Counseling Training Programs Research Articles

Opening the door to a person-centered experiential training group: a thematic analysis

ABSTRACT Person-centered experiential growth groups can promote self-awareness, increased authenticity, and improve interpersonal skills. Many counselor training programs require counselor trainees to participate in groups as a member as a form of experiential learning when preparing to be a group leader. However, the literature examining the experiences of counselor trainees in a person-centered experiential growth group is scarce, and little information on how to prepare and implement such a group exists. The purpose of this thematic analysis was to explore the narratives of counselor trainees during a person-centered experiential growth group. A constructivist paradigm guided our inquiry. Participants included six master’s level counselor trainees who attended nine weekly group sessions. We identified three emergent themes through our thematic analysis: prior life experiences, therapeutic factors, and challenges. Findings inform counselor educators and group therapists about the unique learning and personal needs of counselor trainees in a person-centered growth group. Limitations are discussed.

Understanding Parents’ Self-Awareness of Their Parenting Style(s) and Its Influences on Their Parenting Choices - A Grounded Theory Study

Parenting is a process made up of approaches, styles, and daily choices. Parents are often unaware of how much their parenting style can impact the choices they make each day related to parenting their children. This grounded theory study explored how parents’ self-awareness of their parenting styles influences parenting choices in a sample of parents with children ages birth-11. Seven main themes emerged from this study: (a) the role of comparison and impact of social media, (b) parents do the best they can based on what they have learned and experienced, (c) promoting mental health and wellbeing in what is typically an autopilot experience, (d) parenting is hard, and it can be lonely, (e) navigating the impact of childhood experiences, (f) pressure to be perfect; not enough time to get it all right, and (g) intentionality through self-awareness and reflection. Upon further reflection on the themes, the following theory emerged: Parenting is hard, and it can be a lonely journey. Parents do the best they can based on their experiences and comparing to others. However, when invited to reflect on their parenting choices, parents are more intentional through self-awareness and promoting their mental health and wellbeing. This study's findings offer implications for counselor education as they underscore the need for CACREP (2016) to implement a formal standard to guide counselor training programs to offer instruction relating to parenting styles.

Integrating Sexuality Issues in Career Counseling: A Special Commentary

The integration of sexual health and wellness competencies within the career counseling specialization is a crucial aspect of providing comprehensive support to clients. This integration holds significance in three key areas: clinical practice, research, and training. In clinical practice, addressing sexual health concerns that may impact career decisions can enhance the comprehensive support provided to clients. In research, exploring the relationship between sexual health and career development and satisfaction is crucial. Furthermore, incorporating sexual health and wellness competencies into training programs for career counselors is necessary to ensure practitioners have the knowledge and skills required to effectively support clients in this area. Ultimately, the prioritization of sexual health and wellness within the career counseling specialization has the potential to lead to improved overall well-being and career satisfaction for clients.

Applying and assessing the PEERS model on genetic counseling training in China: A mixed-method approach.

Due to the changing medical demands in the healthcare system, there is a need for a standardized and professionalized curriculum for genetic counselors. This mixed-method study will observe and evaluate the first Peer Experiential and Reciprocal Supervision (PEERS) training program on genetic counseling among medical practitioners in China; to provide feedback and recommendation for future training and practices. A genetic counselor training program was held from December 10-11, 2016 in a fetal medicine unit and prenatal diagnosis center in Shanghai with 59 participants from clinical centers, hospitals, and organizations in China. An ethnographic reflexive assessment with a structured questionnaire were used to provide insights and feedback on the training experience. Results indicate an inadequate mastery of genetic and fetal knowledge; lack of empathetic understanding and cultural sensitivity; difficulties in adopting a non-directive counseling approach; distance between reality and fictionality in the training; overall training's helpfulness. The professionalization of genetic counseling in China is in the making with the soaring demands for genetic counseling services; this first experiment of PEERS training turned out to be needed, worth to be adapted toward medical centers across China, to better understand and face the challenges rising from genetic counseling practice.

