Adjusting to the world of work or challenging it is a dilemma that career counselors and helpers encounter daily. Counselors and clients may opt for one of the following choices: (a) adjust to, and challenge the system, at the same time, (b) adjust to the system but do not challenge it, (c) challenge the system but do not adjust to it, and (d)…

In this article, the authors present two hypothetical cases, one of a Mexican American female college student and one of a Mexican immigrant adult male, and apply a culturally sensitive approach to career assessment and career counseling with each of these clients. Drawing from Leong, Hardin, and Gupta's cultural formulation approach (CFA) to…

The career development concerns of American Indians continue to receive limited attention in the vocational or career literature. To address this deficit, the current article will apply the cultural formulation approach to career counseling with American Indians. This article presents information on factors related to cultural and self-identity…

Career counselors are challenged to consider the cultural validity of the theories and models that guide their practice. The cultural formulation approach is proposed as an organizing framework for career counselors to consider cultural influences on their clients' career issues, related interventions, and the working alliance. The discussion…

Over the past decade, practitioners and scholars have struggled to explain women's career choices. The current language, including "opting out," "on and off ramping," and "mommy track," is not only inadequate but assumes a deviation from an accepted norm. We challenge the relevance of the paradigm against which women are being judged, namely, the…

Vocational psychology has recently begun examining the career development of marginalized and underrepresented populations. Social cognitive career theory provides a theoretical understanding of how cultural differences, resources, and barriers may affect the vocational choices and actions of individuals from minority populations. Contextual…

The authors identify several imperatives for counselors who are at the middle point in their professional encounters with computers. These imperatives include the following: don't expect miracles; examine software carefully; use software creatively; team with your client; optimize use of client data; capitalize on research capabilities; design…