As VR counselors, we all want the same outcome for the people we serve: quality employment that supports a meaningful life. But how we get there - and how we show up for clients along the way - can vary widely depending on the counseling approach we use.
Each person who walks through your door brings a unique mix of goals, barriers, strengths, and lived experiences. That’s why the approach you take to counseling isn’t just a personal style - it’s a strategic choice that can significantly shape outcomes.
Below, we explore five research-supported counseling approaches commonly used in VR. As you review each one, consider how it fits into your current practice - and where you might want to grow.
Want to Take it Further?
TACQE On-Demand Trainings and resources are provided with each counseling approach below to help you deepen your understanding and build your skills at your own pace. A printable reflection worksheet is also available to support personal or team-based exploration of your counseling style.
5 Research-Supported Approaches to VR Counseling
Person-Centered Counseling: Empower Through Autonomy
Rooted in empathy and unconditional positive regard, person-centered counseling puts the client in the driver’s seat. You’re there to listen, reflect, and support. It’s especially powerful for building trust and engagement.
Reflection question:
How often do I center the conversation on what my client is doing right? What hidden strengths might I be missing?
Strengths-Based Counseling: Lead with What’s Working
This approach focuses on identifying and building on the client’s existing strengths, rather than emphasizing problems or limitations. It encourages clients to recognize their own capacity for success - whether through persistence, creativity, resourcefulness, or support networks.
Reflection question:
Do I trust my clients to lead the process? How can I better support their self-direction in setting employment goals?
Learn more from TACQE:
Mindfulness-Based Strength Practice (MBSP): Align Strength with Awareness
MBSP combines the science of character strengths with the practice of mindfulness. It encourages clients to pause, reflect, and notice their thoughts, emotions, and experiences - then respond with intention, using their strengths as a guide.
This approach can help people with disabilities build resilience, regulate stress, and stay connected to their purpose - especially when navigating complex work or life transitions.
Reflection question:
How do I help clients become more aware of their strengths in the moment? Could mindfulness support their emotional balance during the ups and downs of vocational planning?
Motivational Interviewing: Move Ambivalence to Action
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative method for helping people explore their own reasons for change. It’s ideal for clients who may be uncertain or stuck—about working, going back to school, or managing a health condition.
Reflection question:
How do I respond when a client is unsure or resistant? Do I try to convince—or do I help them find their own motivation?
Trauma-Informed Care: Create Safe Spaces for Growth
Trauma-informed care recognizes how past experiences can shape a person’s behavior, worldview, and response to services. It emphasizes safety, choice, trust, and empowerment - making it critical for clients with a history of trauma, including those affected by systemic or institutional harm.
Reflection question:
Do my interactions help clients feel safe and respected? Am I aware of the ways trauma might affect their experience of VR?
There’s No One “Right” Approach
The best counseling often blends multiple approaches depending on the person and the situation. You might use motivational interviewing to build readiness, apply trauma-informed care to ensure emotional safety, and draw from strength-based or person-centered methods to guide planning and decision-making.
What matters most is being intentional.
Dive Deeper
Download TACQE’s Worksheet for VR Practice worksheet to support personal or team-based reflection:
Reflecting On Your Counseling Approach A Worksheet For VR Practice