Richard S. Sharf served as Associate Professor of Individual and Family Studies and Psychology at the University
of Delaware where he continues to teach. For more than 30 years, he worked as a psychologist in the Center for
Counseling and Student Development, doing therapy with university students until his retirement in 2005. Additional
Cengage Learning titles from Dr. Sharf include APPLYING CAREER DEVELOPMENT THEORY TO COUNSELING, 5E and LIFE�S
CHOICES: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS.
Summary
Richard Sharf goes beyond simply presenting theory to show the reader how to apply the principles in a counseling
setting, making this book useful for both practicing counselors and counselors-in-training. Sharf covers three
major theoretical areas (trait and type, life-span, and special-focus theories) in Parts I-III, then discusses
theoretical integration in Part IV, with each theory providing a unique perspective on career development. The
book also offers numerous case examples, discusses career testing from a practical and theoretical perspective,
and integrates labor-market information with career theory. In addition, this book has been praised for having
a clear writing style, useful case examples, and material included throughout on diversity.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.
Part I: TRAIT AND TYPE THEORIES.
2. Trait and Factor Theory.
3. Occupations: Information and Theory.
4. Work Adjustment Theory.
5. Holland's Theory of Types.
6. Myers-Briggs Type Theory.
Part II: LIFE-SPAN THEORY.
7. Career Development in Childhood.
8. Adolescent Career Development.
9. Late Adolescent and Adult Career Development.
10. Adult Career Crises and Transitions.
Part III: SPECIAL FOCUS THEORIES.
11. Constructivist and Narrative Approaches to Career Development.
12. Relational Approaches to Career Development.
13. Krumboltz's Social Learning Theory.
14. Social Cognitive Career Theory.
15. Career Decision-Making Approaches.
Part IV: THEORETICAL INTEGRATION.
16. Theories in Combination.
Appendix A. CACREP Criteria.
Appendix B. Tests and Their Publishers.
Appendix C. Websites.
Name Index.
Subject Index.
