Counseling Training Programs Research Articles

성인 상담라포와 상담회기평가 간 관계에서 작업동맹의 매개효과

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the mediation effect of the working alliance on the relationship between counseling rapport and counseling session evaluation among clients. Through this, the aim is to provide data that can be utilized in counseling and education by highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of counseling rapport and the working alliance experienced by clients. Methods To this end, a study was conducted on 220 adult clients nationwide who were currently receiving counseling from counselors who had national qualifications and counseling-related academic qualifications. The Counseling Rapport Scale, Counseling Session Evaluation Scale, and Working Alliance Scale were used, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and SPSS Process Macro v4.1. Results The research results are as follows: First, the structural model depicting the relationships among counseling rapport, working alliance, and session evaluation was confirmed to be suitable for the data. Second, counseling rapport was found to have a positive impact on the working alliance. Third, counseling rapport was analyzed to influence session evaluation through the mediation of the working alliance. Consequently, it was established that counseling rapport affects session evaluation not only directly but also indirectly through the working alliance Conclusions The results of this study indicate that as counseling rapport positively forms, it leads to a stronger working alliance with the counselor, which in turn positively influences session evaluations. The ability of counselors to establish counseling rapport and a working alliance in initial sessions is shown to be a crucial factor in positively affecting counseling outcomes. This underscores the importance of counselor education and training programs.

A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Counseling Students in a Co-Facilitated Experiential Group

Research on experiential learning, group psychotherapy, and neuroscience has supported the inclusion of the experiential group in counseling training programs for the positive impact on students’ personal and professional development (Denninger, 2010; Zhu, 2018). This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of master’s level counseling students in a group co-facilitated by a doctoral student and a professor. Results of this research provide a deeper understanding of counseling students’ experiences in a co-facilitated experiential group and offer a rationale for best practices in the facilitation of the required group experience in counseling training programs.

Addressing the Gap: A Pilot Study to Improve Graduate Student's Counseling Self-Efficacy Through Online Support Groups for Care Partners of People With Acquired Brain Injuries

Purpose: The purpose of this technical report is to (a) describe the development and pilot testing of a university training initiative for graduate students in speech-language pathology to conduct online support groups for care partners of individuals with acquired brain injuries and (b) share preliminary data on students' self-efficacy in their counseling skills as a result of training. Method: Four graduate students completed an intensive summer counseling training program consisting of two 90-min student orientations to counseling skills and two online support group sessions for care partners of people with acquired brain injuries. A mixed methods analysis of pilot data collected over the summer of 2023 was conducted. Students completed the modified Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scales for speech-language pathologists within 1 week of beginning their counseling training and within 1 week after their clinical training experience. Students also submitted a short reflection paper within 24 hr of their two support group sessions to discuss their overall performance within the session and assess their self-efficacy in their counseling skills. Results: Preliminary data evidenced significant pre- to posttraining gains in two primary counseling areas: (a) psychoeducation (i.e., students' ability to provide information to care partners) and (b) empathy when addressing care partners' concerns regarding their loved one's communication disorder. Students' reflection papers illustrated their sense of growth as clinicians and paralleled the findings from their questionnaires. Conclusions: Our preliminary results highlight the importance of providing counseling opportunities for student clinicians in speech-language pathology graduate programs. Our online clinical model offers an example for replicability across universities to foster self-efficacy in students' counseling skills as part of their graduate studies. “Key” ingredients are provided for replication when developing a student-led online support group program for care partners of individuals with acquired brain injuries.

Spanish language opportunities in genetic counseling training programs in the United States.

