Counselor Preparation Programs Research Articles

Program Evaluation of a Community-Engaged Partnership Between a Counselor Preparation Program and Adult Probation Services

This study evaluated counseling services provided by counselor trainees to individuals on probation within a partnership between a counselor training program and a community supervision department. Eighty-one participants were included in the program evaluation, with 65 reporting demographics. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 74 and included 35 men and 30 women. Of those 65, 67.7% identified as White, 24.6% as African American, 6.2% as another race not specified, and 1.5% Native American or Alaskan Native. Additionally, 83.1% identified as non-Hispanic and 16.9% as Hispanic. Pre–post assessments were completed and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests revealed statistically significant reduction of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, anger reactions, and relapse symptoms, and a statistically significant increase in presence of meaning in life, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction. Percentage improvement revealed more than half of the participants had clinically significant improvement in depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Results indicate promise for community-engaged partnerships to provide no-cost responsive counseling services to individuals on probation.

Impact of play therapy training on students in counselor preparation programs.

Impact of play therapy training on students in counselor preparation programs.

Implementing a Latinx Counseling Concentration Within a CACREP Program

Latinx individuals represent one of the fastest growing cultural identities in the United States. The hegemony of White Eurocentrism in traditional counselor education requires programs to innovate to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to address the mental health needs of Latinx‐identifying clients. This article outlines the steps taken by one clinical mental health counseling program to design and implement a Latinx counseling concentration within the existing curriculum. Outcomes achieved and lessons learned in the first 3 years are offered as recommendations to other institutions recognizing the need for a similar concentration within their counselor preparation programs.

The Case for a Core Anti-racist Course for Counselors in Training

Historically, counseling programs in the United States have been rooted in whiteness and white supremacy. Despite this historical context, counseling programs fail to teach students about the varied ways that anti-Blackness and systemic racism show up in society, classrooms, and clinical settings. Given the systemic murders of Black folks by the state, the health disparities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the refusal of white voters to abandon white supremacist patriarchy in the 2020 presidential election, the counseling field must reconsider how it prepares trainees to embrace anti-racism in their personal and professional lives. The purpose of this article is to propose a core anti-racist counseling course to assist students in developing an anti-racist counseling identity including pedagogical practices, course learning objectives and assignments. Implications will be provided for counselor preparation programs, counseling students, and counselor educators to employ.

School Counselors’ Experiences With Ethical Decision Making

Using a purposeful, convenience sampling method, we explored six school counselors’ experiences of ethical decision making. We used a transcendental phenomenology research method and identified the themes of consulting, referring to ethical guidelines, documenting, contributing factors, and engaging in professional development. This article discusses implications for school counselor preparation programs and practicing school counselors.

A constructivist approach to promoting spiritual competence in counselor trainees: a pilot study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a two-and-half hour constructivist-oriented training session upon the spirituality and religious competency of 15 master’s level counseling students. The results revealed that the master’s-lever counselors in training demonstrated a significant overall increase in spiritual and religious competency. Although the intervention resulted in a significant increase in the spiritual and religious competency scores, the participants’ scores at posttest remained below the minimum cutoff score, echoing a consistent finding in the literature that counselor preparation programs are not adequately training students to incorporate spirituality and religion in their work. Students who scored higher on a Personal Spiritual and Religious Practices scale demonstrated greater increases in their spiritual competency.

Increasing partnerships in educational leadership and school counseling: a framework for collaborative school principal and school counselor preparation and support

ABSTRACT This paper presents a practical training framework for collaboration for pre-service and in-service school counselors and principal training programs, which can serve as a model for other programs to best meet the social, emotional, academic, and career and college readiness needs of P-12 students. The framework includes six elements: 1) effective pre-service preparation; 2) sustainable partnerships; 3) stakeholder collaboration; 4) current practitioner support; 5) model site development; and, 6) ongoing research and professional learning. Each element of the framework is presented with examples of collaboration among principal and school counselor preparation programs. While principals and school counselors have unique and diverse roles in schools, their collaboration supports the holistic (e.g. academic, social, and emotional) development of P-12 students. Similarly, collaboration between pre-service training programs, community partners, and practitioners can be beneficial for both students and educators. Little information is known about how these collaborative skillsets are developed in pre-service and in-service training programs, however. This framework provides faculty in higher education and pre- and in-service practitioners insights to foster school counselor and principal collaboration and positive relationships.

