Extending the Cognitive Information Processing Approach: A Values‐Based Developmental Model for Adult Career Counseling

Career development interventions for adults must address the complexity of contemporary work, including protean and boundaryless paths, multi‐contextual influences, and lifelong career management. The cognitive information processing (CIP) approach offers a robust framework for career decision‐making but was originally designed for occupational choice problems among college students. This article proposes an integrative extension that repositions the CIP approach from a primarily decision‐making framework toward a developmental, lifespan‐oriented model of career self‐management. The extended CIP approach adds a Values Domain to the pyramid and reframes the self‐ and options‐knowledge domains as desired future career and current career situation. A nine‐step counseling process is described, and a composite case illustrates the model in practice. Implications for employment counselors working with adults navigating complex and ongoing career transitions are discussed, with particular attention to supporting values‐driven and agentic career development.