Career Counseling

Are career choices making you feel stuck? Career counseling services can help you find the direction and confidence you need in your career.

Eddins Counseling emblem

Career Counseling
in Houston, TX and Online

Can You Benefit From Career Guidance & Coaching?

  • Do you feel unfulfilled in your career?
  • Do you dread going to work each day?
  • Are you unsure which career is right for you?
  • Do you feel stuck and uncertain about what step to take next?
  • Are you planning for your first career or college major?
  • Are you ready for a career change?
  • Has a recent job change left you stressed or unfulfilled?
  • Would you like to take a career assessment to find out your strengths?
  • Are you undergoing a forced transition and now have the opportunity to consider what you REALLY want to do with your life?
  • Are you re-entering the workforce after a prolonged absence?

Career Counseling Services Can Help Choose or Change Your Career, Plan for Advancement & Cope with Workplace Challenges. We offer career counseling in Houston & online.

demo photo 1 x 1 1200

Take Back Control of Your Life With
Career Counseling Services

Give us a call at 832-559-2622 to find out more about Career Counseling in Houston. Or click "Get Started Now" to schedule an appointment online with our Career Counseling Services counselors today. We have therapists near the Montrose, Heights & Sugar Land neighborhoods and offer online therapy in multiple states.

Starting To Feel Unmotivated?

Career opportunities and career paths are more diverse than ever. Few people stay with the same career over their lifespan and our career needs change as our lifestyle changes. Choosing the right job can be a difficult task. Current students might worry about declaring a major, landing a high-paying job, or figuring out who you want to be in the world. Perhaps you feel pressured to make a decision. Maybe you’ve just been laid off or have decided to re-enter the working world after some time away. You might feel lost, unsure of your qualifications, or nervous about embarking on a job hunt again.

Or, you might feel unmotivated in your current job. Perhaps you spend your work week stressed, exhausted, or unsatisfied with your tasks. You might look forward to the weekends and vacations and dread every Monday. Although you know you’re not happy, you may fear making a big career change and risking your security. Perhaps you worry that you don’t have any valuable skills. What if you can’t find something better? Is there a job out there that will make you happy, fulfilled, and excited?

If you are unhappy in your job or unsure of how to start, we can help. Your career is a large part of your life. You don’t need to spend years feeling lost, unmotivated, and unfulfilled. There is a path for you.

demo photo 1 x 1 1200
Eddins emblem white

Finding the Right Career Can Feel Overwhelming

Career Decisions Can Be Hard To Make.

Many people feel anxious about their career choices. No one wants to spend their days in a job that makes them miserable. Even if a job is “okay” or “fine,” feeling unfulfilled or bored can drain energy and enthusiasm for life. Whether they are a college student, just entering the working world, in the middle of a career or life transition, or have been in their job for decades, most people want a job that utilizes their skills and makes them proud of what they do each day.

Sometimes, you may feel as though there is no such job for you. But everyone has a path, and we can help you find yours. By clarifying your interests, values and skills, examining your resume and cover letter, looking at your life experience, and identifying what is relevant to your dream career, we can help you see yourself in a fresh, more positive way.

Many of our clients don’t see all the strengths they actually do bring to the table because we tend to take what comes easy to us for granted. In fact, because the things you excel at come easily to you, you may not realize that you have a talent for public speaking, design, time management, woodworking, etc. Once you and your counselor have identified your core strengths, you can develop a better understanding of your unique job qualifications.

demo photo 1 x 1 1200

What is Career Counseling & Coaching?

