Career Counseling and Coaching
Serving Clients from the Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia metropolitan areas.
I offer tele-counseling as well as in-person counseling.
What is the difference between career counseling and career coaching?
Do I need a career counselor or a career coach? I am often asked this question. My answer is that career counselors are the best career coaches available. In my practice I use the terms career counseling and career coaching interchangeably. Career counseling/coaching is a process to help a person identify and accomplish goals in the world of work while also taking into consideration the whole person’s needs, wishes, dreams, interests, personality preferences and lifestyle.
What kind of counseling/coaching model do you use?
I specialize in goal oriented, solution-based career counseling using a collaborative, empathic, integrative and dynamic model. I create an individualized career plan just for you. I help you identify and prioritize your concerns and collaboratively we set an immediate goal and a long term goal. I devise strategies to help you reach each goal. I assess you informally in a question and answer format, and formally I administer the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory, the Self Directed Search Interest Inventory, the Knowdell Care Values Card Sort, and the Knowdell Motivated Skills Card Sort.
What are some typical career concerns?
Some (but not all) of the career counseling issues I have helped people with over my twenty-five years of experience are:
- Career Exploration – Identify your values, interests, and skill sets to discover professional pathways that resonate with your personal goals.
- Career Identification – Pinpoint the ideal role or profession by assessing strengths, personality traits, and long-term ambitions.
- Career Change – Transition smoothly into a new field or industry with tailored strategies that align with your evolving interests and life stage.
- Career Management – Develop ongoing tactics to handle workplace challenges, achieve professional milestones, and maintain work-life balance.
- Career Advancement – Map out a clear plan for promotions, leadership roles, and continued growth within your current organization or new opportunities.
- Job Search Strategies – Learn modern search techniques, from traditional methods to digital platforms, to find the right positions that match your expertise.
- Networking – Build meaningful connections and cultivate professional relationships that can open doors to future opportunities.
- Interviewing Techniques – Master the art of interviewing with mock sessions, confidence-building tips, and communication skills training.
- Salary Negotiations – Develop the confidence and know-how to negotiate compensation packages that truly reflect your worth.
- Resume Revision & Portfolio Development – Craft compelling application materials that highlight your accomplishments, skill set, and unique value.
- Developing a Reference List – Gather strong endorsements and keep them well-organized for quick, seamless use during your job search.
- Cover Letter Guidelines – Learn how to create engaging, targeted cover letters that make a powerful first impression.
- Entering the Workforce for the First Time – Navigate the transition from education to employment with clarity and confidence.
- Re-entering the Workforce – Overcome employment gaps, update essential skills, and prepare for interviews to return to professional life.
- Retirement Planning – Strategize for a comfortable transition from a full-time career to a well-prepared retirement phase.
- Retirement Adjustment – Adapt to the emotional and logistical changes that accompany life after leaving the workforce.
- Occupation vs. Avocation – Clarify the difference between a fulfilling hobby and a meaningful career, ensuring both can coexist.
- Occupational Outlook – Stay informed about industry trends and future job prospects to make strategic decisions.
- Coping with Job Loss – Receive emotional support, practical guidance, and resourceful strategies to move forward after unemployment.
- Dealing with Difficult People in the Workplace – Learn effective communication and conflict-resolution techniques to foster a positive work environment.
- Finding a New Job While in Your Present Job – Discreetly explore fresh opportunities and handle professional transitions with integrity.
What distinguishes you from many other career counselors/coaches?
I have a unique advantage because I am a mental-health-trained career counselor who is able to work with emotional issues that often accompany career counseling such as:
- Job loss and the accompanying fear, sadness, and anxiety that may occur
- Entering or re-entering the workforce after a separation or divorce and the feelings of low self-esteem, anger, fear and sometimes depression that surface
- Career change which may be exciting and frightening at the same time
- Job relocation to another city, state, or country: the emotional effects on the family and the individual
- International career/education experiences and possible cultural shock and re-entry shock
- Networking strategies and coping with lack of confidence, anxiety
- Office politics and getting along with difficult people in the workplace
- Stress Reduction techniques
- Retirement Planning and devising a new plan to bring meaning into your life
- Retirement Adjustment: making new friends, enjoying more leisure time, maintaining self esteem
How can you help me?
- I provide you with an honest, empathic, encouraging, and caring relationship in a safe, private and confidential office setting.
- We will collaborate to devise a personal plan that lists and prioritizes your career concerns.
- Together we set goals that are specific, manageable, attainable, realistic and timely.
- We will focus on your existing strengths and present needs.
- Strategies and resources will be identified to help you meet your goals and achieve a positive outcome from your counseling.
- I have a record of positive outcomes in helping clients clarify and/or attain their career goals.