Impact of Life Design Counseling in Managing Mid-career Dilemmas of Professionals

: Mid-career professionals are increasingly encountering challenges in their career progression, from fewer promotion opportunities to the threat of being downsized, especially those unable to upgrade themselves risk redundancy. Incapability in chalking out a developmental roadmap and indecisiveness in addressing self-development cause deep dissonance among mid-career professionals, and the consequent dilemma on how to course-correct prompts them to seek professional counseling. While studies over several decades focused on vocational counseling for students and young adults, limited research exists on counseling mid-career professionals using the creative and highly individualized process of Life Design Counselling (LDC). This qualitative study describes the effectiveness of Life Design Counseling in helping six midcareer professionals stranded in roles that offered few prospects for growth find a successful career redirection. Thematic analysis explores their attitudes and beliefs on what a fulfilling career ought to be, their career-life experiences, perception of risk related to specific career options, and consequent unresolved mid-career dilemmas. The study found that counseling helped the professionals manage their emotions and arrive at practical and promising decisions. Results confirm the value of counseling that helped them reflect on their early childhood experiences and career history, facilitated a cognitive restructuring of their career beliefs, and explored options to modify dysfunctional behavior patterns. Further, the intervention helped reorient their thinking from problem-focused to solution-based, bringing about positive changes in their attitude and beliefs, helping them make critical career decisions capable of turning their career trajectory in a positive direction.