This cross-sectional survey study explores ongoing initiatives to foster diversity and inclusivity within the field of genetic counseling, specifically focusing on opportunities within graduate programs for students to enhance language and counseling skills in Spanish, thereby fostering language concordance in genetic counseling settings. With a response rate of 44.8% (26/58) across genetic counseling graduate programs, our study provides an overview of educational offerings in Spanish, encompassing patient-facing, non-patient-facing, and combined opportunities. Of the programs that completed the survey, 73.1% (19/26) offer Spanish language opportunities. Several perceived benefits were identified by those that offer opportunities, including fostering cultural humility and diversity within the field, increasing awareness and accessibility of genetic counseling services, and facilitating involvement in research within minority groups. The information gathered from this study can be a resource for graduate programs seeking insights into effective strategies to incorporate Spanish language opportunities. Additionally, these results may also serve as a source of inspiration for students who want to apply their Spanish language skills in their training and future careers. Lastly, we propose ideas to enhance and expand the training of bilingual genetic counseling students in Spanish.

African American male counseling students’ lived experiences with counseling faculty

AbstractRacism and its effects adversely affect the experiences of Black males within higher education. Despite efforts to address racial and gender gaps, Black males remain grossly underrepresented within counselor training programs. They report feeling isolated and experience relational challenges. In this phenomenological study of 10 African American male counseling students’ interactions with counseling faculty, several themes related to their racial identity surfaced from the data. Implications for counselor educators and counselor education programs are offered.

Genetic counselors' awareness and attitudes regarding gene therapies.

There are 10 gene therapies (GTs) for hereditary conditions that are currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While prior research demonstrates that the majority of healthcare providers lack knowledge regarding GTs, this has not been explored within the genetic counseling profession. The authors hypothesize that the availability of GTs impacts the genetic counseling profession and that there is variable awareness on this topic among genetic counselors (GCs). We conducted a survey to assess GCs' familiarity with, comfort with, and frequency of discussing FDA-approved GTs at the time of the survey, as well as GCs' perceived impact of and educational experiences related to GT. The survey was distributed through listservs and word of mouth from January through March 2021. One hundred of the 109 responses met eligibility criteria. Respondents were more familiar with onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi (ZOLGENSMA; Novartis Gene Therapies, Inc., Durham, NC, USA) than voretigene neparvovec-rzyl (LUXTURNA; Spark Therapeutics, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, USA; p < 0.001). Familiarity with, comfort with, and frequency of discussing both GTs varied by specialty but not by years of experience. Fifty-nine percent of respondents (58/98) reported that GTs impact their work, with differences by specialty but not by years of experience. The majority of respondents (93%; 90/97) felt that GCs should be comfortable discussing GTs with patients, and most respondents (83%; 79/95) were interested in additional GT training. Only 38% of respondents (36/95) recalled GT being included in their genetic counseling training program's curriculum, which may be skewed by recent growth of this field. Our results suggest that GCs feel that GTs impact their practice, have discrepant awareness and comfort in this area, and desire additional training on this topic. Further investigation into the actual impact and models for addressing training is warranted and will be critical as the number of approved GTs increases.

Promoting multicultural and social justice counselling competency of international counselling students

AbstractThe enrolment of international students in US counselling programmes has been increasing steadily over the past decade. These international counselling students, as an emerging international workforce, can contribute to the decolonisation of counselling practice through the development of their multicultural and social justice counselling competency (MSJCC)—an essential counselling competency to improve counselling outcomes across culturally diverse clients. However, current US counsellor training programmes often fail to adequately address the unique challenges faced by international counselling students, which can impede their progress in enhancing MSJCC. This article explores specific challenges international counselling students encounter in developing MSJCC, underscoring the importance of culturally sensitive pedagogies. By focusing on the intersectional identities of international counselling students, this article proposes targeted pedagogical strategies that align US counsellor education with the lived experiences and challenges faced by these students. Case studies are provided to illustrate the application of these pedagogies. Promoting international counselling students' MSJCC can help prepare an international workforce capable of effectively working with a diverse global population and contribute to the decolonisation of counselling practices.

