Existential career guidance for groups of young refugees and migrants: a Danish initiative

• Published in: International journal for educational and vocational guidance Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 511 - 529
• Main Authors: Petersen, Inger-Lise Vanja Lund, Mariager-Anderson, Kristina, Patillon, Thi-Van, Bernaud, Jean-Luc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-07-2022; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Alienation; Career development planning; Career Guidance; Construction (Process); Counseling; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Immigrant students; International and Comparative Education; Interviews; Migrants; Professional and Vocational Education; Refugees; Semi Structured Interviews; Sociology; Young refugees and migrants; Group counselling; Existential career guidance
• ISSN: 1873-0388; 0251-2513; 1573-1782
• DOI: 10.1007/s10775-022-09535-1

For many young migrants and refugees, adapting to a new life in Denmark is a challenging process. They often find themselves struggling with feelings of alienation, identity confusion and loss of meaning. This article examines how a five-step intervention model of existential career guidance for groups can support young migrants’ and refugees’ reflections on and experiences with how to live a meaningful life. Thematic analysis is used to investigate the empirical data which comprise nine semi-structured interviews. The findings show that for the counsellees, the intervention model can support a sense of belonging and of being understood and respected, self-awareness, hope and a desire to care for others as well as linguistic stimulation. For the counsellors, the intervention model supports a co-construction process, in which participants’ co-construct understanding and plans of action, and it enables them to gain a deeper understanding of the counsellees and their ability to reflect upon notions of a meaningful life.