A review of the literature indicates few concepts to assess dual-career couples during counseling. Limitations of past definitions and theories of career development are discussed in the context of the complexity of the dual-career life-style. New definitions are proposed to increase knowledge about the dual-career couple as a special group in career development. A preliminary assessment model is presented focusing on the normative dilemmas of dual-career couples. Develop-mental areas and normative dilemmas in careers, gender roles, and marriage-family are discussed in the context of 23 career transitions. Normative themes related to dual-career couple dilemmas are then enumerated. The assessment model promotes greater understanding of how career events affect interpersonal-family relationships as well as how these relationships affect a couple's career development. Implications of the assessment model for counseling dual-career couples and conducting future research are discussed.
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