Counseling Experience Research Articles

A qualitative study on the field experience of genetic counseling in Korea.

In Korea, genetic counseling services began with the opening of genetic clinics in the early 1990s; in recent years, demand for these services has increased. However, genetic counseling is not an officially recognized healthcare service under the Korean national health insurance system; further, its certification is not recognized as a medical qualification. To clarify the role and significance of genetic counselors, this study examined their field experiences. To this end, we conducted focus group interviews with 11 certified genetic counselors, six advanced practice nurses, and four regular nurses. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and examined using thematic analysis. We found that even though Korea did not recognize their roles, the participants met their responsibilities and primary duties. In addition, they faced challenges during counseling due to a lack of formal education in genetics and genomics. Moreover, they encountered dilemmas related to the legal and ethical aspects of decision support for family testing or prenatal diagnosis due to the complexity of rare genetic disorders. However, they attempted to acquire the specialized knowledge needed to support patients with rare genetic disorders and their families, gradually developing practical experience and specialized knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to develop manuals, establish systems, and improve working environments to provide high-quality and specialized genetic counseling. Additionally, there is a need for national support, such as establishing set wages for genetic counselors, developing a national qualification certification system, and securing dedicated personnel.

게이트키퍼 역할을 하는 수퍼바이저의 내러티브 탐구

Objectives This study was conducted to find out what is experienced in the role of a gatekeeper and what it means. Methods For this purpose, three supervisors with 10 to 30 years of counseling experience were selected as participants, and data were collected through in-depth interviews. Based on the collected data, the narrative research method proposed by Clandinin and Connelly was used to understand the participants' vivid experiences and reveal their meaning. In addition, to improve the quality of the research, the research was conducted under the supervision of a reviewer. Results Looking at the experiences of the supervisors' gatekeepers, I found that although they had never been taught the role of gatekeeper, they each fulfilled the role in their own way. In this process, they came to feel that they had responsibility as gatekeepers but no authority, and as their responsibility increased, they began to experience confusion and doubt about whether their judgments and decisions were correct. Therefore, it is emphasized that what is more important than teaching well is to check oneself as a gatekeeper. Conclusions Through research, the importance and necessity of the gatekeeper role was confirmed. It also suggests that self-understanding is necessary to play the role of gatekeeper. Lastly, the significance of the study can be attributed to the fact that it laid the foundation for research into the detailed field of gatekeepers.

To understand the experiences of autistic counsellors: A United Kingdom phenomenological study

AbstractAimThe study was designed to explore the experiences of autistic counsellors living and working in the United Kingdom (UK). The research question was split into four aims: exploring presenting differences, strategies and modalities preferences, challenges and barriers, and training and support needs.MethodSeven autistic counsellors, either self‐identified or diagnosed, completed semi‐structured questionnaires. Patterns and themes were then extracted from the data using a thematic analysis procedure.FindingsThe data analysis identified four themes: the practical differences of working as an autistic counsellor, working with a similar neurotype, understanding and accommodation within the counselling profession, and representation.ConclusionParticipants felt that being autistic brings unique strengths to the counselling process, and it was identified that while they have been trained to work with allistic (non‐autistic) clients, they found strength in supporting and being supported by those of a similar neurotype. Participants challenged the deficit depiction of autism and, subsequently, the lack of recognition, understanding, accommodation and representation of autistic counsellors within the profession. The participants called for a change in training, within professional bodies, counselling organisations, workplaces and colleagues.RecommendationsCounselling training needs to include autistic trainers, represent and accommodate autistic trainees, as well as support the needs of autistic clients.Counselling bodies need to create safe spaces for autistic counsellors, including the ability to advertise within directories and support the endorsement of neurological differences as strengths. These spaces need to challenge the archaic beliefs around autism through lived experience and the hiring of autistic professionals. Inclusivity should be encouraged within organisations and workplaces, consequently filtering to allistic colleagues.

Lived experiences of school counsellors: Needs after the earthquake

Lived experiences of school counsellors: Needs after the earthquake

Cancer genetic counseling via telegenetics and telephone: A qualitative study exploring the experience of patients and genetic counselors in an Australian cancer genetics context.

