Purpose and career development: Implications for career counseling and counselor education

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences and constructed meanings that described counseling students’ purpose in life in relation to their career development. After conducting semi-structured interviews with 22 students, we adopted an inductive thematic analysis approach to the data. Findings suggested four themes: a career is a way to fulfill and awaken to life’s purpose, an awareness of purpose leads to wellness and career growth, the role of counseling in fostering clients’ purpose, and the role of faculty in strengthening students’ purpose. Based on these findings, we have provided recommendations on how to incorporate purpose, a critical component of wellness and career development in counseling sessions and counselor education programs.