The development of effective public policy regarding career counseling requires a close connection with counseling process issues. This paper focuses on three aspects of the counseling process which have major implications for policy: (1) problem definition; (2) the dignity of the person; and (3) the importance of imagination, creativity, and flexibility. In considering the problem, the Human Resources Development Canada describes four areas where clients need assistance. The first, career exploration and decision making, is where clients address issues related to self- and occupational understanding and career decision making. The second, occupational skill development, concerns client skill level. The third, employability, focuses on job search techniques. The fourth, job maintenance, focuses on the skills clients need to maintain employment and function smoothly in the existing job market. There is a certain vulnerability that comes with unemployment and, therefore, a need to focus on affirmation efforts. In pursuing this goal the uniqueness of each person must be respected. Affirmation can come from many different sources, such as family and friends, support groups, and employment counselors. Within the context of social and economic upheaval it is difficult for clients and counselors to rely on many of the traditional methods of planning and decision making. This results in an acute need for flexibility and creative problem-solving methods. It is to this end that career policy and practice must be directed. (Contains 28 references.) (JDM)