The Development and Evaluation of the Intersectional Privilege Screening Inventory for Use With Counselors‐in‐Training

As counselor preparation programs are compelled to demonstrate student social and cultural competence, valid inventories are needed to measure development consistent with contemporary standards. The Intersectional Privilege Screening Inventory was created for this purpose, was assessed using 4 types of validity evidence, and has results supporting its use in student development.

Toward Trauma‐Informed Career Counseling

The Adverse Childhood Experiences study (Felitti et al., 1998) showed that early adversity can have a profound lifelong effect on personal development, social relationships, coping methods, and career trajectories. The authors review critical findings related to trauma‐informed counseling practices, discuss literature linking trauma and career theories, and consider how career counseling could address the effects of adverse childhood experiences using trauma‐informed practices. An integration of trauma‐informed practices with career counseling using narrative and other approaches is proposed. The proposed integration holds implications for incorporating trauma‐informed practice in career counselor preparation programs and in career counseling practice.

A University/School District Partnership to Close the Information, Opportunity, and Attainment Gaps for Students in Urban Schools

This article outlines how to replicate strategies employed during a two-decade partnership between the University of North Florida’s (UNF) school counselor preparation program and Duval County Public Schools, a large, urban, southern school district. The partnership created a culture of collaboration built on a mutual social justice philosophy for the purpose of closing attainment gaps. Participation in the partnership has become mandatory for UNF school counseling candidates in their preparation to be systemic change agents who ferret out and eliminate opportunity gaps and information gaps to benefit K–12 students.

Challenge Course Activities and Orientation for Master’s Level Counseling Students: A Qualitative Exploration

ABSTRACT Orientation is an important component of a student’s transition to beginning a counselor preparation program. In this study, the researchers conducted interviews with 16 students to explore the use of challenge course activities, involving group games, within the orientation process. The researchers identified three overarching themes (process of getting to know each other, application, and recommendations) and multiple subthemes. The researchers also discuss the limitations and recommendations for future research, as well as the implications for counselor education.

Conflict in the Multicultural Counseling Classroom: Counselor Educators’ Experiences

We gathered data from counselor educators to study their experiences with emotionally charged exchanges while teaching multicultural counseling. We then used descriptive phenomenology and an ecological systems framework to reveal the emotions counselor educators experienced and the outcomes of the exchanges. We discuss the implications of our findings for counselor preparation programs and educators.

Preparing Counselors to Work with Refugees: Integration of Experiential Activities

ABSTRACTThe number of globally displaced refugees has increased by record-high numbers. Refugees are forced out of their home countries and many are resettled in the United States. As the number of refugees entering the US continues to increase, there is a need to ensure that mental health counselors understand the unique needs of this population and provide culturally appropriate counseling services. The aim of this article is to present experiential activities that counselor educators can use in counselor preparation programs to better prepare counselors-in-training to work with refugees.

A multi-method synthesis of studies evaluating wellness-informed approaches to counselor supervision

ABSTRACTThis multi-method synthesis evaluated the effectiveness, course of effect, and perceived salient features of wellness-informed approaches to supervision. Synthesis of findings from between-groups (j = 3), single-case (j = 2), and qualitative (j = 4) studies indicated preliminary support for these approaches to supervisee development. Recommendations for supervisors and limitations of findings to counselor preparation programs are discussed.

INTEGRATING A SERVANT LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: PREPARING TEACHING AND SCHOOL COUNSELING STUDENTS FOR COLLABORATION

Culturally responsive servant leadership may serve as a model for school counselor and teacher graduate students to create collaborative partnerships in the K-12 setting. Currently, research about servant leadership in school counselor and teacher preparation programs is limited, and research regarding teacher-school counselor partnerships. Thus, the authors propose an interdisciplinary project in which graduate students in school counseling and teacher preparation programs work collaboratively to create culturally responsive professional development integrating the components of the servant leadership framework. The authors expect the outcome of the project to impact graduate students’ continued professional endeavors, and inform future quantitative and qualitative studies regarding teacher-school counselor collaborative partnerships.

