A Comparison of Career Counseling Provided by Master’s and Doctoral Counselors

Abstract

A survey of master’s- and doctoral-level practitioners is conducted to explore the current trends in career counseling practice. Master’s practitioners( n = 151) report significantly larger career counseling caseloads than do doctoral clinicians ( n = 150). Respondents who report an exclusive emphasis on career counseling consist almost entirely of master’s practitioners working from person-centered or cognitive-behavioral perspectives; no respondent reports using a specific career counseling theory. In responding to a career counseling case study, master’s practitioners desire additional information about the client’s personality and career values. Doctoral respondents desire additional family information about the client.