Development Of Counseling Skills Research Articles

Multicultural Counseling Skills Evaluation Form: A Tool for Clinical Supervision

As trainees’ development of multicultural counseling skills has become integral to graduate training in the mental health professions, so has the necessity of competent supervision for developing these skills. A critical component of supervision is evaluation, the process of observing, judging, and providing feedback to supervisees about their development. However, there is a paucity of guidance and resources available to assist supervisors in evaluating the multicultural skill development of supervisees. Such a vacuum opens the door for considerable bias as well as judgmental and inferential errors, resulting in the real possibility of unsound, unreliable, and invalid evaluations of supervisee development. This article presents the Multicultural Counseling Skills Evaluation Form (MCSEF), a 23-item instrument designed to fill the vacuum. The conceptual foundation of the form, development of items and revisions through expert review, potential utility in training and evaluation, and limitations are discussed.

Improving patient-centred counselling skills among lay healthcare workers in South Africa using the Thusa-Thuso motivational interviewing training and support program.

We developed a motivational interviewing (MI) counselling training and support program for lay counsellors in South Africa-branded "Thusa-Thuso-helping you help", commonly referred to as Thusa-Thuso. We present the results of a pilot study to determine the program's impact on MI technical skills and qualitatively assess the feasibility of a training-of-trainers (TOT) scale-up strategy among counselling staff of non-governmental (NGO) support partners of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment program in South Africa. We enrolled adult (≥ 18 years) lay counsellors from ten primary healthcare clinics in Johannesburg (South Africa) selected to participate in the Thusa-Thuso training and support program. Counsellors attended the ten-day baseline and quarterly refresher training over 12 months (October 2018-October 2019). Each counsellor submitted two audio recordings of mock counselling sessions held during the ten-day baseline training and two additional recordings of sessions with consenting patients after each quarterly contact session. We reviewed the recordings using the MI treatment integrity (MITI) coding system to determine MI technical (cultivating change talk and softening sustain talk) and relational (empathy and partnership) competency scores before and after training. After 12 months of support with pilot site counsellors, we were asked to scale up the training to NGO partner team trainers in a once-off five-day Training of trainers (TOT) format (n = 127 trainees from November 2020 to January 2021). We report TOT training experiences from focus group discussions (n = 42) conducted six months after the TOT sessions. Of the 25 enrolled lay counsellors from participating facilities, 10 completed the 12-month Thusa-Thuso program. Attrition over the 12 months was caused by death (n = 3), site exclusion/resignations (n = 10), and absence (n = 2). MI competencies improved as follows: the technical skills score increased from a mean of 2.5 (standard deviation (SD): 0.8) to 3.1 (SD: 0.5), with a mean difference of 0.6 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04, 0.9). The MI relational skills score improved from a mean of 3.20 (SD: 0.7) to 3.5 (SD: 0.6), with a mean difference of 0.3 (95% CI: -0.3, 8.5). End-point qualitative data from the counsellors highlighted the value of identifying and addressing specific skill deficiencies and the importance of counsellors being able to self-monitor skill development using the MITI review process. Participants appreciated the ongoing support to clarify practical MI applications. The TOT program tools were valuable for ongoing on-the-job development and monitoring of quality counselling skills. However, the MITI review process was perceived to be too involved for large-scale application and was adapted into a scoring form to document sit-in mentoring sessions. The Thusa-Thuso MI intervention can improve counsellor motivation and skills over time. In addition, the program can be scaled up using an adapted TOT process supplemented with fidelity assessment tools, which are valuable for skills development and ongoing maintenance. However, further studies are needed to determine the effect of the Thusa-Thuso program on patient ART adherence and retention in care. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trials Registry No: PACTR202212796722256 (12 December 2022).

The effect of a virtual simulation-based educational application on nursing students' belief and self-efficacy in communicating with patients about complementary and alternative medicine