Motivation-oriented factors of women entrepreneurship: mediating role of challenges

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the effect of push, pull, balanced, and emotional factors on the motivational level of female entrepreneurship in Haryana state, India.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study was conducted in Haryana's five districts among 384 women entrepreneurs using a convenience sampling method with a structured questionnaire. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe study found that Push, Emotional Factors, and Challenges have a significant impact on the motivational level of women’s entrepreneurship and Challenges only mediate with the Push and Pull factors.Research limitations/implicationsGeneralization of results based on data from a few districts of Haryana state in India. A cross-sectional study was performed as a Longitudinal study helps in analyzing the changing character of women entrepreneurs and the prime reasons behind their success. Non-probability sampling technique was used in the study whereas probability sampling technique promotes reliability and reduces systematic error and sampling bias.Practical implicationsPull factors can be promoted through mentoring, counseling, and entrepreneurship training programs. Creating a conducive external environment with job security and financial support from external agencies is essential. The Government of India should take the necessary steps to reduce the hindrances faced by women entrepreneurship while raising funds through banks and financial institutions.Originality/valueThe study employed a mediating variable, challenges, to investigate the impact of factors on the motivational levels of women entrepreneurs. To the best of our knowledge, this approach has not been utilized in previous research, making the current study a novel contribution to the field.

Effects of a Reality Therapy-based Classroom Counseling Training Program Using Visualization Materials on Elementary School Teachers’ Life Guidance Efficacy and Teacher-student Communication

Effects of a Reality Therapy-based Classroom Counseling Training Program Using Visualization Materials on Elementary School Teachers’ Life Guidance Efficacy and Teacher-student Communication

The association of socioeconomic status with the success of chat-based online counseling for children and youth: A latent change score modeling approach

Children and youth from lower subjective socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are at a heightened risk of mental disorders. Online counseling is a valuable tool to reach those less likely to seek professional help, but its success across different SES backgrounds remains unclear. This study explores the association between subjective SES and online counseling outcomes. Children and youth (N = 2139) between 10 and 24 years-of-age received chat-based online counseling and reported on SES, negative feelings before and after the chat, and perceived helpfulness of the chat via an online assessment tool. The results of a latent change score model showed a significant association between SES and negative feelings before chatting, indicating that lower SES predicted more negative feelings (r = −0.26, p < .001). Further, SES was indirectly associated with the change in negative feelings from before to after counseling, mediated by the extent of negative feelings before the chat (β = 0.07, 95%CFI = [0.05–0.10]). Current findings extend research on online counseling programs in the context of SES. Despite higher counseling needs among low SES individuals, they do not benefit proportionally from existing online services in this sample. Future research should investigate barriers to help-seeking and implement specialized counselor training programs.

In case you haven'n heard…

The impact of disasters on substance use disorder (SUD) programs and services was highlighted in a recent policy brief from the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD). In the brief, NASADAD noted that changes to the federal Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act need to consider SUDs. The statute should include support for individuals struggling with SUDs in the aftermath of disasters. The proposed legislation, known as the Addressing Addiction After Disasters Act (H.R. 5623 or the AAAD Act), is led by Representatives Becca Balint (D‐VT‐at large), Doug LaMalfa (R‐CA), and Jill Tokuda (D‐HI). The AAAD Act would help bolster intentional awareness, planning, and action regarding issues specific to SUDs within the confines of the short‐term approach of the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. For the brief, go to https://nasadad.org/2024/03/policy‐brief‐highlights‐disasters‐and‐substance‐use‐implications‐for‐changes‐to‐the‐federal‐robert‐t‐stafford‐act‐updated/

Further defining the roles and impact of genetic counselors in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.

