personality and career interests now can help shape the choice of school. Not all majors are available at all schools, and I have worked with many students struggling with the difficult decision to transfer schools as a result. The prospect of leaving friends and starting over as a transfer at another school can be very upsetting. At times this can also mean a loss of credits and paying extra tuition.
Similarly, I have seen students who wished they had identified their career interests prior to college to take advantage of combined bachelor’s and master’s programs available. These can save both time and money if they fit a student’s career goals. Some large universities have distinct undergraduate schools for careers such as engineering, education, music, and liberal arts.
Career testing can be completed in two sessions (more are available depending on need). The first session is a detailed intake designed to get to know things such as the student’s personality, level of independence, interests, and comfort in different school/work environments.
The career testing is completed online after the first session, and the reporting session presents the findings and puts it all together. Parents are welcome to attend the reporting session. The entire process can be completed in two weeks. Additional sessions are available depending on the needs of the student.
Career and Major Selection
Considering the amount of time and money we invest in our careers, this is an area of our lives we want to pursue with the knowledge and understanding to make a sound decision. In our country we face increasing tuition costs as well as pressures to choose a career path earlier and earlier. Students often graduate with student loan debt, and need to connect their majors to a viable career path.
As a result, making career decisions with as much information as possible is more important than ever. For high school and college students, career counseling and testing affords them the ability to look at the intersection between their personality and their interest areas. Considering not just the field of study, but the work environment in which they are most likely to thrive.
Why Me?
As a Counseling Psychologist, one of the cornerstones of my training was Vocational Psychology. In my doctoral program, I completed coursework on Vocational Psychology and a dedicated Externship in Career Counseling and Testing helping adults make career transitions using multiple assessment instruments. In my APA-Approved Pre-Doctoral Internship at Duke University, I spent a year working with highly achieving college students addressing career choice and career issues. I continued my work with college students at Colgate University. In private practice, I assist high school and college students in thoughtfully choosing their fields of study.
I provide assessment, counseling, and consultation for adults seeking career changes, as well as addressing career limitations such as perfectionism and anxiety. Sometimes the answer to unhappiness at work is not changing careers at all – instead it is addressing negative cognitions/thoughts holding you back.