Theory in career development counselling provides a map that counsellors can use to understand and structure the career counselling process. It also provides a means to communicate this understanding and structuring to their clients as part of the counselling intervention. The chaos theory of careers draws attention to the complexity, changeability and connectedness of components of career development. A framework for career counselling derived from the chaos theory of careers is outlined in terms of three factors: reviewing and reframing client expectations; exploring and engaging career development issues; encouraging and empowering career counselling outcomes for finding and constructing a career in a chaotic world. It is suggested that the chaos theory of careers offers a comprehensive theoretical conceptualisation that is able both to incorporate existing counselling practice and to suggest new counselling dimensions that could be incorporated into contemporary career practitioners' work.