A life-phase approach to adult career counseling is described in light of the current uncertain economic environment in which assistance in dealing with career-related issues is often sought through counseling intervention. The purpose of this paper is to state support for recent shifts in the goals and techniques of career counseling with adults from a developmental perspective. Discussion of the topic is divided into three areas of concentration. First, an overview of models of life span development is presented. Second, consideration is given to the reality of the changing environment as it affects relationships between individuals' development and the occupational world. Finally, the role of the career counselor is briefly described in the context of adult development. Implications for current trends in career counseling are discussed. The position adopted throughout this paper is one of commitment to the developmental life stage approach to counseling focused on people who can be identified as adults in transition and to the value of the role of process, versus task, in career counseling. (ABL)