Career Counseling and Coaching in Santa Cruz, California.

Are you stressed or anxious about work? Struggling with career issues? Donald Dufford, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Director of Anxiety Treatment Services can help you gain clarity, composure and confidence in your career. Dr. Dufford has over 25 years experience and provides specific tools and techniques within a caring, supportive environment for personal insight and change. Please call now for a free 10 minute phone consultation.

A wise person once told me, "Find something you love to do and find someone to pay you to do it." But the reality is that many people find themselves in careers they don't enjoy or lose the career they did enjoy. Whether you are disatisfied with your career, dealing with work related stress, or wondering what you are going to do next, counseling can provide a framework for you to work through the dissonance in your work life and get on the path of meaningful fulfillment with regards to your work or career, regardless of what stage in your life you are at.

Are you fulfilling your purpose or are you not living into your potential? Do you wake up thinking "I was made for this" when it comes to career or do you struggle to get motivated for what lies ahead. Career satisfaction is highly correlated with life-satisfaction. Careers matter beyond how we generate an income. Learn to unblock where you are being held back. Learn the skills essential to make that next career move. Develop leadership skills to grow your company. Identify places you or your company need to make changes for your health and well-being or that of your employees. When we are happy and feel cared for at work, our productivity increases and so does our life satisfaction.

Most frequently career counseling is utilized through high school guidance and college advisors, however, in private practice I have many opportunities to work with young adults trying to figure out what to do! This is a rewarding task because the path a young man or woman starts with can be life directing and life changing. Career is an important decision. Sometimes emotional or psychological blocks are hindering decisions about career or about moving forward all together. This is where counseling and sometimes therapy comes in to mediate any faulty thinking or negative beliefs about oneself that interferes with the process. This age group is one of my favorite.

Within the work of career counseling, there are generally themes that exist. These can include: issues with bosses or co-workers, lack of fulfillment, feelings of stress or overwhelm, difficulty creating balance between work and home life, or low motivation. Once we identify what is causing career related issues, we can identify specific interventions to address these issues. Some of these can include: effective communication skills, boundary and limit setting, ways to create structure, calming strategies to cope with stress, and values exercises to explore what aspects of work do energize you. By implementing appropriate strategies; you can experience fulfillment with work.