Career Counselor, Diane Byster
Diane Byster

Schedule a Session
diane@byster.com
650-391-8759
Background and Experience
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a National Certified Counselor. I maintain a private practice in career and personal counseling in Palo Alto and Redwood City.
I work with adults across the age span who are seeking help with career development, career exploration, career transition, and job search. I can help you if you're experiencing uncertainty about how to best integrate your skills, interests and values into satisfying work, dealing with internal blocks that inhibit effective decision making, and/or experiencing difficulty handling interactions constructively with managers and co-workers.
Counseling Approach
In our first meeting, we will work together as a team to identify the specific problem(s) where you want my help, establish approach goals, and clarify the essential tasks to help you reach your goals. To optimize the probability of success in career counseling, it is essential that we remain active participants throughout the entire counseling experience. An active counselor and a passive client will only lead to an unsatisfying outcome. So your full involvement is essential. Career counseling often involves action items done outside of consultation to make sessions more productive and help you reach your objectives.
Often, concerns that bring clients to career counseling touch personal adjustment issues, such as career indecision, procrastination, and low self-confidence which inhibits clients from trying out new activities – essential to a successful job search and managing workplace conflict. My dual training in career counseling and psychotherapy will allow us to address these issues as they arise. The number of visits will vary depending on the concerns you bring and your determination to reach your goals. This process requires a time commitment both within and outside of session.
Most of us spend the largest portion of our waking hours at work. Isn’t it worth investing some time and energy in the short-run to create a more fulfilling work life in the long run?
My Practice at a Glance
- Phone, virtual, or in-person (Palo Alto) sessions
- Available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
- Payment: Personal check or PayPal
- Languages: English
Qualifications
Degrees
- M.S., Career Counseling from San Francisco State University
- BSW, Social Work from University of Illinois
Licenses and Certifications
- National Board Certified Counselor (NBCC)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
- Training Instructor
- Clinical Supervisor
- International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association (IEDTA)
Specialties and Expertise
- Clarifying career interests and goals
- Exploring career options
- Career pivots
- Generating and capitalizing on unplanned events
- Planning for promotion or career advancement
- Job search strategies and skills
- Building resume and cover letter
- Interviewing
- Networking
- Work/life balance or burnout
- Career challenges (i.e., career stagnation)
- Exploring career options in retirement
- Career assessments
Client Focus
- Early career employees
- Mid career employees
- Late career employees
- Employees nearing retirement
- Women employees
- Employees from historically marginalized racial/ethnic backgrounds
- LGBTQ employees