As personalized medicine has gained traction, drug development models in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry (BPI) have increasingly sought to address medical conditions with a genetic component, creating an opportunity for genetic counselors (GCs) to fill new roles and utilize their unique training to contribute to drug development. Despite the potential for GCs in BPI, literature around the role of GCs in this industry has been limited. Our mixed methods study aimed to assess how the roles of GCs in BPI have evolved since 2016, investigate the value of and opportunity for GCs in this industry, and further characterize their motivation and job satisfaction. Participants were recruited via social media advertising, snowball sampling, and email listservs from the National Society of Genetic Counseling (NSGC), the Canadian Association of Genetic Counselors (CAGC), and the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). Survey (n = 20) and interview (n = 6) data indicates many aspects of GC roles in BPI are consistent with the 2016 study. However, there is evidence of roles becoming more varied and with increasing recognition of the value of GCs, opportunities for involvement in BPI are growing. Furthermore, combined study data found that GCs are motivated by the flexibility of BPI roles as well as the opportunity to contribute to rare disease treatment development and that they are overall satisfied with most aspects of their jobs. Interview data also found that genetic counseling training has the potential to improve clinical trial design and outcomes by making drug development more patient-centric. Finally, combined study data found that while GCs continue to utilize Accreditation Council of Genetic Counseling (ACGC) practice-based competencies (PBCs), business-related training may benefit GCs seeking to enter BPI. Together, these findings are critical for informing genetic counseling training programs, employers within BPI, and GCs interested in entering these positions.

Thirty-years of genetic counselling education in Europe: a growing professional area.

Genetic counselling education and training in Europe spans a continuum of 30 years. More master programs are opening due the demand for qualified genetic counselors. This report describes the evolution of training in Europe and the current state of genetic counselling training programs. Directors of master programs in Europe were invited to complete an online survey describing their program, including year of commencement, course duration, number of students and frequency of intake and number graduating. Results of the survey were presented at a closed meeting at the European Society of Human Genetics conference in 2022 along with a facilitated stakeholder engagement session in which 19 professionals participated to understand the challenges in delivering genetic counselling education in Europe. A total of 10 active programs exists in Europe with the first training program starting in 1992. The majority of training programs have a 2-year duration, with just over half of programs having an annual intake of students. Up to May 2022, 710 students have graduated from genetic counseling training programs across Europe. Of these, 670 students graduated from European Board of Medical Genetics-registered programs. Arranging clinical placements, clinical and counseling supervision of students, research collaboration for MSc research projects and incorporating genomics into the curriculum were identified as current challenges for genetic counseling education. Genetic counseling is still a developing profession in Europe and this historical and current view of the European genetic counselor pathways, allows for educational and professional standards to be examined as the profession evolves into the future.

Use of gender-inclusive language in genetic counseling to optimize patient care.

Providing welcoming, inclusive, and culturally competent care is essential for genetic counselors (GCs) to serve the needs of all patients, including transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) individuals. Inclusive language creates welcoming healthcare spaces and improves health outcomes for TGNB individuals. Training on gender-affirming healthcare can increase knowledge, comfort, and self-efficacy working with TGNB patients. Using a mixed-method survey, this study assessed 65 GCs' gender-inclusive communication practices and elucidated reasons for discomfort using language to determine how language builds trust and fosters patient-provider relationships, ascertain differences between specialties, and identify potential gaps in education and professional development. This study found that approximately one-third of GCs are comfortable using gender-inclusive language and just over half regularly use it with patients. Most GCs do not share their pronouns or ask patients theirs, which was not correlated with comfort levels or frequency of using gender-inclusive language. There were no significant differences based on specialty. Thematic analysis of open responses revealed GCs used gendered language to promote shared language and for clarity, some mentioning sex assigned at birth was relevant for risk assessment. Most felt the impact of gendered language depended on the patient's perspective. Twenty-five percent noted gendered language was familiar for most patients and 40% recognized negative impacts on TGNB individuals. Most GCs desired more gender-inclusivity training even though >95% had some type previously. Those who had gender-inclusivity training in their genetic counseling program were more comfortable using gender-inclusive language and were more likely to share their pronouns with patients. This study adds to the growing body of literature demonstrating GCs' desire for more gender-inclusivity education and highlights the potential importance of having this education integrated into genetic counseling training programs. GCs should continue to incorporate gender-inclusive language into their practice in concordance with the tenants of the Reciprocal Engagement Model.

