and direction needed for the joint action between them; joint ac-
tion is also energized by the communication between them.
It is at the level of joint action that counseling overcomes any
inherent limitations of a strictly narrative or retrospective approach.
In counseling, as in career and human life generally, one is required
to act.
Other Counseling Practices
A new conceptualization of how to gather data and what data are
gathered in counseling is part of this contextualist explanation.
Data Gathering. Data gathering is not an isolated event within
counseling, nor are data gathered as if the person were isolated
from everyday life. The three perspectives (manifest behavior,
internal processes, and social meaning; see Figure 6.1) provide the
basis for ongoing assessment in counseling. Although developed
for research purposes, the use of video self-confrontation (Young,
Valach, Dillabough, Dover, & Matthes, 1994; Young et al., 2001)
represents an example of data gathering that can also be used in
counseling. Having clients engage in salient career-related actions,
such as discussing career plans with partners and then having them
identify internal processes and meaning associated with the action,
brings relevant contextual information into counseling.
Involving Others in Counseling. A central feature of the explana-
tion of career provided in this chapter is that career, project, and
action develop in and through social exchange. We have shown in
our research how significant others are involved in the construction
of career (for example, Young et al., 2001). The involvement of
others and their communication are aspects particularly amenable
to counseling.
236 CAREER CHOICE AND DEVELOPMENT