Clinical Supervisors’ Perceptions of Wellness: A Phenomenological View on Supervisee Wellness

Wellness is an integral component of the counseling profession (Myers & Sweeney, 2004; Witmer, 1985) and is included in ethical codes, suggestions practice and codes of conduct throughout the helping professions of counseling, psychology and social work (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014; American Psychological Association [APA], 2010; National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2008). Yet, individuals in the helping professions do not necessarily practice wellness or operate from a wellness paradigm, even though counselors are susceptible to becoming unwell because of the nature of their job (Lawson, 2007; Skovholt, 2001). As a helping professional, proximity to human suffering and trauma, difficult life experiences and additional occupational hazards (e.g., high caseloads) make careers like counseling costly helpers (Sadler-Gerhardt & Stevenson, 2011). Further, helpers may be vulnerable to experiencing burnout because of their ability (and necessity because of their career) to care (Sadler-Gerhardt & Stevenson, 2011). Compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization and other illness-enhancing issues often coincide with burnout, increasing the propensity therapists to become unwell (Lambie, 2007; Puig et al., 2012). Extended periods of stress also can lead to helping professionals' impairment and burnout and can negatively impact quality of client services (Lambie, 2007). Furthermore, counselors who are unwell have the potential of acting unethically and may in turn harm their clients (Lawson, 2007). Thus, it is imperative that helping professionals' wellness be examined.More specifically, counseling professionals are required to follow guidelines that support a wellness paradigm. ACA (2014) states that counselors should monitor themselves for signs of impairment from their own physical, mental, or emotional problems (Standard C.2.g.). In addition, counselors are instructed to monitor themselves and signs of impairment and refrain from offering or providing professional services when such impairment is likely to harm a client or others (ACA, 2014, F.5.b.). The Council Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2015) supports counselors having a wellness orientation and a focus on prevention (Section II.5.a.) and that counselors promote wellness, optimal functioning and growth in clients (Section II.2.e.). Thus, prevention of impairment and a wellness focus are intertwined throughout the standards of the counseling profession. Consequently, it is unethical counseling professionals to operate while personally or professionally impaired.Wellness and Supervision in CounselingIn the following section, the importance of wellness and potential impacts of unwellness in the counseling profession will be discussed. Specifically, stressors contributing to impairment will be highlighted. In addition, supervision within a counseling context and general information regarding the supervisory experience will be reviewed.Wellness and the Counseling ProfessionThe counseling profession was founded on a wellness philosophy, with holistic wellness including personal characteristics, such as nutritional wellness, physical wellness, stress management and self-care (Puig et al., 2012), and other realms including spiritual, occupational and intellectual well-being (Myers & Sweeney, 2008). According to Carl Rogers (1961), personal characteristics influence counselors' ability to help others. For instance, individual wellness may influence how knowledgeable, self-aware and skillful supervisees are in relation to working with clients (Lambie & Blount, 2016). Counselors who are well are more likely to be helpful to their clients (Lawson & Myers, 2011; Venart, Vassos, & Pitcher-Heft, 2007), and counselors' mental health and wellness impacts the quality of services clients receive (Roach & Young, 2007). Therefore, counselor preparation programs and supervisors should discuss wellness and areas in which impairment could arise when training students to become counselors and supervisors (Roach & Young, 2007). …

Incorporating a Multi-Tiered System of Supports Into School Counselor Preparation

