Case Studies

Different clients have different needs and goals.

The power of the Life-Work Discovery model is that it allows for individuals differences and provides a plan tailored to the uniqueness of each client. We have provided case studies to demonstrate how the model can be employed with diverse people. Names have been changed to provide anonymity.

Breaking free of parental control: Cheryl was working as a part-time research assistant and weekend rock musician when she came to me. She had been drifting since graduating from college with no particular direction. She was multi-talented and could have succeeded in many fields but was afraid to make a choice that would offend her father’s aspirations for her. During our work together, she was able to secure a prestigious internship with the city government which offered a handsome salary and opened doors for her. She went on to graduate school to secure a degree in counseling.

Changing jobs within a corporation: Bob was working as a business analyst for a major area bank. He felt stifled and unchallenged in the position. He indulged his passion for informational technology by researching IT websites on weekend hours. Whenever, he applied for IT openings at the bank, however, he was summarily rejected as being unqualified and was never granted an interview. Over a six month period, Bob was trained to cultivate relationships with key vice presidents within the corporation who had IT responsibilities. He volunteered for various assignments, sought out a company training program and, within a year, secured his ideal job: a website designer for one of the major IT functions within the bank.

Redesigning a business for growth: When I first met Danielle, she had established a successful personal organizing business. Her clients loved the way she put their homes and their lives in order. However, the work often  involved long hours, lots of heavy lifting, reliance on an ongoing stream of motivated clients, and an uncertain income stream. Danielle had a passion for identifying the many needs of her clients. Together we designed a seminar package of services that would meet the multiple needs of her primary target audience - women whose lives were chaotic. She enlisted a cadre of holistic health practitioners and began coordinated a series of workshops that brought her enhanced income with much less expenditure of time and energy.

Creating a career insurance policy: Paul had been employed for many years with an electric power company. His job was as secure as any these days, but he was an extremely conservative individual who wanted a fall back position in the event his employer downsized their work force. Paul had used the services of a prior career counselor who used extensive testing as the primary means of assessment. Through the Life-Work Discovery model with its focus on deep questioning, Paul discovered his interests, skills and experience were far more extensive than had been identified through testing. He designed several career options he could turn to with confidence should his present job be eliminated.

Turning a handicap into creative success: Nora was a nurse whose physical condition had reached the point where she was not able to work in her profession. She needed a hip replacement but was deemed too young for the surgery; she received a small disability payment from the government. Nora, however, possessed wonderful writing skills: she wrote and published fiction, poetry and plays. Working together we were able to help her successfully market her skills as a commercial writer which enabled her to supplement her disability income.  She is gaining increasing recognition for her creative writing and steadily earning greater income from her commercial writing.