A Tour of a New Paradigm

Abstract

The authors provide a reaction to the Major Contribution by Richardson in this issue of The Counseling Psychologist on the counseling for work and relationships perspective. The authors examine the trajectory of Richardson’s work, beginning with her seminal article in 1993, which set the stage for a new paradigm for vocational psychology. Richardson’s current contribution fulfills the promise of her earlier work by creating a profound and pragmatic model for counseling that affirms market work, care work, relationships, and the complex social forces that frame these fundamental life experiences. The authors describe the core elements of the new paradigm and identify a few growth edges for this important new perspective. The authors recommend that scholars and practitioners examine their values about the good life and a good society as a means of expanding the scope and impact of Richardson’s work. The article concludes with an exploration of the practice and training implications of Richardson’s work.