Career development in individuals living with epilepsy: A reflective lifeworld phenomenological study

Abstract

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder experienced as seizures, which can occur at intermittent times along a continuum of severity. Currently, there is a need for scholarship exploring how epilepsy impacts career development. This reflective lifeworld phenomenological study examined, ‘‘How is career development experienced in individuals living with epilepsy? Eight participants were interviewed to explore the intersubjective contextual experience of the phenomenon. The resulting structural essence, running on ice in the midst of the fog, contains four constituents: existence of epilepsy, running on ice, the fog, and gaining traction. Implications for career development counseling and scholarship are described.