Leisure and Career Development in Mid‐Life: A Rationale

Work-family conflict across the lifespan

“…The final career stage is maintenance (, age 45 þ ). During the early stages of maintenance, workers have more developed and stable leisure and work interests (Low et al, 2005;McDaniels, 1977). In many cases, workers at the start of this career stage have been with an organization or occupation for an extended tenure, are experienced, and have multiple responsibilities.…”

Leisure Counseling and Consultation

“…The emphasis will be on counseling, not recreation, and leisure will be seen as simply one of the components, along with work and family, of the way we order our lives for personal well-being. The first manifestations of this trend are already evident as we examine the significance of the name of NVGA's Committee on Leisure and Career Development, the move away from traditional counseling to life-style counseling, and the nascent literature integrating planning for work and leisure (Bolles, 1978;Eason, 1972;Garte & Rosenblum, 1978;Kirn & Kirn, 1978;Loughary & Ripley, 1976;McDaniels, 1977;Winters & Hansen, 1976). If this trend continues, and we feel that it will and must, leisure counseling as a distinct specialty will have had a short but significant life.…”

The Career Exploration Inventory: Expanding Options for the Unemployed

“…Blocher and Siegal(l98 1) saw leisure counseling as a parallel and companion activity to vocational counseling, in which the two elements of work and leisure combine to generate the concept of career. "These two services, in our view, combine to assist clients in building life styles that support optimal levels of individual growth and development, personal health and satisfaction, and social contribution" Similarly, McDaniels (1965McDaniels ( , 1977 initiated the formula Career (C) equals Work 0 plus Leisure (L), or C = W + L, and suggested a holistic approach to career counseling in which work and leisure combine over one's life span to form the basis for a career. McDaniels (1984) later suggested that C = W + L be expanded to Career Counseling (CC) equals Leisure Counseling (LC) plus Work Counseling (WC), or CC = LC + WC, and added that "a skilled career counselor (p. 431. of the future should be able to provide assistance in both areas separately or in a combined holistic approach' (pp.…”