BackgroundSimulation-based learning that focuses on the development and assessment of communication and counseling skills can help nursing students achieve better skill performance and gain self-confidence with decision-making ability. It is unknown whether virtual simulation as an instructional design significantly improves educational outcomes than a traditional lecture with low-fidelity simulation in students. ObjectivesThe aim was to explore the effect of a virtual simulation-based educational smartphone application on nursing students' beliefs and self-efficacy in communicating with patients about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use. DesignA quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. Settings and participantsA total of 101 nursing students, who were in their second or third-year nursing program at a Southern Taiwan university volunteered to participate in the academic year 2020–2021. Participants were assigned to an experimental or control group in an elective course. MethodsAll participants received a 4-hour lecture that included an in-class lecture with low-fidelity simulation (paper-based scenarios) about the risk-benefit assessment of a patient's CAM use. The experimental group received a series of 13 virtual simulation exercises with clinical scenarios by means of a smartphone application. Data from belief and self-efficacy scales were collected at the beginning and end of the course from September 2020 to February 2021. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed using the IBM® SPSS® version 23.0. ResultsAlthough both groups significantly improved their belief and self-efficacy scale scores, the experimental group had significant differences in overall self-efficacy in communicating with patients about CAM use compared with the control group, specifically the CAM perceptions and self-confidence scores. ConclusionsAlthough both in-class and virtual simulation improved nursing students' belief and self-efficacy, the virtual simulation-based educational app is effective as an adjunct learning tool in significantly increasing nursing students' self-efficacy in communicating with patients about CAM use to help minimize their risks.

The conceptualisation of educational supervision in a National Psychiatry Residency Training Program

Introduction: Development of expertise and counselling skills in psychiatry can be mastered only with effective supervision and mentoring. The conceptualisations of educational supervision amongst supervisors and residents were explored in this study to understand how supervisory roles may have been affected by the adoption of competency-based psychiatry residency training. Methods: A qualitative research approach with thematic analysis was adopted. Individual in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide with a purposive sample of six supervisors and six newly graduated residents were conducted. Transcripts of the interview were analysed and coded using the Atlas Ti software. Results: Four major themes emerged from analysis of the transcripts: (1) Meaning and definition of supervision; (2) Expectations and responsibilities of the educational supervisor; (3) Elusiveness of mentoring elements in educational supervision and (4) Personal and professional development of residents in supervision. Supervisors and residents perceived educational supervision narrowly to be transactional with acquisition of knowledge and skills, but residents yearned for more relational interactions. Conclusion: This study showed that the roles and functions of supervisors in educational supervision were unclear. It also highlighted the lack of a mentoring orientation in supervision in the psychiatry residency training program. An emphasis on assessment of competencies might have contributed to tension in the supervisory relationship and lack of a mentoring role, with concerns on residents’ personal and professional identity development in their psychiatry training.

Child Marriage Solution Model

This research aimed to describe the solution model for child marriage. This research took place in Malang Regency. The subjects in this research were married couples who married at the age of children, parents from the woman’s side (wife), and community leaders. Research data obtained through observation and in-depth interviews, then analyzed with interactive techniques. The impact of child marriage that occured in Malang Regency caused the family to not function properly, so a solution was needed to overcome it. “Gerakan Sadar Kespro” was a solution model for the phenomenon of child marriage by integrating education, health, counseling, and life skill development services. “Gerakan Sadar Kespro” was implemented in two stages of intervention, including prevention intervention and intervention on the impact of child marriage. Integration of education and health services was a preventive strategy to prevent the practice of child marriage. At the stage of the impact on child marriage, the integration between counseling services and the development of life skills was in the domain of curative strategies for perpetrators of child marriage and their parents.

Knowledge Formation in Systemic Counselling Trainees from Germany: A Pilot Study from a Competence-Based Perspective

This pilot study has two areas of focus. It examines how the knowledge and competences of twelve Master’s-level systemic counselling trainees are connected, and how well their own assessment of their competence corresponds to external assessment. Methodologically, three instruments were used: first, an instrument to measure their explicit knowledge; second, videos of consultations with simulated clients to measure their competence in practice; third, a self-assessment measure to explore how externally assessed competence corresponds to self-assessment. The results show no indication that knowledge is related to externally assessed competence. Furthermore, their self-assessment did not show any systematic connection to the external assessment. The study concludes that the development of systemic counselling skills is a long-term process of theory acquisition, practise, and reflection. Important reflection processes can be stimulated by self-assessment. However, such assessments are not sufficient to capture the quality and scope of competence.

Enhancing Multicultural Awareness: Understanding the Effect of Community Immersion Assignments in An Online Counseling Skills Course

Counselor education programs provide counselors-in-training (CITs) with courses focused on counseling skill development to increase the CITs’ interpersonal counseling abilities and increase multicultural awareness. The research study presents findings from the author’s exploration of online students’ experiences in an experiential community immersion assignment. For analysis, the data was divided into three timeframes: (a) pre-experience, (b) active-experience, and (c) post-experience. In the pre-experience timeframe two themes emerged: (a) overwhelming nervousness and (b) judgmental thoughts. In the active-experience timeframe two themes emerged: (a) welcoming environment and (b) normalization of the minority population. During the post-experience reflections three common themes emerged: (a) similarities between groups, (b) motivation to create relationships, and (c) increased empathy. The study concluded the participants reported an overall increase in multicultural awareness through their community immersion experiences.

