A Metaperspective for Counseling Practice: A Response to the Challenge of Contextualism

This article discusses the challenge of contextualism to developmental theory as articulated by Lewis (1997), as well as the challenge of current changes in life contexts for developmentally oriented counseling practice. Counseling practice refers to activities of psychologists and counselors in relation to theory, research, and intervention, and in relation to both career and psychotherapy domains of practice. It is hoped that a consideration of both career and psychotherapy practice will contribute to dialogue and integration across these domains. In the second part of the paper, a metaperspective for counseling practice, conceived as a response to this challenge, is presented. It consists of a conception of life contexts inclusive of work and relationships across both public and private domains of life and posits a generic developmental process goal of effective functioning as relevant to both career and psychotherapy domains of counseling practice.