A Phenomenological Study of Black Female Secondary School Counselors and Their Experiences With Self-Care

This phenomenological study aimed to explore the self-care practices of Black female secondary school counselors serving in public school districts in central Indiana. Eight participants were recruited through purposive sampling and participated in semistructured interviews. Findings indicate that participants engage in various self-care practices but experience challenges in their school counseling roles that serve as barriers to self-care. Themes that emerged include (a) the struggle to engage in self-care, (b) school counselor role as a reminder for self-care, (c) Black identity related to personal boundaries, and (d) institutional barriers to self-care. The discussion highlights the importance of self-care for Black female secondary school counselors and the challenges they face. We explore implications for Black female school counselors, school counselors overall, school administrators, and school counselor training programs. Finally, we suggest future research in the self-care practices of Black female school counselors in different contexts.

Development of a brief therapist presence inventory in China using multilevel factor analysis and item response theory

Objectives The aims of this study were to investigate the multilevel factor structure of the Therapist Presence Inventory-Therapist version (TPI-T) in a sample of Chinese beginning trainees, and to develop a 6-item brief version (TPI-T-Brief) using multilevel item response theory (M-IRT). Methods: Participants included 131 therapists from a master’s level counseling training program in China. After every session, therapists were sent the TPI-T and measures assessing their ratings of working alliance and session quality. Results: Multilevel factor analysis indicated that though conceptually TPI-T was hypothesized as having a unidimensional structure, the positively and negative worded items emerged as two statistical artifact factors. Using M-IRT, we shortened the 21-item TPI-T into the 6-item TPI-T-Brief, with three positive and three negative items. Conclusions: Evidence was found for the multilevel reliability, convergent validity, and concurrent validity of TPI-T-Brief given its significant associations with therapist- and client-rated working alliance and session quality. Further, TPI-T-Brief had significant predictive effect of session quality above and beyond working alliance at the session level. We discussed limitations (including using only one dataset) and recommended that the TPI-T-Brief be used in routine clinical practice to track therapy process.

Modeling Motivational Interviewing Strategies on an Online Peer-to-Peer Counseling Platform

Millions of people participate in online peer-to-peer support sessions, yet there has been little prior research on systematic psychology-based evaluations of fine-grained peer-counselor behavior in relation to client satisfaction. This paper seeks to bridge this gap by mapping peer-counselor chat-messages to motivational interviewing (MI) techniques. We annotate 14,797 utterances from 734 chat conversations using 17 MI techniques and introduce four new interviewing codes such as ''chit-chat'' and ''inappropriate'' to account for the unique conversational patterns observed on online platforms. We automate the process of labeling peer-counselor responses to MI techniques by fine-tuning large domain-specific language models and then use these automated measures to investigate the behavior of the peer counselors via correlational studies. Specifically, we study the impact of MI techniques on the conversation ratings to investigate the techniques that predict clients' satisfaction with their counseling sessions. When counselors use techniques such as reflection and affirmation, clients are more satisfied. Examining volunteer counselors' change in usage of techniques suggest that counselors learn to use more introduction and open questions as they gain experience. This work provides a deeper understanding of the use of motivational interviewing techniques on peer-to-peer counselor platforms and sheds light on how to build better training programs for volunteer counselors on online platforms.

Identifying the current status and future needs of clinical, educational, and laboratory genetics services in Pakistan: a web-based panel discussion.

While the prevalence of genetic disorders has been well documented in the Muslim-majority, low-socioeconomic country of Pakistan, the provision of medical genetic services remains limited and cost-prohibitive to the masses in the country. With the objective of identifying gaps in the provision of medical genetics services as perceived by the healthcare providers and the general public, the Pakistani Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics (PSMG) organized a needs assessment webinar on December 6, 2020, titled, “A Vibrant Discussion on the Current Status and Future Needs of Medical Genetic Services in Pakistan.” The objectives of the webinar were (1) to explore the current availability of medical genetics services, (2) to identify areas in clinical genetics delivery models needed to improve the state of medical genetics in the country, and (3) to garner the interest in such provisions from the expert and lay audience. The webinar consisted of a moderator-led, structured interview of an expert panel including the following topics: (1) postgraduate clinical genetics and genetic counseling training programs, (2) medical genetics clinics and formal genetic counseling services), (3) clinical genetic testing and (4) patient support and advocacy groups. The webinar was followed by a short, web-based survey completed by 35 of the 60 attendees. The results of this survey indicated overwhelming support for establishing formal genetic counseling educational opportunities (91.6%) and increasing the availability of genetic testing (100%). This report further summarizes the opinions and recommendations of the panelists and the audience survey results.

