‘Life Space Mapping’ as an Innovative Method in Career Counselling for Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants

Migration is likely to see as an everyday decision which does not require any preparation. It can be taken without any reflection and plan. Nowadays people believe that it is possible to choose where and when they would like to live. An impression of being mobile and able to construct a career in a flexible space is without doubt the one of major problem of a contemporary society. In order to help human being to construct his career and respect a new paradigm for career construction, I proposed for career counsellors one of an innovative method called ‘life space mapping’. This method is based on multicultural counselling which respects life experiences and cultural values of the counsellee. In a friendly atmosphere, career counsellor work with client based on principles such as: a cooperation and communication through dialogue, comprehensive and metaphorical thinking, meaning-making and active participation of the help seeker. As a qualified career counsellor, I had an opportunity to use ‘life space mapping’ in career guidance and biographical counselling with refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants to accompany them to value their biographical and professional experience (formal, non-formal and informal) for constructing their careers. This method not only emphasizes on counsellee‘s behavior but on their retrospective reflection and a co-construction through personal discourse in a social environment. In this article, I would like to present a theoretical framework of ‘life space mapping’. Then, practically explain the way and procedure to work with counselees by using this method.