Exploring Youth Participatory Action Research in Urban Schools: Advancing Social Justice and Equity-Based Counseling Practices

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is emerging as a group counseling practice that focuses on topics that are of personal interest to youth and aims to promote social change. Although YPAR has been found to facilitate critical consciousness, assist with youth self-identity development, and promote social change, few researchers have examined its application in counseling. The present study explored six school counselor trainees’ perceptions of YPAR as a therapeutic intervention and its impact on counseling skill development and how it relates to multicultural and social justice counseling competencies. The themes that resulted from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis for YPAR as a counseling practice were: (1) fun, interactive, youth-centered approach, not like counseling or therapy, (2) implementation of challenges requiring planning, time, and commitment, (3) collaborative supports to step out of comfort zone, overcome initial hesitancy, and welcome new learning experience, (4) development of counseling skills and confidence as a counselor, and (5) understanding differences and increasing self-awareness and advocacy skills. Discussion and implications for school counseling practice are provided.

“The remainder of your practicum training has been terminated”: a unique challenge faced by trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has posed many unprecedented challenges to psychotherapists, as many clinics swiftly moved to providing services remotely or needed to close temporarily. While some practica were able to offer trainees the option to provide telehealth, some made the difficult decision to terminate psychotherapy training programs for the remainder of the academic year, or longer. This decision has had numerous implications for and impacts on students, such as concern over development of clinical and counseling skills, intervention and assessment hours, and uncertain effects on clients. These concerns are discussed from the perspective of a trainee, and several therapy-relevant resources and ways of managing are also highlighted.

Promoting Counseling Skills in Audiology Clinical Supervisors: Considerations for Professional Development.

Purpose Clinical supervision for counseling skill development can be variable and can undermine student ability to learn patient-centered care communication. The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of consultation and feedback sessions on counseling behavior, in actual clinical practice, among clinical audiology supervisors. We also collected qualitative data on participants' experiences and suggestions for improving the counseling intervention to increase counseling communication in audiology graduate training programs. Method We used a noncurrent multiple baseline design and staggered the counseling intervention to control for effects of concurrent events and passage of time. Results Two participants showed small but reliable increases in counseling behavior, whereas the 3rd participant showed bigger but less stable increases in counseling. Participants reported that brief feedback sessions were helpful; however, they also mentioned barriers to counseling, such as worries with how much time counseling could take when they have back-to-back appointments. Conclusion Clinical audiology supervisors were able to improve their counseling skills in real-life sessions with regular feedback. More structure may be needed to strengthen future counseling skills.

Development of medication-related counselling skills in senior medical students: a checklist-based approach

BackgroundEffective communication between healthcare providers and patients has been established as a vital element in medication compliance and patient safety. Medical curricula worldwide include medication-related counselling skill as a learning outcome for medical graduates. However, this aspect of health-care training is frequently informal and poorly structured in most medical schools. This paper provides an interesting view of students’ experiences of using a checklist-based approach to develop and practice patient counselling in relation to prescribed medications.MethodsThe authors describe introduction of a thirteen item “Patient Education Checklist” (PEC) as part of an optional checklist based exercise (CBE) in year 4 and 5 clinical blocks. Students consulted PEC to discuss relevant practical issues related to medication intake with their patients. Students were expected to submit reflective case summaries regarding their experience of using PEC to counsel patients over a two-week period. The textual data from student submissions was analysed using inductive content analysis.ResultsWe received 13 year4 and 17 year5 student submissions. A content analysis of student reflections identified four dominant themes 1.Enhancement in self-confidence in relation to patient education (86.7%), 2. PEC perceived useful for patient counselling (83.3%), 3. Recognising variation in health literacy levels of patients (50%), 4.Fear of overloading the patient with information (23.3%). Students realised the need to present the medication related knowledge in simple language and tailor the amount of information as per patients’ understanding. Student reflections included interesting observations about the wide variation in health literacy of patients and insights into patients’ concerns and frequent misconceptions about medicines.ConclusionStudents perceived PEC as a useful tool in adding focus and structure to student patient interactions. They report that it substantially improved their confidence and added quality to patient encounters. Future research is required to assess the effect of CBE on medication compliance and therapeutic outcome. PEC might serve as a useful resource for pharmacy and nursing students.