The perceived impact of counselling training on students' personal relationships

AbstractBackgroundDespite the urban myth of “the divorce course,” there is little research to support this perception of counselling training programmes. Studies exploring the lived experiences of counsellors in training have referred to relationship changes, but none have made these their primary focus. Research is needed to enhance our understanding of this formative stage for counsellors.AimsThe purpose of this ideographic study is to gain new perspectives on the perceived impact of counselling training on trainees' personal relationships by exploring the lived experiences of five counsellors who completed their training in the last 18 months.MethodThrough a process of volunteer and snowball sampling, qualified counsellors were invited to participate in individual semistructured interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. Due to the small sample size and the emphasis on how each participant made meaning of their own experience, interpretative phenomenological analysis was chosen to interpret the findings.FindingsDetailed analysis and interpretation of the data filtered into two superordinate themes: permission to change; and the challenge of integration. ConclusionThe data revealed that training had a significant multifaceted impact on the personal relationships of all participants. Participants' experience of their training group and of personal therapy was found to be an important factor in this change, as were themes of agency and identity. The majority of ruptures in extant relationships took place early in training. Further research is needed, perhaps into the experiences of loved ones in relationships with student counsellors.

Not Your Fetish: Broaching Racialized Sexual Harassment Against Asian Women

Asian women’s paradoxical position of hypervisbility and invisibility is a result of society caricaturing and fetishizing their sexuality and bodies while simultaneously denying their humanity and personhood. Despite the long history of objectification and fetishization of Asian women in the United States, extant mental health counseling training programs and literature offer limited guidance to counselors on this concern, perpetuating an epistemic lapse in mental health counselors’ competency. With rising anti-Asian hate, the racialized COVID-19 pandemic, and anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States, there exist increased threats to Asian women’s mental health. Responding to a paucity of counseling literature, this article offers strategies grounded in the multidimensional model of broaching behavior to broach racialized sexual harassment experienced by Asian women. Implications for counselor training and future research are also offered.

Antiracist Andragogy in School Counselor Education and Training

Black students continue to experience trauma in response to racial, social, political, and cultural discrimination. Therefore, there is a need for antiracist work to push beyond awareness and to seek action for systemic change on their behalf. School counselors are uniquely positioned to encourage spaces of equity and justice however, counseling students have reported feeling unprepared to work with unfamiliar groups of people (Littleford et al., 2010). School counselor training programs are expected to prepare counselors to address racism through comprehensive counseling programs that emphasize advocacy and social justice. Drawing from Critical Race Theory, this article examines the context of the impact of discrimination and racial injustices against Black students. This article further outlines culturally responsive andragogy designed to prepare future practitioners to engage in anti-racist work on behalf of Black students.

Susceptibility to Postoperative Changes in Music Appreciation in Elderly Cochlear Implant Recipients.

With the rise in life expectancy and the consequent increase in the elderly population, the use of cochlear implants (CI) in elderly patients with hearing loss is also increasing. The aim of this study was to investigate whether music appreciation in elderly CI users differs from that of non-elderly users. Forty-nine adult CI recipients participated in the study, and the Korean version of the Music Background Questionnaire was utilized preoperatively and postoperatively to evaluate music appreciation. The changes between the preoperative and postoperative values were compared after categorizing the participants into a non-elderly group (<65 years; n = 31) and an elderly group (≥65 years; n = 18). When compared to the non-elderly group, the elderly individuals exhibited a significant decrease in music listening times, without a significant change in the genre of music listened to following CI surgery. Moreover, the elderly group demonstrated significant decreases in music appreciation scores in terms of music quality and music elements, perceiving music as less natural, less clear, and more complex. They also exhibited significant changes in scores with respect to perception of rhythm, melody, timbre, and lyrics. This susceptibility to postoperative changes in music appreciation among elderly CI users should be considered in surgical counseling and music training programs.