  • Career counseling helps you discover your passion, choose satisfying careers, build career management skills, achieve professional experience and goals, and improve your ability to market and promote yourself in the job market.
  • Career coaching helps you maximize your personal and professional potential, clarify what matters most and be in charge of your own life and career.
  • A career coach is an objective partner for career planning – one step at a time.
  • Career coaching is not career advice-giving (everyone else is already doing this – with good intentions). We don’t make career decisions for you. You are the expert in your life and work and with coaching you can be creative and resourceful. We encourage self-discovery and elicit client-generated solutions and strategies. This ensures you have the tools to trust yourself to find answers in the future.
  • When it comes to job search and business development “how-to” information such as preparing for a job interview, career coaching is more directive, providing specific steps.
  • Career coaching helps remove obstacles such as fear of failure, lack of confidence, and procrastination so that you can grow and move forward in your career.
  • Career counseling is not a job placement or recruitment service although we can help you find one depending on the career path you select. 

Our Career Development Assumptions:

We utilize a “whole person” approach to career services and life decisions, meaning we recognize that you and your career are inseparable. We are interested in helping you achieve greater satisfaction in your life and will help you align your career goals to match your personal goals and desires including health and wellness. This includes recognizing when career difficulties are a reflection of personal difficulties. Each person’s greatest room for growth is in the area of his or her greatest strengths. Focus on your strengths not your weaknesses. We’re not asking a small question, “What do I want my career to be?” We’re asking a bigger question, “What do I want my life to be, and how does my career fit into that picture?” Career development is a lifelong process as your skills and experience grow along with your life needs.

Clients often seek career help with:

  • Choosing a college major or gaining admission into graduate or professional school.
  • Job search strategies, interview coaching, and mock interviews.
  • Growing your existing career or position.
  • Coping with biases in your workplace.
  • Adjusting your career to accommodate a new life role (such as motherhood or retirement.)
  • Making a career decision when there is a lack of clarity.
  • Career change or retirement planning.
  • Communicating more assertively at work to be heard/promoted.
  • Navigating entry-level roles for career advancement.
  • Dealing with burnout and work stress.

demo photo 1 x 1 1200
top therapist in houston and sugar land texas

Career Counseling Services FAQ's

Our process generally involves discovering the answers to the following questions: who am I, what do I want, where am I going, and how do I get there?

Because everyone seeks assistance at different points in their life, the actual process is customized to your particular needs and you may touch on each of the four steps concurrently. This process reflects a typical career journey. 

Step 1: Who Am I?

This step involves clarifying your unique gifts and strengths, recognizing beliefs that may impact you in your life and career, identifying what motivates you, and deciding how you want to use your strengths.

As you prepare to seek out opportunities, this information will be the foundation of how you communicate about yourself to others. By focusing on your strengths and how you can solve problems, you shift the focus in your job search from “how can you help me” to “here’s how I can help you.”

If you are choosing or changing your career, your counselor can offer career development activities to help you clarify your preferences and interests and identify options to explore.

The process may include career assessments that will help you understand your personality, interests, strengths, and values.  This information points to specific careers or work environments.

Step 2: What Do I Want?

This step involves exploring how you would like your personal life to be and deciding what you want more of in your work life. A key aspect is identifying your most important values

Values serve as the anchor to what’s most important to us and provides a clear picture of what brings satisfaction in life and work. Values also move us in a direction away from fears. Clarifying what you want also includes practical issues and preferences, such as salary and which skills from your career history you want to build upon.

As you work towards clarifying what it is that you want for your career and take steps in that direction, you may find yourself getting stuck at certain points. This often has to do with lack of career information or fears arising along the way, which everyone possesses. You will learn to identify and address those fears and use your values to keep you focused and on track.

Resources such as the occupational outlook handbook can help you expand your career knowledge and learn more about the labor market. 

Really clarifying what you want occurs before you can begin to set tangible goals. The actions you take stem from knowing your desires and aspirations and deciding how your career and life work together to achieve them.

Step 3: Where Am I Going?

This step is career exploration. It involves exploring career options and life paths and opportunities. It also involves looking at how you do what you do so that you can increase the likelihood of achieving your goals. The key is to continue to move forward by taking committed action and setting tangible goals.

