The perception of counselling services through the lens of college faculty in China

Abstract

AbstractCounselling has become a growing profession in many countries around the world and is now viewed as an international profession. Gaining insights into the perceptions of college professors on counselling has been an ongoing challenge. With the high number of international students, particularly those from China, the purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of professional counselling held by Chinese professors in China. The authors identified six themes that made up the essence of the Chinese faculty's perceptions of professional counselling: roles of college counsellors in China; common challenges that brought Chinese college students to counselling; Chinese professors’ expectations of college counsellors; training and requirements of college counsellors; credentials and experience of counsellor supervisors; and future development of college counselling in China. The results led the authors to note that research focused on the intersections of specific cultures and the basic foundations of counselling is needed so that counselling becomes a more relevant means to improving mental health around the world.