The demand for direct-to-patient (DTP) telegenetics (genetics services delivered via videoconferencing) in genetic counseling practice has rapidly increased, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent telegenetics literature is mostly quantitative and not in the Australian context. A qualitative interview study was conducted to address this gap. This research investigated the experiences of patients and genetic counselors (GCs), enrolled in a randomized controlled trial, using telegenetics and telephone for cancer genetic counseling appointments. Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews with patients (n = 22) and GCs (n = 6) were conducted following patient randomization to either a telephone or telegenetics genetic counseling appointment. The interviews explored participant's experiences of telegenetics and compared DTP telegenetics with telephone and in-person delivery. Codebook thematic analysis was used to develop topic summaries from the data. Patient and GC participants noted positive experiences of telegenetics; with key benefits reported as reduced travel time, time and cost saving, ease, convenience, efficiency, and comfortability. Technical issues and privacy concerns were highlighted as potential disadvantages of telegenetics. All but one patient felt sufficiently emotionally supported while using telegenetics. Telegenetics has both benefits and limitations; however, generally, this cohort found telegenetics to be a suitable and acceptable mode of delivery for genetic counseling with many advantages over in-person or telephone appointments. Further studies should be conducted to provide evidence for the long-term implementation of telegenetics, regardless of any future COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions.

S2105 Primary Care Physicians' Experiences of Obesity Counseling and Management in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations

S2105 Primary Care Physicians' Experiences of Obesity Counseling and Management in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations

Experiences of genetic counselors practicing in multiple languages: Progress and places for improvement.

As awareness of the value of genetic counseling services increases, there has been greater recognition of the need to diversify service delivery into different languages. Studies within genetic counseling and related fields have identified complications that can arise from language nonconcordance between provider and patient. A strategy to mitigate language barriers is prioritizing the development of a multilingual workforce of genetic counselors (GCs) who can communicate with patients in their preferred language. This exploratory study assessed the experiences of multilingual GCs who have practiced in a clinical role with the aim to identify relevant challenges and differences when counseling in their nondominant language. Statistical analysis was performed to identify differences in session tasks and emotions experienced when counseling in one's nondominant language versus their dominant language. Data analysis identified an increase in reported difficulty level for most clinical tasks while using a nondominant language, most notably for difficulty with psychosocial counseling, disclosing results, and administrative tasks. Participants were also surveyed on employer support and resources provided. Overall, results suggest that multilingual GCs may benefit from greater support in certain areas within clinical roles to enhance their ability to provide patient care in their nondominant language.

남성 전문상담교사가 학교현장에서 경험하는 어려움에 대한 현상학적 질적연구

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experience of male school counselors‘ difficulties in the field of school counseling. Methods: Eight male school counselors who had level 1 or level 2 school counselor certification with school counseling experiences within 3 years were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and data were analyzed using Giorgi’s phenomenological inquiry. Results: A total of five categories and twelve subcategories were found as results. Five categories were 'Discomfort due to prejudice as a male counselor', 'Embarrassment in counseling with female students', 'Bitterness of encountering misconceptions about counselors', 'Confusion over the multiple roles assigned to male counselors', 'Feeling of shame from the reality of school counseling'. Conclusion: Based on these findings, the unique difficulties of male professional counselors were identified and ways to deal with these difficulties were discussed.

중학생의 사이버불링에 대한 학교상담사의 대처 경험과 성장에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to deeply explore the coping experiences of school counselors regarding cyberbullying among middle school students and their subsequent growth. To achieve this research objective, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 school counselors who have experience in dealing with cyberbullying. The raw data was conceptualized and categorized using a continuous comparison method. In this study, data were analyzed using the method of grounded theory. As a result of open coding, 79 concepts, 21 subcategories, and 9 categories were derived and arranged in a paradigm model. The central phenomenon experienced by school counselors regarding cyberbullying among middle school students is ‘facing crisis situations,’ which includes ‘recognizing the limitations of the school counselor's role and the unfamiliarity of cyberspace.’ The analysis went through four stages, and the relationships between the categories were confirmed to classify participants into ‘complete rebirth growth type,’ ‘experiential growth type,’ ‘infrastructure-building rebirth type,’ and ‘incomplete rebirth growth type.’ This study is significant in that it provides educational and counseling implications for coping with cyberbullying by deeply exploring and concretizing the practical characteristics and actual appearances of school counselors' coping experiences with cyberbullying among middle school students.

생성형 AI 이미지를 활용한 내러티브 상담 경험: 미해결 원가족 이슈를 경험한 여성 사례들을 중심으로

Objectives: This study is a multiple case study analyzing the counseling experiences of four women with unresolved family-of-origin issues through narrative therapy using AI image generation. Methods: DALL-E3 was used to convert family-of-origin issues and expectations into images, which were then used as tools for counseling. After completing five sessions of counseling, semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews were conducted. Results: The findings from the qualitative analyses were as follows. First, in the domain of “encountering AI”, AI was found to be an effective tool for helping participants to confront unresolved family-of-origin issues, overcome sadness and regain confidence and agency. Second, in the domain of “dissolution of discourse”, participants' understanding and acceptance of their family-of-origin increased. Third, in the domain of “alternative story”, participants’ current family relationships were improved, and their self-care/self-acceptance abilities were expanded. Conclusion: The potential use of image-generating AI in the family therapy field was discussed.