We will focus here on getting very clear and concrete about your plan and career direction. You might engage in informational interviewing to learn more about your options. Your career counselor can give you the tools to explore career alternatives so that you can be confident in your decision. 

Step 4: How Do I Get There?

This step involves practical strategies to find a job, change career, get started with your business ideas such as how to access the hidden job market, or focus your business goals. It might even involve developing additional competencies or taking on new roles in your current position to prepare for your next transition.

You might consider developing professional skills, pursuing career and education opportunities, or additional continuing education. 

In this stage of the process, we will get specific about concrete steps you can take to move forward as a job seeker, focusing on the simplest and most doable action steps.

A career counselor can also help you choose and take the next step in your career, or give you tools for dealing with, and in some cases, leaving a toxic work environment.

Career counseling services are based on the client’s individual needs. Length of time involved can range from a brief consultation on a specific question (i.e., how to address a gap in your resume, write a cover letter or linked in profile) to a complete individual personality, interest, strengths, and values assessment and assistance with making a career transition or job search campaign.

What career counseling is for you is largely related to what you want to get out of the process. Often, it can be exciting in the beginning to discover new possibilities for your career and insights about yourself.

However, it can get difficult when you begin to apply the steps to move into a new career direction. This can be where working with a career counselor is most beneficial.  

The process can begin with help to find a career and continue with help to keep forward momentum and realize your career potential. Career coaching success is often the result of completing both phases of career exploration: clarifying your career path and then seeing it through. 

Depending on your goals, you may meet more frequently over a shorter time duration, or over a longer period of time with less frequent meetings. A career coaching session is typically 45-60 minutes. 

You play the active role in managing your career and will be largely responsible for the outcome. A career expert does not tell you what to do or make decisions for you. However, you can expect motivation and support through the process as well as practical assistance in “how to get there”.

Collaboratively, goals will be set and action plans established to provide direction and help you achieve short and long-term career goals.

In order for you to get the most out of career counseling, it is helpful if you start thinking ahead about the things you want and don’t want out of your life.

Your career counseling experience will be unique and tailored to your specific needs and career goals.

To help you clarify your career path, career testing services are also available. Career assessments can help you identify your personality type and career options based on your career interests and strengths.

While the majority of our career counselors don’t write resumes and cover letters for you, we can refer you to our partners who can. If this is a service you need, please be sure to let our Client Care Coordinator know when you call.

Career Coaching

Career Coaches provide guidance and direction, but ultimately finding the best-fit and deciding which path to take is up to you. We will provide tools and resources to help you make those decisions. 

The career coaching process involves asking questions that facilitate self-discovery insight, commitment and action. Just like with counseling, it's important for you to feel there is a good fit in your coaching relationship. 

Career and leadership coaches help you cope with challenges in the workplace and increase leadership effectiveness. 

Yes, we offer the Myers Briggs Personality test for careers (MBTI) as well as the Strong Interest Inventory assessment for career exploration, career fit or career change.

A career skills and personality test for career direction can help you identify your personality strengths and areas of interest if you aren't clear about them. Studies show that people happiest with their jobs are those doing something they love and that comes naturally to them (natural gifts or strengths).

Career assessments and personality inventories are great tools for gaining insight about yourself though they are not aptitude tests. You may see patterns emerging or find some clues to follow. You may also discover both personal and career insights and possibilities you had never before imagined.

But remember, these personality tests are just part of the total self assessment process. It's unlikely that you'll suddenly discover your ideal career from taking a career test although it can be a great start in narrowing things down.

The assessment process is enhanced by working with one of our trained career coaches, bringing out additional information from the data and working with you to create a journey that is specifically tailored to you.

Myers Briggs Personality Inventory:

Personality Test & Type Profile, How You Interact With Others, Your Type at Work

Myers briggs career test logoThe Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test helps you identify your personality type, how you interact with others, your strengths, and areas for growth. Useful both personally, professionally and to enhance relationship communication. Online report with interactive interpretation.