Behaving socially with a virtual human role-player in a simulated counseling session

Visual attention is an essential social element in face-to-face conversations between people. The Army is now using virtual environments with virtual human role-players to provide for the development and practice of leader counseling skills. While literature indicates that virtual humans positively impact learning outcomes, this research contributes to the understanding of how people interact with virtual humans. Specifically, the research investigates a person’s social behavior toward a virtual human in a simulated counseling session. Utilizing a computer-based training environment, this research tracked visual attention toward and acceptance of a virtual human role-player by 120 military counselors. Behavior moderators included attentional influences on the counselor from the level of expression and full-body or close-up views of the virtual human. Results indicate trainees do practice appropriate social attention when the virtual human is speaking. Results also indicate counselors attended to an active more than a static full-body view indicating there is value in nonverbal communication channels. Switching from a full-body to a close-up view did not result in significant changes of the counselor’s visual attention. Further, the research indicates switching views may undermine the perception of a natural interaction. Counselors considered the experience useful. The research suggests study and design considerations to enhance future social skills training environments.

Counseling Skill Development in Audiology: Clinical Instruction Considerations.

Audiologists play a critical role in supporting patients as they provide diagnostic information about their hearing and in the delivery of treatment services. Graduate training related to counseling, however, varies among programs in the extent students are prepared to engage effectively and intentionally with patients. Instruction is needed to provide students with a framework that supports their ability to learn and implement evidence-based counseling services. This article addresses the impact patients can experience when counseling gaps exist, shares clinical instruction strategies that can support students' acquisition of counseling skills, and discusses considerations for integration of counseling education into graduate training programs.

Pusat Informasi dan Konseling Masyarakat di SMP Muhammadiyah Al-Mujahidin dan SMP Negeri 2 Playen, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta

Abstract Circulation and drug abuse appear as a lack of understanding of the students about the impact of drugs. School counselors have a role in preventive efforts to prevent circulation and abuse in the school environment through counseling and counseling services in the Information and Counseling Center program in peer guidance and peer counseling. The purpose of the Information and Counseling Center program is as a precautionary measure of drug abuse and abuse, as well as insights into the implementation of peer guidance and peer counseling. Method of execution through counseling, training, and forum discussion group. The program targets are students and counselors at SMP Muhammadiyah Al-Mujahidin Playen and SMP Negeri 2 Playen, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. Evaluate the implementation through group discussion forums with policymakers. The results of the implementation of the Information and Counseling Center program is the emergence of an understanding of students, counselors, and the school about emergency drugs in Playen, Gunungkidul as a tourist environment as well as development of peer guidance and peer counseling skills on students and counselors. The hope of the program is the development of government policies for the application of the Center for Information and Counseling Services at schools. Keywords : Information and Counseling Center, Drug Prevention

الاحتیاجات الَّتدریبیة لتنمیة مهارات الاستشارة والعمل الجماعی لدى مُعلمی الصُّم وضِعَاف السَّمع فی برامج الدَّمج Training needs for the development of counseling and collaboration skills of deaf and hard of hearing teachers in integration programs

هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى التعرف على أکثر الاحتياجات التدريبية أهمية لتنمية مهارات الاستشارة والعمل الجماعي لدى معلمي الصم وضعاف السمع في برامج الدمج بمدينة الرياض، بالإضافة إلى التعرف على درجة اختلاف تلک الاحتياجات لدى العينة وفقا لمتغيرات (الجنس، المؤهل العلمي، المرحلة التعليمية، سنوات الخبرة، الدورات التدريبية)، وتکونت عينة الدراسة من (100) معلم ومعلمة ممن يعملون في برامج دمج الصم وضعاف السمع بمدارس التعليم العام بمدينة الرياض، ممن تم اختيارهم بطريقة عشوائية، وقد طبق على العينة استبانة صممتها الباحثتان خصيصا لتحديد تلک الاحتياجات، وقد استخدمت الباحثتان المنهج الوصفي لملاءمته لأهداف الدراسة، وتوصلت الدراسة في نتائجها إلى أن أکثر العبارات التي حصلت على درجة احتياج کبيرة في محور الاستشارة کانت: «التعرف على طبيعة العلاقة بين الاستشارة والعمل الجماعي في مجال التربية الخاصة»، بينما کانت أکثر العبارات التي حصلت على درجة احتياج کبيرة في محور العمل الجماعي هي العبارة: «معرفة مفهوم العمل الجماعي في برامج دمج الصم وضعاف السمع»، کما أظهرت الدراسة عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في آراء أفراد العينة باختلاف الجنس، والمرحلة التعليمية، وسنوات الخبرة، بينما أظهرت وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في آراء أفراد العينة باختلاف المؤهل العلمي لصالح أصحاب مؤهل ماجستير التربية الخاصة، بالإضافة إلى وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في آراء العينة باختلاف الدورات التدريبية لصالح من يملکون دورات تدريبية في مجال الاستشارة والعمل الجماعي، وقد انتهت الدراسة بمجموعة من التوصيات. The present study aimed at identifying the most important training needs for the development of counseling and teamwork skills of teachers for deaf and hearing-impaired students in the integration programs in Riyadh, in addition to identifying the degree of variation of these needs among the sample according to the variables (gender, scientific qualification, educational level, years of experience, training courses). The study sample consisted of (100) female and male teachers working in the integration programs for deaf and hearing impaired students in Riyadh, who were randomly chosen. A questionnaire was designed specifically to identify these needs. Both researchers used descriptive approach for its relevance to the study objectives. The study concluded that the most important phrase that obtained a big degree of need in the counseling axis was “Identifying the relationship between counseling and teamwork in special education field”, while the most widely used phrase in the teamwork axis was Knowing the concept of teamwork in integration programs of deaf and hearing-impaired students”. The study also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the opinions of the sample according to gender, educational level, and years of experience, while there were statistically significant differences in the opinions of the sample according to the scientific qualification in favor of holders of the special education qualification, in addition to the existence of statistically significant differences in the sample opinions according to the training courses for those who have training courses in the field of counseling and teamwork. The study has ended with a set of recommendations.

Improvisation as a Meta-Counseling Skill

ABSTRACTCounselor education tends to see the development of basic counseling and communication skills as the foundation of clinical training. Improvisation has historically and primarily been connected to theater training and as a performance mechanism. By developing skills in spontaneity and the nature of narrative (or story) one becomes more able to be in-the-moment with a client or clients and thus less anxious and more able to meet the client where they are. As such, improvisation can really be seen as a meta-counseling skill—a skill that can form a firmer foundation for the learning of the basic counseling and communication micro-skills. This article outlines the core concepts of improvisational training for counselors and includes examples of improvisational games that can specifically help in preparing counselor trainees for their future clinical work.

An Integrative Approach to Teaching Dreamwork in Group Supervision

Dreams can be an important part of the counseling process to increase clients’ awareness of potentially unfinished business. We present an approach to teaching dreamwork in group supervision that is designed to assist supervisees’ integration of dreamwork techniques into their client consultation and to contribute to further development of advanced counseling skills.

The Development of Counseling Skills to Enhance the Effectiveness of Individual Counseling

This research was conducted on an empirical basis, where the findings show various phenomena of low counseling communications and basic skills on the implementation of individual counseling, by teachers in Junior High Schools, particularly in Solo. To overcome such problems, an appropriate approach was used by means of counseling communication basic skill model to improve the individual counseling capability. Therefore, the main key to the solution of students’ cases is by mastering the counseling communication basic skills. This research was especially aimed to: (1) develop a model of counseling communication basic skills, so as to improve the individual counseling capability, (2) know the effectiveness of the counseling communication basic skills model as to improve the capability of individual counseling among guidance and counseling teachers in State’s Junior High Schools. This research used the Research and Development techniques. Guidance and counseling teachers in Junior High school were assigned as the subjects of this research, and the research was carried out in several steps, which started from preliminary study, model development, rational validation, and empirical validation. In the process of research, the model of counseling communication basic skills was rationally validated by experts and empirically verified, so as to be considered and to enrich the knowledge of guidance and counseling, and develop the basic skill of communication for individual counseling. The basic skills of counseling communication implemented into the individual counseling covers; (1) the skill of attending and responding to the clients, (2) leading skill, (3) reflection skill, (4) summarizing skill, (5) confronting skill, (6) interpreting skill, (7) directing and suggesting skill. To measure the knowledge of counseling theory, inventory of four optionalquestionnaires were applied, while to know the basic knowledge of individual basedcounseling, observation sheet was used in this research. The data of this research was

The Development of Counseling Skills to Enhance the Effectiveness of Individual Counseling

The Development of Counseling Skills to Enhance the Effectiveness of Individual Counseling

Nutrition Counseling and Education Skill Development, Second Edition

Nutrition Counseling and Education Skill Development, Second Edition