From intention to action: Assessing need and creating a JEDI toolkit for individuals teaching cancer genetics curriculum.

The effects of systemic racism persist in cancer care and contribute to disparities. Recent publications have shown that injustices and biases continue to affect the field of genetic counseling in the form of microaggressions, barriers to entry, and disparate patient care. Toolkits are one method that can be used to incorporate anti-racist practices to address this need. We sought to identify the current state of coverage of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) topics during cancer genetics training across genetic counseling training programs (GCTPs) and utilize this information to create a novel toolkit that would support integration of anti-racist pedagogy into formal genetic counseling curricula. To accomplish this aim, recent learners and program directors/cancer course instructors were surveyed using two novel surveys. The survey responses, which helped to identify the frequency and manner of incorporation of JEDI topics into cancer curricula in GCTPs, led to the development of an educational toolkit. Recent learners and instructors/program directors identified multiple content areas within cancer genetic training in which they felt incorporating JEDI topics would be desired. A toolkit to support the incorporation of anti-racist teaching and practices into cancer genetics training in GCTPs was created. This toolkit can be adapted to focus on topics relevant to the care of other marginalized identities and to support the learning of other healthcare providers receiving cancer genetics education.

A qualitative focus group analysis: Increasing fieldwork capacity in genetic counseling training programs.

Genetic counselors are an integral part of the healthcare system; however, the number of genetic counselors in many parts of the United States is limited, impacting access to comprehensive healthcare for all patients. One solution to addressing this deficit includes modifying genetic counseling training programs to increase student enrollment. Fieldwork capacity, driven by a limited number of rotation sites and supervisors, produces a significant bottleneck to entering the profession. Other professions have reported on techniques to increase fieldwork capacity; however, the practicality of these techniques for genetic counseling training has yet to be explored. This study seeks to investigate the perspectives of key stakeholders in genetic counseling training programs on the practicality of techniques already posited in the literature from other allied health professions. Semi-structured focus group interviews with 25 participants were conducted at the 2019 National Society of Genetic Counselors conference. Participants included program directors and supervisors from clinical, industry, and laboratory backgrounds. The focus group responses were analyzed using directed content analysis and a split coding technique, after which several themes emerged within the larger domains of rotation structures, systems infrastructure, skill-building methods, and other novel techniques to increase fieldwork capacity. Emerging themes included the importance of finding quality student placements rather than maximizing the quantity of participatory cases; a need for transparency about the transferability of skills learned from novel experiences; scaffolding student entrustment to expand supervisor capacity; and recognizing nuances in implementation for individual programs. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of openness in communication to manage expectations for students and supervisors, who may be more hesitant to try novel rotation placements and skill-building techniques. Genetic counseling programs may use these results to address the bottleneck of fieldwork capacity, increasing student enrollment.

Research on the Influence of Competency on the Job Performance of College Counsellors

Introduction: This study aims to explore the impact of counselor competencies on work performance, specifically focusing on the provision of academic and personal development support to college students. The research process involved a systematic review of academic databases, including ERIC, JSTOR, and ProQuest, using search terms such as competency, job performance, college counselors, and education management. Theoretical Framework: The study emphasizes the importance of counselor competencies in determining job performance. Counselors excelling in crisis intervention, career counseling, active listening, and interpersonal skills tend to perform better, effectively addressing students' needs and guiding them in academic and personal development. Methodology: Academic databases and publications were systematically reviewed to ensure the retrieval of relevant and recent material. Strict selection criteria were applied to guarantee the caliber and applicability of chosen sources. Results: The findings underscore the significance of counselor competencies in enhancing job performance. Counselors proficient in key areas exhibit effective interaction with students, catering to their needs, and fostering academic and personal development. Conclusion: The study highlights the need to prioritize the evaluation and improvement of counselor competencies. Tailoring counselor training programs to enhance critical abilities can benefit educational institutions, ensuring better support for students' academic and personal growth.