The Relationship Between Multiple Sclerosis Severity and Fear of Falling Through the Mediating Role of Disability: A Correlational Study

Background: Problems with balance and controlling the body’s position are the most common challenges experienced by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who experience a high rate of falls. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the severity and fear of falling (FOF) mediated by disability in patients with MS. Methods: This was a correlational study based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of all patients with MS who visited the neurology centers of hospitals in Sari, Iran, of whom 200 cases were selected as the sample using convenience sampling. The research instruments included the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), MS Severity Scale, and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The data were analyzed using SEM by SPSS AMOS 25. Results: The participants included 200 patients with MS aged 33.67 ± 6.42 years. In addition, 41.5% were male, and 58.5% of female. The results of SEM indicated that the proposed model had a good fit. There was a direct and positive relationship between the severity of MS and FOF (β = 0.69; P = 0.002). Moreover, there was a direct relationship between disability and FOF (β = 0.71; P = 0.011), and between the severity of MS and disability (β = 0.63; P = 0.001) in patients with MS. The findings confirmed the relationship between the severity of MS and FOF mediated by disability in patients with MS (P &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: Based on the results, FOF was markedly higher in patients with severer MS. Due to the consequences of FOF, counseling training programs should be offered to patients with MS who visit medical centers to improve their health and level of activity and mitigate their FOF.

A Training Model for the Development of Neuroscience-Informed Counseling Competencies

The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) standards of practice contain the only comprehensive currently existing set of standards for neuroscience-informed counseling. While these competencies exist, titled the Biological Basis of Behavior Standards, little direction has been provided to counselor education programs or current practitioners about how counselors should best develop these competences. An AMHCA Neuroscience Taskforce was commissioned by AMHCA President-Elect Eric Beeson in 2017 to develop a pilot neuroscience training program for counselors that addressed the AMHCA Biological Basis of Behavior Standards. During the first year, the taskforce recognized that a training model was needed to outline the training content and sequence that counselors should complete before a pilot training program could be developed. In this article, taskforce members describe the training model and discuss directions for implementation of this training model by counselor education programs and continuing education providers.

The Effectiveness of the College Student Peer Counselor Training Program regarding Interpersonal Competence and Social Interest

목적 본 연구는 대학생 또래상담자 훈련 프로그램의 효과성을 대인관계 유능성과 사회적 관심을 중심으로 검증하는 것이다. 방법 이에 수도권 소재 A 대학교 재학생 163명을 대상으로 진행하였다. 이 들 중 68명은 실험집단으로 매주 2시간씩에 5주간에 걸쳐 또래상담자 훈련 프로그램에 참여하였다. 한편, 통제집단은 95명으로 본 프로그램에는 참여하지는 않았으나, 사전사후검사에 참여하였다. 또래상담자 훈련 프로그램의 효과를 알아보기 위해 기술통계, 공분산분석(ANCOVA), 다변량공분산분석(MANCOVA)을 사용하였다. 결과 연구결과 대학생 또래상담자 훈련 프로그램은 대인관계 유능성과 사회적 관심을 모두 향상시키는 것으로 나타났다. 각 종속변수의 하위 요인별 변화를 살펴보면 대인관계 유능감에서는 갈등 관리를 제외한 관계형성 및 개시, 권리나 불쾌함에 대한 주장, 타인에 대한 배려, 적절한 자기 개방에서 유의미하게 향상시키는 것으로 나타났다. 한편 사회적 관심에서는 행동과 태도 모두 향상된 것을 볼 수 있었다. 결론 또래상담자 훈련 프로그램을 활용하여 대학생들의 대인관계 유능성과 사회적 관심을 향상시킬 수 있는 전략을 구체화시키며 이와 같이 대학생들을 대상으로 한 또래상담자 훈련 프로그램을 계획 및 운영할 때 고려해야할 점과 시사점을 제안하였다.

