The role of coaching psychology in addressing occupational/personal identity confusion in young adults aged 23–35 years in Israeli society

Friedman, Aviva (2023) The role of coaching psychology in addressing occupational/personal identity confusion in young adults aged 23–35 years in Israeli society. PhD thesis, Middlesex University. [Thesis]

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Abstract

This doctoral paper presents a participant discipline of Occupational Coaching Psychology (OCP)/Career Coaching Psychology (CCP). The research presents an evidence-based concept of themes and a lucid framework that can be implemented with normative young adults. Young adults (between the ages of 18-35 Generation Y or Millennials) suffer from personal and occupational identity confusion. This phenomenon is becoming more prevalent among normative young adults without a history of mental disorders. They report manifestations of anxiety, depression, and a sense of helplessness.
This “millennial” age group is not profiled in the literature, instead included within various measurements of broader age groups aged 25-64, despite their unique characteristics. The studies conducted on this population are mainly within other segments of populations with mental illnesses or welfare groups. Most coaching methods in the literature related to young adults’ occupational confusion as a part of life coaching. Surveys and articles that were written about this age group recommended the development of meaningful intervention methods for this specific age segment.
This study examined if CCP can offer young adults pave their professional futures according to their personal and professional identities. The study is preliminary and exploratory and is, therefore, a qualitative study. the participants are those who report symptoms of confusion.
Seventeen young adults volunteered to participate in the study, following an online campaign. All participants completed the study and reported complete satisfaction. The research lasted over a year and produced over 500 hours of personal coaching.
The study showed that the concept of career planning and construction seemed alien to the participants, and previously most of them had made decisions that differ from their personal and professional identity, which had reached a crisis point in their 30s.
The study confirmed the need for in-depth coaching since family, friends and employers tend to provide biased opinions about young adults’ occupational possibilities. Academic education does not meet the g adults’ desires and abilities have a boomerang effect on their satisfaction and happiness. Furthermore, the study participants' confusion was not affected by more education.
No confirmation was found for the Self-actualization approach. On the contrary, some of the participants felt relieved when they were freed from the need to find at present, their unique calling. Furthermore, those who could adopt a flexible mindset towards their calling could pave faster their pave to a desired and successful position.
The research pointed to other typical phenomena in this age phase: life in the light of false self-truth; false positive and negative feedback; the “sticky floor”; “occupational scars”; and a quick path to happiness. It was found that the decade between the ages of twenty and thirty is significant for shaping the identity of the young adult.
This study has developed a variety of methods to deal with occupational and personal confusion with great success, while constantly assessing and adapting its flow. It would be expected that the next steps would be adjusting the OCP method to minority segments and challenging the methodology in dealing with other age groups. There would also be a benefit of the presentation of the research methodology to public and government entities dealing with young adult employment.

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