A multiple case study of the personal values of counselor trainees from a psychological flexibility perspective: a sample from Turkey

Abstract

Many different approaches have been used in psychology to determine values and investigate valuing behavior. However, understanding the individual significance of the values is crucial to predict the actions that produce them. A significant number of studies exist in counseling education that focuses on the diverse issues of counselor trainees. These include, but are not limited to, self-efficacy levels, emotional awareness, attachment styles, and supervision experiences in counseling education. During the literature review conducted for this study, it was discovered that there was no investigation of counselor trainees’ values from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective. Using ACT as the overarching framework, the current qualitative study aimed to examine counselor trainees’ values from a psychological flexibility perspective. During the data collection process, all counselor trainees (N = 62) were initially asked to fill both an Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) that measured their psychological flexibility level and a Valuing Questionnaire (VQ) that measured their valuing levels. Participants were then split into two groups, based on their AAQ and VQ scores regarding either high or low psychological flexibility or values awareness. As a result of the analysis, 18 (15 female, three male) senior counseling students took part in the study, with the data being collected via focus groups and individual interviews. As a result of the study, four main themes were identified following detailed content analysis: (1) perception of values, (2) committed action vs. experiential avoidance moves, (3) present movement awareness and perspective skills, and (4) cognitive defusion and fusion experience. Implications were discussed in light of the relevant literature.