SOCIALLY JUST CAREER COUNSELING: Lessons from a Disenfranchised Client

This is a story of one counselor wanting to do good, but failing to do so under the weight of systemic forces. This is also the story of career counseling in the trenches, with all of its joys, challenges, and limitations. It is easy for academics and writers (myself included) to ask career counselors in the trenches to do more in their work. For instance, Blustein, McWhirter, and Perry's (2005) outstanding article makes an impassioned call to career counselors: "we propose that counseling psychologists, vocational counselors, school counselors, and other vocational practitioners add to their perspective and their work roles by seeking to change systems while helping clients overcome …