Combined Strong Interest Inventory & MBTI Career Report 

strong interest inventory career test icon

Myers briggs career test logoIntegrated Personality and Career Interest Assessments Providing In-depth Career Direction and Relevant Occupations

The Strong and MBTI® Career Report provides you with a complete career development picture based on a combined interpretation of your interests and personality. It integrates in-depth information from both assessments to offer career direction and identify relevant occupations, with emphasis on those suggested by both instruments.

This report along with your MBTI profile is offered in conjunction with career counseling. Your career counselor will validate and clarify what the results mean personally for you and will explain how to incorporate that knowledge to achieve your personal and career goals.

Results will be provided during scheduled appointment time and you can expect a minimum of two sessions to review the results of both assessments.

iStartStrong Online Interactive Report for High School Students & Young Adults

strong interest inventory career test icon

Career Interest Inventory and Link to Career Fields for Students and Young Adults

Interactive, online report for students and young adults to help identify a college major or career path. The personalized report shows how one’s interests and themes link to various jobs, work settings, and career fields.

Yes, if you are interested in completing the MBTI Personality Test online, you can order it here. 

Working with a counselor gives you access to a more in-depth interpretation and guide to applying your personality preferences to your relationships (at home and work), your career choices, and more. 

Yes, for high school students and early college students, we offer the iStart Strong career interest assessment online. This career test assists your student in identifying potential career paths and fields of study based on their interests. 

For in-depth assistance in choosing a major, career, or field of study, schedule an appointment with a career counselor. 

In weighing financial costs, also weigh desired outcomes and evaluate whether you have the time and energy to devote to working on your career goals.

If you are between careers or are contemplating quitting a job, it’s normal to worry about expenses. However, career counseling is a long-term investment in your future.

Consider how much time and money you might spend on switching college majors or moving from unfulfilling job to job. And, if you are miserable in your current career, you may not want to waste anymore years there.

You career counselor can save you hours of job-hunting, tuition cost of changing majors, help you find a better career, and help you learn to negotiate a salary so you can make more money in the future.

Career counseling is worth the investment. If you itemize your deductions, coaching costs can even be part of your job search expenses on your taxes.

Career Counseling Services in Houston or Online

Because each of our career counselors are trained in mental health and career counseling, we have a unique insight and understanding into the mental, emotional, and physical challenges of a career transition. Our counselors have worked in careers outside of counseling. We have real-world job finding skills and know what employers look for in a student or job applicant. Regardless of your schedule and location, our professional career services can help you plan for your future. Our services are available face to face, or through online carer coaching via phone or secure video conferencing. Specify your preference when scheduling your coaching session.

You Can Find a Satisfying, Fulfilling Career

You can build the confidence and courage you need to pursue your goals. Work Satisfaction is one of the best predictors of longevity as well as perceived quality of life. Find our job search and career resources list here.

Get Help From a Specialist in Career Counseling

image of Joan Mullinax

Joan Mullinax

Joan specializes in therapy services and career counseling and helps clients with challenges incl. anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationshi…

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
image of Katie Chapman

Katie Chapman

Katie enjoys helping clients better understand themselves and reach their goals at their own pace.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
image of Margaret Mayer

Margaret Mayer

Margaret works with clients navigating grief, life transitions, anxiety, and LGBTQ/identity-related issues and LGBTQ couples. Leading with empat…

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
image of Ron DonLevy

Ron DonLevy

Your feelings matter and you deserve to be heard. Ron will join you on your journey of personal growth, healing, and change.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
image of Shannon Forbes

Shannon Forbes

Shannon offers counseling for adults & couples. Her specialties include anxiety, career concerns, depression, grief & loss, ocd, trauma and rela…

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

What Clients Are Saying

Great Counseling Center

Great counseling center. Such a wide variety of highly skilled therapists and great customer service.

NR

Eddins Counseling emblem