Trauma informed career counseling for young adults with mental health conditions

Abstract

This article discusses the challenge of providing effective career counseling services for young adults with mental health conditions (MHCs) who have experienced trauma. We reviewed studies on trauma, career development, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and their impact on vocational functioning of young adults with MHCs and discussed implications of this review. Three cases are also presented to illustrate the way in which trauma and PTSD impact career counseling services. While there are evidence-based PTSD treatment approaches for young adults with MHCs, trauma-informed career counseling needs more research and development to facilitate vocational development among this population.