Application of Transformative Learning Theory in a Training Program for Career Counsellors

Context: This paper explores the potential of transformative learning theory (TLT) to serve as a framework for career counsellor training. Currently, due to the lack of a study program in career guidance and counselling (CGC), lack of standard in this regard, as well as the underdevelopment of the profession in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), practitioners working in CGC have different professional backgrounds ranging from education sciences, psychology, social work or related disciplines who develop competencies in career counselling either through non-formal programs or self-directed learning. This diverse entry into the practice of CGC highlights the need for a well-founded training program developing relevant competencies and professional ethics. Approach: TLT is found to be particularly relevant in this context as it fosters personal development by encouraging individuals to revise their perspective and frames of reference. To empirically explore this assumption, the study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine the experiences of trainees coming from diverse professional backgrounds who participated in training programs for career counsellors. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten participants who completed the training capturing their subjective interpretations and meaning-making processes. Findings: Analysis revealed that trainees experienced transformative learning across three key processes. First, they expanded and revised their existing systems of knowledge related to CGC. Second, they engaged with new meaning schemes associated with CGC and attempted to internalize them. Finally, participants recognized the limitations of their previous frames of reference and reported a conscious effort to reorganize and transform them in the context of CGC. The findings suggest that the training programs created conditions that facilitated transformative learning, which participants described as both professionally and personally empowering. Conclusions: Data show that TLT provides a valuable theoretical and practical framework for training career counsellors, especially in such contexts where trainees come with already formed professional identities. By focusing on meaning-making and personal development, TLT encourages deep, reflective learning that enhances counsellors’ capacity to support others in career learning. This research offers a theoretically-relevant insight and practical implications for the design of a training program in CGC.