I regularly host "Career Chats" with individuals in my life. Partly because these are the exact conversations I love to have with people - in and outside of work. Partly because the more I hear, the more I stand to learn so I can provide more effective career counseling. Partly because I want other people to hear these stories and imagine themselves as the narrator explains how they overcame adversity, identified new pathways for themselves, or reclaimed a cast-away passion and made it a part of their career.
My most recent Career Chat, with my good friend, Jordan Turner (Owner of The Imperfect Organizer), illuminated an important aspect of career development that I want to share (with her consent) with other professionals.
Why Trauma-Informed Career Counseling is Essential for Clients Who’ve Faced Workplace Abuse
Stories like Jordan's, unfortunately, are quite common; and are not isolated solely to the music / entertainment industry. Experiences ranging from discrimination to acute trauma (i.e.; seeing an accidental death) to chronic, complex abuse have been explored in my career counseling and mental health therapy appointments.
When someone has experienced abuse in the workplace, whether through bullying, harassment, or a toxic environment, the trauma can leave lasting effects on their career and mental well-being. For some clients, this may be the presenting issue. They bring it forth in the intake session. For many more clients, it's likely to be buried within the context of their life experience - just another data point of someone misusing power to coerce, manipulate, and harm.
Whether you identify as a mental health professional or a career counselor (or both - like me), you must be prepared to meet these clients where they are emotionally and provide effective support. I know it can be unnerving, especially when it catches you by surprise for the first time. I thought I would provide a few modality-agnostic guiding principles to help clients rebuild trust, regain confidence, and achieve fulfilling career goals. Because referring out is not always the best answer.
Why Trauma-Informed Career Counseling Matters
Trauma-informed career counseling means more than simply understanding that a client has been hurt in their past work experiences. It means recognizing that trauma shapes their sense of safety and self-worth, understanding of power and authority, and career development. Clients who’ve experienced abuse at work may be extra cautious about re-entering similar situations or find themselves triggered by specific tasks, authority figures, or organizational cultures. They may have heightened anxiety in job interviews or may hesitate to pursue opportunities that seem too good to be true, fearing the return of a toxic environment. They may, like in Jordan's case, have a hard time procuring recommendations due to the unpredictability of a previous supervisor's behavior.
When we adopt a trauma-informed approach, we help clients navigate the job market with greater resilience, self-assurance, and a sense of control. We can empower them to make career choices that prioritize their well-being and help them find workplaces that foster their growth rather than compromise it.
Three Tips for Trauma-Informed Career Counseling
#1 Prioritize Safety and Trust-Building
For clients who’ve experienced workplace abuse, creating a sense of safety in counseling sessions is paramount. Trauma survivors need to feel that their career counselor is a trustworthy ally who respects their boundaries and will not push them into uncomfortable or triggering situations. Establish clear communication from the beginning, and emphasize that they are in control of the pacing and direction of their career exploration. This means checking in often and not being afraid to assess for suicidal ideation and intent - especially when discussing past roles, work-related challenges, or future goals that may involve similar dynamics. It’s helpful to remind clients that they have the agency to make their own career decisions, validating their right to be selective in choosing workplaces that align with their values and emotional well-being.
For mental health counselors who feel less comfortable or passionate working with career-related topics in sessions, this may require supervision and consultation about the risks and benefits of referring out. Especially if you have an established treatment plan and your client feels safe with you. Especially if you have an established treatment plan and your client feels safe with you.
For mental health counselors who feel less comfortable or passionate working with career-related topics in sessions, this may require supervision and consultation about the risks and benefits of referring out.
For career development professionals, please evaluate your scope of practice and seek licensed professional referrals and consultation as soon as you recognize trauma, abuse, and/or risk of suicide is present. Especially if you are not licensed by the state and/or have less training in trauma and crisis, it is important to prioritize your client's emotional well-being and safety above all career goals. In my experience, taking a collaborative and urgent approach with your clients can actually lead to effective, long-term partnerships on the original career goals once the crisis has resolved.
For career development professionals, please evaluate your scope of practice and seek licensed professional referrals and consultation as soon as you recognize trauma, abuse, and/or risk of suicide is present.
#2 Focus on Empowerment and Strengths
Trauma can erode a person’s confidence and sense of worth, especially when the abusive dynamics have created self-doubt or fears about their abilities. A trauma-informed counselor can help by emphasizing empowerment and highlighting the client’s strengths - and helping them see how their unique strengths add value in a healthy work environment. Start with a strengths-based assessment, and encourage clients to recall past roles or situations where they felt competent, capable, and valued. These positive reflections help counteract the effects of abuse and remind clients that they possess valuable skills and strengths. Empowering language, such as discussing their achievements or talents reinforces their sense of self-worth and helps them move toward opportunities that recognize their abilities. Helping them understand that previous criticisms are within the context of the previous work places' needs and NOT the overall job market's needs is also important.
Imagine you are a client who was coerced into an abusive dynamic with a VP that began when they offered private coaching sessions to help you develop more confidence and executive presence. After years of this, you came to understand your thoughtful, quiet, meticulous approach to work as a deficiency in character. Can you imagine, as a client, how empowering it would be to work with a counselor that helps you see that your personality and work approach are assets - not liabilities or vulnerabilities - in a healthier work environment?
Can you imagine, as a client, how empowering it would be to work with a counselor that helps you see that your personality and work approach are assets - not liabilities or vulnerabilities - in a healthier work environment?
#3 Encourage Mindful Career Exploration
Trauma survivors can sometimes adopt fawning behaviors, which may lead them to prioritize others’ needs over their own or avoid advocating for themselves in job settings. To counteract this, encourage clients to approach career exploration with mindfulness. Discuss values-based career exploration, where they focus on what matters most to them in a work environment—such as supportive colleagues, flexibility, or a respectful culture. If the abuse has led your client to feeling out of touch with their own skills, passions, and interests, conduct appropriate assessments to help them reconnect with these aspects of themselves. Role-playing can be helpful here, allowing clients to practice self-advocacy and boundary-setting in hypothetical scenarios. Encourage them to check in with themselves during their job search process, reflecting on whether they feel “right” about specific roles or companies.
As their counselor, please be mindful of the fact that if fawning is the predominant trauma survival response they are experiencing, fawning is also showing up in session. In my experience, it is not a matter of if fawning is showing in session. It is a matter of how much it is showing up in session.
This is not a matter of if fawning is showing up in session, in my experience. It is a matter of how much it is showing up in session.
Meaning, if your client seems overly compliant and consistently enthusiastic, go back to Tip #1 above and evaluate how safe they really feel. We all want to believe that treatment-adherent clients reflect our effectiveness as counselors - but that simply is not the case. Inviting your client's feedback and supporting them in developing feedback skills will likely be an important part of their healing!
Conclusion
Trauma-informed career counseling helps clients not only move past the pain of workplace abuse but also learn to value themselves and their career potential anew. By prioritizing safety, focusing on strengths, and encouraging mindful career exploration, mental health professionals can make a transformative difference in the lives of clients who’ve endured workplace trauma. The process may be slow, but with patience and support, clients can build the career paths they deserve—ones rooted in respect, autonomy, and growth.
If you want to consult on a specific case, please schedule time with Megan DuBose here: https://calendly.com/sparkandpivot/professionalconsult
Comments