COMING SOON: The Career Development Professional’s Handbook of Mental Health

Please note: Orders containing The Career Development Professional’s Handbook of Mental Health will not be shipped until publication on the 16th of November 2026.

Mental health is the most common cause of work-limiting conditions among those aged 44 years or younger (ONS, 2023). 

The consequences of this terrifying statistic cannot be underestimated or ignored in careers work. There are, however, significant challenges to addressing this issue; career development practitioners frequently experience anxiety and discomfort when emotional and mental health difficulties emerge in their work with clients. They often feel unsure how best to proceed, which could result in clients being denied a service they require at a difficult period in their life. 

This theoretically informed yet highly practical guide equips career development professionals with the confidence, emotional maturity and professional ethics required to deal with clients experiencing emotional and mental health issues. Through case studies and practical examples, the authors guide CDPs through the process of how to adapt their practice where appropriate. 

This informative handbook is: 

• Practical - develops understanding of how to adapt practice to best support individuals presenting with challenges related to mental health and distress.
• Theoretically informed – builds upon existing career development theory, enriched with an understand of the ways in which methodologies from counselling and psychotherapy can enhance the work of CDPs, without straying beyond the boundaries of careers work 
• Policy oriented – elicits principles for good practice that can be integrated into mainstream CDP training, as well as informs the ongoing development of career guidance policy against a background of widespread societal mental health challenges. 

Expert authors Oliver Jenkin and Liane Hambly place their clients’ mental health needs at the forefront of their career development work. In this innovative and informative resource, they equip CDPs with the confidence and competence to work effectively with clients facing mental health challenges.