Abstract
Recently, the need for psychological support for users of employment support services having mental health problems has been increasing in employment support settings. Users are expected to make an effort to find employment within the limited period of two years by facing up to their disabilities and repeated failures in training. The types of psychological support that are possible and useful for these users have not been fully examined to date. Four case studies of using brief, practical coaching in employment transition support settings are reported, and the effectiveness of brief coaching is examined. Compared with general counseling in counseling rooms, psychological support for employment transition has the following characteristics; (1) Clients must be supported during a limited period. (2) Support is provided in a rather non-structured environment, with other users around the client. (3) Supporters are required to simultaneously play a dual role: as an employment instructor and as a psychological supporter. It was suggested that brief coaching using a solution-focused approach might be useful under such a structure for providing support.
