Career Fit Consultation · David Sherwood, PhD, LMFT
Explore the work before investing in the degree.
I help students determine whether a career they’re considering fits the life they want.
Request a free 15-minute conversation →For college-bound students and current college students
15 years teaching high school10 years as a family therapistDoctoral training in qualitative research
You’re hiring me for a month-long research project centered on your student.
I study your student’s interests, experiences, and circumstances, investigate possible career paths, and help your family more confidently decide where to invest time and money next.
Between meetings, I analyze interviews and written responses, research the work and preparation behind promising directions, and develop new questions to test what I’m learning.
Start with the work
Loving a subject doesn’t always mean loving the career built around it.
An artist may love creating but dread repeatedly revising designs to suit a client. Someone drawn to medicine may want meaningful time with patients and discover how much of the day goes to documentation.
Those less visible parts of a career deserve attention before years of education lead to a workday that feels wrong.
How it works
Individualized research, step by step
Your student’s answers guide what I investigate next.
Discover
We explore your student’s interests, experiences, circumstances, and the decision ahead.
Compare
I research relevant work and write scenarios around your student’s interests, using each round of responses to shape the next.
Examine the fit
I investigate everyday demands, educational options, and practical trade-offs, looking for evidence that supports or challenges each direction.
Make a plan
I bring the findings together in a report and exploration plan, then meet with your family to discuss next steps.
See the process in practice
From questions to a clearer direction.
Explore sample questions and report excerpts that show how your student’s responses can lead to promising directions and practical next steps.
Explore the questions and report →What’s included
What your family receives
Recommendations grounded in your student’s responses and experiences, with individualized research into relevant work, educational options, and practical constraints.
A detailed Career Fit Report
The strongest possibilities, the evidence behind each recommendation, and questions that remain open.
A one-page findings summary
The key findings and priorities in a clear format your family can return to as decisions develop.
A practical exploration plan
Specific courses, conversations, projects, or work experiences chosen for your student’s circumstances and the questions still worth investigating.
A findings conversation
Time together to discuss what the findings mean, answer questions, and decide which next steps make sense for your family.
Introductory fee
$2,500
Includes the complete consultation and all written materials.
Pay $1,250 before the first consultation meeting and the remaining $1,250 before the findings meeting.
Request an introductory conversation by October 16, 2026 to receive this rate. The conversation and consultation can take place later.
Request a free 15-minute conversation →Why I built this
It began with my son.
Noah had interests and ambitions, but no clear picture of the work he would want to do every day. He tried classes, explored different fields, and gained firsthand experience in an industry he had admired for years. The closer he got to that work, the more he learned about which parts appealed to him and which did not.
As he considered his next step, I began describing assignments people encounter in different careers. I asked Noah how each assignment sounded, looked closely at his answers, and wrote the next questions around what we still needed to understand. That exploration became the Career Fit Consultation.
My years as a teacher and family therapist have taught me to listen closely, recognize patterns, and understand how a person’s experiences and circumstances fit together. My doctoral training in qualitative research helps me analyze what I learn and test my conclusions. I bring both to understanding your student and investigating possible career directions.
This is a consulting service, not psychotherapy.
Common questions
How is this different from a career or aptitude test?
Many career and aptitude tests use standardized questions to measure abilities or match interests with occupations. In this consultation, I explore how particular kinds of work appeal to your student and why. I personally review each response and write the next questions around what we still need to understand. The recommendations grow out of that exploration and our conversations.
Does my student need to know which careers to consider?
No. The discovery interview helps identify plausible kinds of work to explore. We can begin with several interests or with very little clarity.
Will you choose a major for my student?
I explain what the responses suggest, where the evidence is mixed, and what experiences could help your student choose with more confidence. The choice belongs to your student.
Is this only for students?
No. The consultation can also help adults reconsider a career direction. For adults, I adapt the financial context and findings meeting to personal circumstances.
What does the consultation involve?
Three online meetings of 60–75 minutes through my secure client portal: a discovery interview, a follow-up conversation, and a findings meeting. Between meetings, your student completes three rounds of individualized written questions, and parents complete a brief financial context form.
How soon can we receive the report?
We typically work through one written round per week. The report can be ready in as little as four weeks, depending in part on how quickly your student returns responses.
Start with a conversation
Let’s talk about the decision ahead.
In a free 15-minute conversation, we can discuss the decision you’re facing, answer your questions, and consider whether this consultation would help. Parents, students, and adults exploring a career change are welcome to reach out.
Send your name and email below. I’ll reply by email within 24 hours to arrange a time.
No obligation to move forward.
Prefer email? david@davidsherwoodcounseling.com