When new educational models are introduced into the school system that affect school counseling practice, the training of pre-service and in-service school counselors needs to be updated. A multitiered system of supports (MTSS) is one such innovation requiring school counselors to further refine their skill set. In fact, during the school counseling profession's relatively short history, counselors have experienced several major shifts in foci and best practices (Gysbers & Henderson, 2012). The latest movement surfaced in the 1980s, when school counselors were encouraged to revisit their largely reactive, inefficient and ineffective practices. Specifically, rather than supporting a relatively small proportion of students with their vocational, educational and personal-social goals and concerns, pre-service and in-school practitioners, under the aegis of a comprehensive school counseling program (CSCP) orientation, were called to operate in a more proactive and preventative fashion.Although there are complementary frameworks to choose from, the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA; 2012a) National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs emerged as the standard for professional practice, offering K-12 counselors an operational scaffold to guide their activities, interventions and services. Preliminary survey research suggests that counselors are performing their duties in a more systemic and collaborative fashion to more effectively serve students and their families (Goodman-Scott, 2013, 2015). Other rigorous accountability research examining the efficacy of CSCP practices supports this transformation of counselors' roles and functions (Martin & Carey, 2014; Sink, Cooney, & Adkins, in press; Wilkerson, Perusse, & Hughes, 2013). As a consequence of the increased demand for retraining, university-level counselor preparation programs and professional counseling organizations (e.g., American Counseling Association, ASCA, National Board for Certified Counselors) have generally responded in kind. Over the last few decades, K-12 school counselors have been instructed to move from a positional approach to their professional work to one that is programmatic and systemic in nature.As mentioned above, the implementation of MTSS (e.g., Positive Behavioral Supports and Responses [PBIS] and Response to Intervention [RTI] frameworks) in the nation's schools requires in-service counselors to augment their collaboration and coordination skills (Shepard, Shahidullah, & Carlson, 2013). Essentially, MTSS programs are evidence-based, holistic, and systemic approaches to improve student learning and social-emotional-behavioral functioning. They are largely implemented in educational settings using three tiers or levels of intervention. In theory, all educators are involved at differing levels of intensity. For example, classroom teachers and teacher aides are the first line (Tier 1) of support for struggling students. As the need might arise, other more specialized staff (e.g., school psychologists, special education teachers, school counselors, addictions counselors) may be enlisted to provide additional and more targeted student interventions and support (Tiers 2 or 3). Even though ASCA (2014) released a position statement broadly addressing school counselors' roles and functions within MTSS schools, research is equivocal as to whether these practitioners are implementing these directives with any depth and fidelity (Goodman-Scott, 2015; Goodman-Scott, Betters-Bubon, & Donahue, 2016; Ockerman, Mason, & Hollenbeck, 2012; Ockerman, Patrikakou, & Feiker Hollenbeck, 2015). Moreover, school counselor effectiveness with MTSS-related responsibilities is an open question.To sufficiently answer these accountability questions, there is a pressing need for university preparation programs to better educate nascent school counselors on MTSS, particularly on the fundamentals and effective ways PBIS and RTI can be accommodated within the purposes and practices of CSCPs (Goodman-Scott et al. …

An Exploratory Investigation of Levels of Learning and Learning Efficiency Between Online and Face-to-face Instruction

This study examined differences in levels of learning and perceived efficiency between online (n = 22) and face-to-face (n = 32) graduate level subjects. Participants were master’s students enrolled in an accredited counselor preparation program. Findings indicated that students in both groups equally exhibited gains in levels of learning; however, there was a significant difference between groups in perceived learning efficiency, favoring the online instructional modality. Limitations regarding this study are noted, particularly related to the research design. Additional studies examining levels of learning and perceived efficiency of students enrolled in online courses are recommended.

The School Counselor and Special Education: Aligning Training With Practice

The intent of this article is to discuss the importance of training school counselors in providing adequate services to students with special needs, as mandated by special education law and supported by school counseling standards created by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). In addition, the lack of adequate and unified training for school counselors in this area will be explored. This article suggests implementing a more consistent school counselor education program across institutions that would include coursework and experiences in special education that are in alignment with the standards of ASCA, legal obligations, and daily counselor roles. Examples of ways to incorporate such experiences and assignments into courses across counselor training programs are provided.Keywords: counselor education, school counselor, special education, counselor training, American School Counselor AssociationThe enactment of special education laws and mandates such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which require schools to provide free appropriate public education to all students within the regular education setting, have immensely impacted the school counseling profession (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, 2002; Owens, Thomas, & Strong, 2011). The number of students identified as appropriate to receive special education services is growing (Dunn & Baker, 2002; McEachem, 2003; Owens et ah, 2011). Therefore, school counselors are now required to provide equal services to more students with special needs within the regular education setting. Similarly, school counselors are required to take a more active role in the Individual Education Program (IEP) process, from identification to implementation, than what was previously expected in the past (Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, Goodnough, & Akos, 2007; Owens et ah, 2011). School counselors' involvement in special education is not only required by specific legislation, but also poses ethical considerations regarding to direct and indirect services for students with special needs. In response to legislation, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has advocated for school counselor involvement in special education and published guidelines for servicing students with special needs (Isaacs, Greene & Valesky, 1998; Myers, 2005; Studer & Quigney, 2005).Despite a study conducted by Studer and Quigney (2003) which showed that school counselors are becoming more involved with special education by serving on teams that assist with disability identification and implementation of services, counselor education programs are not adequately training future school counselors to deal with changing roles and responsibilities included in servicing students with special needs (McEachem, 2003; Milsom & Akos, 2003; Romano, Paradise, & Green, 2009; Studer & Quigney, 2005). Additionally, there is a dearth of recent research in the literature addressing concerns that special education is not being adequately addressed in school counselor preparation programs. Although there is an increasing trend in school counselor training programs to include some instruction about special education (Studer & Quigney, 2005), no specific suggestions for implementing such content into the curriculum have been published to date. In response, this article provides ideas and recommendations for infusing special education content throughout the school counseling curriculum required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Counselor education programs must recognize the importance of the school counselor in the lives of students with disabilities, and adequate training should become a priority.Students with Special Needs, the School Counselor and the LawSince the enactment of special education laws and mandates such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) and IDEA, the role of the school counselor has continued to evolve (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, 2002; Owens et al. …

