How do you support your client's well-being beyond just their career?

As a career counselor, you help your clients achieve their professional goals and navigate the challenges of the workplace. But your role also involves supporting their well-being beyond just their career. How do you do that? Here are some tips to help you foster a holistic approach to career counseling that considers the physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of your client's life.

1 Assess their needs

The first step to supporting your client's well-being is to assess their needs and preferences. You can use various tools and methods, such as questionnaires, interviews, inventories, or scales, to evaluate their strengths, interests, values, personality, skills, and coping strategies. You can also explore their sources of stress, satisfaction, motivation, and support in different domains of their life, such as family, health, leisure, spirituality, or finances. By doing this, you can identify their areas of concern, potential, and growth, and tailor your interventions accordingly.

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Cindy Lish

Accomplished Career Coach & former SAHM- Whether you're out of work for 20 minutes or 20 years, I can help you get RESULTS! 12 years expertise empowering 1,200+ women at every level!
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“Working with you was the beginning of my healing. I feel so grateful that I continue to meet the right mentors at the right time, and life continues to present these wonderful opportunities, “ a message I recently received from a former client. She was a corporate professional, turned, stay at home mom, in a challenging marriage. I empowered her to boost her confidence and see strengths in herself that she didn’t even realize she had, She successfully reentered the workforce, and continued to find mentors and grow in her career. I help my clients to look at all of the obstacles they have overcome in life, and realize that they can use that same to achieve anything they want in life. Stories are a great way to get this point across.

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2 Set realistic goals

The second step to supporting your client's well-being is to help them set realistic and meaningful goals for their career and life. You can use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to guide them in defining their objectives and action plans. You can also help them prioritize their goals and balance their expectations with their resources and constraints. By doing this, you can help them achieve a sense of direction, purpose, and fulfillment, and avoid frustration, burnout, or disappointment.

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3 Provide feedback and support

The third step to supporting your client's well-being is to provide feedback and support throughout their career journey. You can use various techniques, such as coaching, mentoring, counseling, or advocacy, to assist them in implementing their plans, overcoming obstacles, developing skills, and evaluating outcomes. You can also offer encouragement, recognition, validation, and empathy to boost their confidence, self-esteem, and resilience. By doing this, you can help them cope with stress, uncertainty, and change, and enhance their performance, satisfaction, and well-being.

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4 Promote self-care and wellness

The fourth step to supporting your client's well-being is to promote self-care and wellness practices that can improve their physical, mental, emotional, and social health. You can educate them about the benefits of healthy habits, such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, relaxation, mindfulness, or hobbies. You can also suggest resources, such as books, podcasts, apps, or online courses, that can help them learn new skills, gain insights, or find inspiration. You can also model self-care and wellness behaviors yourself and share your own experiences and tips. By doing this, you can help them prevent or reduce the negative effects of stress, fatigue, or boredom, and increase their happiness, vitality, and creativity.

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Ramya Sivakumar Bala

LinkedIn Community Top Voice-Career Management | Empathethic Career Strategist | Partnering with International Students & Migrants towards Inclusive & Equitable Employability | DEI & C.N.B.C Advocate
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I work with International Students as a Careers Advisor and understanding the unique challenges that a specific group of people face in their career journeys is important in assessing their needs, understanding their perspective with empathy and looking into ways of supporting their emotional and mental wellbeing as many a time there is resistance to getting help and resources on one's mental health. This is important to then encouraging and getting the right channels of support to students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

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5 Encourage networking and community

The fifth step to supporting your client's well-being is to encourage networking and community involvement that can expand their professional and personal opportunities and connections. You can help them identify and access relevant networks, groups, organizations, or events that can offer information, advice, referrals, or mentorship. You can also help them develop and maintain positive relationships with their colleagues, managers, peers, or mentors. You can also inspire them to contribute to causes or projects that align with their values, passions, or interests. By doing this, you can help them build social capital, trust, and belonging, and foster a sense of contribution, impact, and gratitude.

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6 Review and celebrate

The sixth and final step to supporting your client's well-being is to review and celebrate their progress and achievements. You can help them reflect on their learning, growth, and outcomes, and identify their strengths, areas of improvement, and future plans. You can also help them acknowledge and appreciate their efforts, challenges, and successes, and reward themselves for their hard work and dedication. You can also share your own feedback and appreciation for their collaboration and trust. By doing this, you can help them consolidate their learning, enhance their motivation, and reinforce their well-being.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you support your client's well-being beyond just their career?

1

2

3

4

5

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1 Assess their needs

2 Set realistic goals

3 Provide feedback and support

4 Promote self-care and wellness

5 Encourage networking and community

6 Review and celebrate

7 Here’s what else to consider

Career Counseling

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How do you support your client's well-being beyond just their career?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Assess their needs

2 Set realistic goals

3 Provide feedback and support

4 Promote self-care and wellness

5 Encourage networking and community

6 Review and celebrate

7 Here’s what else to consider

Career Counseling

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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