What is Careerology?
Careerology was founded by Dr Claire Wrynne, a Chartered Occupational Psychologist with over 20 years of experience helping people find fulfilling, healthy careers.
Claire began her career more than two decades ago as an Employment Adviser on a government-funded programme, helping people get back into work.
A few years later, she joined South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust as an Employment Specialist, supporting young people with early psychosis to return to employment.
Following the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, Claire became part of a pioneering clinical team that helped people back into work as quickly as possible.
From Practice to Research
Claire was soon promoted to Employment Services Manager, and managed multiple teams and services across the Trust. Over 18 years, she and her teams helped thousands of people in South London with mental health conditions achieve their career goals.
But Claire noticed something important:
“While the IPS model was highly effective for some people, it didn’t work for everyone.”
This realisation sparked a deep curiosity. One that led her to begin her PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London.
As a lecturer in IPS for more than 14 years, Claire led numerous research projects with Master’s students to understand why some people thrived under the IPS model, while others didn’t.
The Birth of the ICM Model
Drawing on her clinical experience and research findings, Claire developed the Individual Career Management (ICM) model – a new approach that combines psychological and practical strategies to help people make sustainable career progress.
Her clinical trial, The CAREER Study, evaluated the ICM approach and found that it significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety among jobseekers while improving self-esteem, confidence, and self-efficacy.
The only challenge was that delivering the model within the NHS wasn’t cost-effective at the time.
Determined to make ICM more accessible, Claire secured funding to pilot the model across the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth, and Lewisham. The Work Well Project supported over 500 residents and proved that ICM worked just as well outside the NHS – at a much lower cost – while achieving the same positive results.
Supporting Communities Through the Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Claire saw an opportunity for the NHS to help in a new way.
She set up the Work Well Advice Line – a free service for anyone struggling with their work situation during the pandemic. Many callers were anxious about furlough, redundancy, or the risk of infection at work. The advice line offered one-to-one support and signposting to help people manage both their work and mental health.
The response was overwhelming. Even after restrictions eased, demand for the service continued to grow – fuelled by what became known as “The Great Resignation.” People across the UK were rethinking their relationship with work. Some left their jobs due to poor health or caring responsibilities. Others simply realised that their work was no longer right for them.
But as the funding for the Work Well Advice Line ended, Claire knew her mission had only just begun.
Launching Careerology
In 2023, Claire left the NHS to pursue her vision of bringing ICM support to everyone who needed it – not just those within mental health services.
She launched Careerology, a social enterprise dedicated to helping people take control of their careers and improve their mental health through the power of career psychology.
Careerology offers:
Training for front-line employment advisers
on how to help clients overcome psychological barriers to work using the ICM model.
Why the ICM Model Works
Most return-to-work programmes focus on the practical side – CVs, applications, interviews, and access to benefits or training.
But very few address the psychological barriers that often stop people progressing.
These barriers can include:
- Low confidence or self-esteem
- Anxiety and fear of failure
- Low motivation or unrealistic expectations
- Depression, worry, or guilt
- Dependency on services
The ICM model bridges that gap. It’s not therapy, but it’s grounded in psychological principles that empower people to take back control of their careers.
By training employment advisers in career psychology, Careerology helps services achieve better, longer-lasting outcomes for their clients.
Using the ICM approach, advisers help clients:
- Understand what’s really holding them back
- Recognise how thoughts influence behaviour
- Challenge unhelpful thinking patterns
- Develop confidence, resilience, and self-management skills
“The ICM model teaches people to manage their own careers. This is a vital skill in today’s fast-changing world of work.”
The ICM Career Management Cycle
The ICM approach sees career development as a cycle, not a one-time decision. There are three key stages:
Career Decision-Making
Self-knowledge is key. Clients learn to understand their strengths, values, interests, and motivations – as well as the external influences shaping their choices. Coaches then help them make realistic, meaningful career decisions.
Job Market Navigation
Clients learn how to market themselves effectively, both in the open job market and the “hidden” job market through networking. These are lifelong skills that build confidence and independence.
Workplace Adjustment
Once in work, clients develop the tools to handle challenges – from managing stress and building resilience to addressing workplace conflict, discrimination, or burnout. If a job no longer fits, the cycle begins again with a new decision.
A Model for Modern Careers
The world of work is changing fast – with more career transitions, job insecurity, and mental health challenges than ever before.
The ICM model helps people stay adaptable, confident, and in control of their career journey. It’s not about telling people what to do – it’s about empowering them to find their own answers.
Career coaches use the FAR test – ensuring every goal is Focused, Aligned, and Realistic – and support clients to take practical action toward those goals.
“We’re not just helping clients get jobs, we’re helping them develop skills they can use for the rest of their lives.”
The Careerology Vision
Careerology exists to bring career psychology to everyone – not just those in specialist services.
Our mission is to help people take control of their career, improve their mental health, and build sustainable, fulfilling working lives.
Because when people thrive in their careers, their well-being, relationships, and communities thrive too.