The role of adverse childhood experiences in counselor trainee’s burnout and wellness and the moderating role of social support

ABSTRACT We examined the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on counselors-in-trainings’ (CIT; N = 139) perceived wellness and burnout and the mitigating role of social support. Participants indicated high exposure to ACEs, high levels of burnout, and low levels of wellness. Implications for counseling training programs are discussed.

The level of satisfaction of parents of students with learning disabilities in primary schools in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah region with the counseling services provided to their children: مستوى رضا أولياء أمور الطلاب ذوي صعوبات التعلم عن الخدمات الإرشادية المقدمة لأبنائهم في المدارس الابتدائية في منطقة المدينة المنورة

The aim of this study was to determine the level of satisfaction of parents of students with learning disabilities in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarh region with the counseling services provided to their children. This study was followed the descriptive survey approach. The researcher created a questionnaire as a special tool for his study. The sample of study consisted of (327) parents of students with learning disabilities of various sexes, academic qualifications and ages in Al-Madinah region and its governorates. Findings showed that the level of satisfaction of parents of students with learning disabilities in Al-Madinah region with the counseling services given to their children was very high in the social, educational, and psychological dimensions, while it was high in the health dimension. There was a statistically significant difference between the study sample of parents of students with learning disabilities' satisfaction with the counseling services provided to their children in elementary schools according to the parent's educational level, which was represented in all dimensions and the average of the total of the questionnaire as a whole. When it came to determining the course of variation in the guardian's educational level, secondary and higher education came out on top, followed by university, diploma, and finally postgraduate studies. Also, there was a statistically significant difference according to the guardian's age group, as represented in the first dimension which is the social one. The direction was set in favor of more than 40 years, while there was no difference in the other dimensions, and no significant statistical differences among the responses of the sample of study according to gender was detected. The researcher came up with some conclusions of which the most important are paying more attention to the services offered to students with learning disabilities, and developing training programs for school counselors in dealing with students with learning disabilities.

Student counsellors’ experiences of mindfulness as a component of their person‐centred counselling training: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

AbstractAimMindfulness is increasingly integrated into counselling and psychotherapy practices, as well as being introduced to students in academic institutes with the aim of supporting them to balance the responsibilities of academic study, placements and other commitments alongside university life. Despite mindfulness routinely finding its way into counselling settings and being incorporated into counsellor training, there has yet to be any research conducted to explore the experience of student counsellors who have received mindfulness as a part of their undergraduate person‐centred training. This study explored the reflections of counsellors who had attended a mindfulness module during the first year of a counselling degree.DesignSix students completing a university‐based undergraduate degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy in the North‐West of England, in the UK, participated in the research. The study consisted of two students from each of the three years of the programme. Participants individually attended a semi‐structured interview to explore their experiences of mindfulness as a mandatory module of their training in person‐centred counselling. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the generated data.FindingsFour superordinate themes were generated: 1) becoming a counsellor, 2) person‐centred mindfulness, 3) time, and 4) learning and development.DiscussionExperiential themes were explored including the process of professionalism, vulnerability, embodiment of person‐centred theory and the core conditions and the conflict of approach.ConclusionRecommendations are made for mindfulness to be included in counselling training programmes with a person‐centred focus. Suggestions for further research include longitudinal studies to follow the development of trainees over time.

School Counselors as Critical Consumers of Research: Guidelines for Evaluating Quantitative Research by Recognizing Quality Indicators

The purpose of this article is to provide a resource for school counselors to recognize key indicators of quality quantitative research and make informed decisions about incorporating scholarly works into school counseling practice and comprehensive program development. We describe quality indicators of quantitative research by walking readers through common sections of an article, including the literature review, method, results, and discussion sections, and considerations for critical, multicultural, and antiracist appraisal when reading quantitative research. We also address implications for school counseling practitioners, training programs, and students.

Empowering Counseling Trainees with Foreign Language Anxiety: A Strengths-Based Relational-Cultural Approach

ABSTRACT Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is an under-addressed concern for non-native English speaking (L2) counseling trainees in U.S. counselor training programs. We review the literature on FLA, discuss its negative impact on counselor self-efficacy (CSE), and detail a peer-led support group grounded in Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) to address L2 counseling trainees’ FLA.