Development of Counseling Students’ Self-Efficacy During Preparation and Training

Counselor preparation is multifaceted and involves developing trainees' clinical knowledge, skills and competence. Furthermore, counselor self-efficacy is a relevant developmental consideration in the counseling field. Therefore, the purpose of this longitudinal investigation was to examine the effects of a counselor preparation program on students' development of counseling self-efficacy. The Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale was administered to 179 master's-level counselors-in-training at three points in their counselor training and coursework, including new student orientation, clinical practicum orientation and final internship group supervision meeting. Findings indicated that students' experience in their preparation program resulted in higher levels of self-efficacy.Keywords: counselor preparation, counselor training, self-efficacy, development, internshipThe practice of counselor training is a complex, intentional process of reflective educational and experiential activities to promote the development of knowledge and skills (Bernard & Goodyear, 2013; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2009; McAuliffe & Eriksen, 2011). As such, the primary goal of counselor preparation programs is to educate and train students to become competent counselors by equipping them with necessary skills, knowledge and experiences (American Counseling Association, 2014; Bernard & Goodyear, 2013; CACREP, 2009). Furthermore, students training to be counselors increase their self-awareness and reflective practice throughout their educational experience (Granello & Young, 2012; Lambie & Sias, 2009; Ronnestad, & Skovholt, 2003). Increased understanding regarding counseling trainee development may aid educators' ability to develop and deliver educational and supervision interventions.Self-efficacy represents an individual's or judgments about his or her ability to accomplish a given goal or task (Bandura, 1995). Furthermore, self-efficacy is a recognized measure of development in the counseling field (Larson & Daniels, 1998), has a positive influence on work-related performance (Bandura, 1982; Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998), and consequently works as an outcome and developmental consideration for counselor training. In addition, there are assortments of published research examining counseling trainees' self-efficacy (e.g., Barbee, Scherer & Combs, 2003; Cashwell & Dooley, 2001; Kozina, Grabovari, Stefano, & Drapeau, 2010; Melchert, Hays, Wiljanen, & Kolocek, 1996; Tang et al., 2004); however, limited research examines counseling trainees' development of self-efficacy in a longitudinal fashion based upon their experiences from start (e.g., educational courses) to finish (e.g., initial clinical experiences) in counselor preparation programs. Therefore, the purpose of this longitudinal investigation was to examine counselor trainees' self-efficacy as they progressed through the educational and experiential components of a counselor preparation program.Counseling Students' Self-EfficacyBandura (1995) described perceived self-efficacy as beliefs in capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations (p. 2). Self-efficacy is considered an appropriate scientific lens for examining individuals' regarding their ability to accomplish professional goals (Bandura, 1997) and is a common research topic in counseling literature (e.g., Larson & Daniels, 1998). Specifically, Bandura (1997) suggested that individuals' ability to accomplish a task or goal not only necessitates skill and ability, but also the belief in oneself that provides the confidence and motivation to complete a task. Larson and Daniels (1998) stated that counseling self-efficacy is one's or judgments about her or his capabilities to effectively counsel a client in the near future (p. 180). …