The State of National Institute of Health Awards for funding genetic counseling research, resources, and training over the past decade.

Research related to the practice of genetic counseling has historically been accomplished through student projects, small private grants, or as a part of a larger research study. Yet, recent initiatives supported by the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the National Human Genome Research Institute have recognized and promoted the need for additional genetic counseling research funding and training. In this study, we aimed to characterize awards from the United States' National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the past 10 years that support research related to genetic counseling. Asearch of the NIH RePORTER database conducted on April 25, 2022, using terms broadly related to genetic counseling, identified 3993 awards from fiscal years 2011 to 2022. After deduplication, 1231 grants were reviewed for screening. The final dataset included 43 awards of various types with the majority being research or R series grants [R01 (n = 17), R21 (n = 7)]. The remaining awards were Cooperative Agreements (U01, n = 6), intramural (Z-grants, n = 5), Center Core (P30, n = 2), Specialized Center (P50, n = 1), Career Development Award (K01, n = 1), Other Transactions (OT2, n = 1), Resource Program (G13, n = 1), and Research Training and Fellowship (T32, n = 1). Most grants were awarded between 2019 and 2022 (n = 24, 55.8%). The majority of awards were categorized as studies that included a comparison of different genetic counseling models (n = 23), outcomes of implementing genetic counseling (n = 11), core resources for genetic counselors (n = 5), and genetic counseling training programs (n = 4). Thirteen of the awards (30.2%) had a specific aim/goal/focus on underserved or underrepresented populations. The topics were predominantly related to cancer (n = 26). Nine awards were led or co-led by a genetic counselor (20.9%). Despite significant growth in genetic counseling research support from US-based funders over the past 3 years, major gaps related to funding exist, including that most award recipients are not genetic counselors.

Integrating nutrition and genetic counseling: A case study approach to interprofessional learning.

Interprofessional collaboration is an increasingly important skillset for practicing healthcare professionals including genetic counselors and registered dietitian nutritionists. A multi-part interactive case study activity was created to develop interprofessional skills for graduate students within genetic counseling and medical nutrition training programs at an academic medical center. Feedback from learners who participated in this activity highlights its effect on their post-graduation clinical practice. Additionally, since the implementation of this activity, collaboration between students and faculty members of each program has occurred in other scholarly pursuits, fostering longstanding interprofessional relationships. Similar approaches to interprofessional education could be considered with other healthcare professions or at other institutions as another tool to strengthen practice upon graduation.

Leveling the field: Development of an asynchronous interactive module series for genetic counseling trainees on molecular testing and variant interpretation.

The need for education focusing on genomic technologies and variant interpretation for genetic counseling trainees has prompted genetic counseling training programs to alter their curricula to incorporate this content. Given students' diverse experiences prior to matriculation into genetic counseling training programs, students' familiarity with these topics may vary. Following receipt of feedback from trainees at a large genetic counseling program regarding an existing course focused on molecular technologies, a three-part asynchronous module series was created as a prerequisite to this course as an opportunity to align knowledge. Designed to be completed by students on their own time and at their own pace, the modules allowed for additional instruction without increases in classroom time or credit hours. Content included a refresh on genetics concepts and an introduction to available genetics resources for developing a differential diagnosis as well as variant interpretation framework. Modules utilized a clinical scenario to anchor learning with interactive content, allowing students to progress at their own pace and explore content as they found necessary. Completion of this asynchronous module series was required by incoming first-year students prior to the start of the academic semester. Following completion, students were asked to provide feedback on the module series. Reviews were primarily positive with students indicating that while the content was not entirely new, they found the review valuable and would be likely to reference the modules later in their genetic counseling training. Areas identified for improvement included additional detail regarding genetic testing methods as well as adjusting the interactive content to ensure accessibility for all students and systems. Taken together, the development and implementation of this asynchronous series as an additional component to genetic counseling training was considered a success and this approach can be considered to address additional topics dependent on a programs' needs.