Reflections from LGBTQIA+ individuals of their past experiences of psychotherapy and counselling and the use of creative therapy—A qualitative study

AbstractBackgroundPrevious literature tends to suggest that the LGBTQIA+ community face higher rates of mental disorders and illnesses. This appears to be due to minority stress as a result of the discrimination and hostility towards the community from society. In relation to psychotherapy and/or counselling, affirmative therapy has been found to be helpful; however, it is clear from the literature that the LGBTQIA+ population do not feel accepted or understood when accessing mental health support.MethodParticipants were invited to take part in an interview consisting of open‐ended questions relating to the topic of interest. Following this, a thematic analysis was completed.FindingsThe thematic analysis revealed four main themes: these were ‘sexuality and gender within the therapeutic relationship’, ‘desirable characteristics and attributes in a therapist’, ‘undesirable characteristics and attributes in a therapist’ and ‘creative therapy’.Implications for PracticeThe results could be used to inform mental health practitioners of the importance of cultural competency in relation to the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as helping aid how to approach sexuality and/or gender in a therapeutic space. The conclusions also highlight the need for practitioners to explore context with LGBTQIA+ clients rather than solely emotion focus.ConclusionThis study indicated that the LGBTQIA+ community prefer working with LGBTQIA+ therapists due to a shared lived experience and perceived baseline understanding of each other. It was also found that context was important for them in therapy, rather than emotion focus, and creative therapy was also shown to be useful for the community.

Improving Grief Counseling: Enhancing the Education and Confidence of Psychology Graduate Students

Most therapists do not receive formal graduate training in grief counseling and may rely on outdated knowledge and questionable skills when working with grieving clients (Dodd et al., 2022; Jankauskaite et al., 2021). This study aimed to develop a virtual intervention to educate psychology graduate students about grief counseling and evaluate whether this training can increase knowledge in grief and grief counseling and self-efficacy in working with grieving individuals. This mixed-methods study compared participants in three conditions (full video intervention, partial video intervention, and control). When controlling for prior grief counseling training and experience, those randomized to the full video intervention had higher grief and grief counseling knowledge and self-efficacy in working with bereaved individuals than those in the partial intervention and control groups. Further, qualitative results highlighted the assessment and treatment approaches that therapists-in-training would use with a bereaved client across conditions. Overall, the full intervention is a feasible and efficacious way to teach psychology doctoral students about grief counseling and increase their confidence in working with bereaved clients. Future research considerations and recommendations are discussed.

School Counselors’ Reflections on Supporting LGBTQ+ Students

Background: Suicide attempts and suicide completion are on the rise for children and adolescents and even more so for LGBTQ+ youth. Despite some social progress, LGBTQ+ individuals still face oppression socially and legally. With much of the restrictive LGBTQ+ legislation occurring within educational settings, school counselors have an important role supporting the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth; however, many school counselors do not feel equipped to do so. Objectives: School counselors often exit their graduate programs and enter the profession with little to no knowledge of or experience working with LGBTQ+ students. The current study sought to better understand school counselors’ experiences supporting LGBTQ+ youth in their school by discussing results of two focus groups with school counselors working with LGBTQ+ students in a southeastern school district. Research Question: What are the experiences of elementary, middle, and high school counselors supporting LGBTQ+ students in a southeastern school district? Methods: Using thematic analysis of two focus group interviews, we gained greater insight into school counselors’ experiences of supporting LGBTQ+ students in their schools. Results: Through the thematic analysis, five themes and two subthemes emerged in the data. Conclusions: Although school counselors often lack time or resources to work with LGBTQ+ youth ( Gonzalez, 2016 ), the current study’s findings reveal additional barriers given less attention in the literature: navigating tension and pressure from legal policies and nonaffirming parents.

General practitioners' views and experiences of postpartum contraception counselling and provision: a qualitative-descriptive study.

To explore Australian general practitioners' views and experiences of undertaking postpartum contraception counselling and provision during the 6-8-week postnatal check. Qualitative-descriptive study; semi-structured online interviews. General practitioners who provide postnatal care in Australian primary health care, recruited using purposive, convenience, and snowball methods, 16 June - 6 July 2023. Views and experiences of postpartum contraception counselling and provision. Twenty-three general practitioners from six states were interviewed; the mean interview time was 30 minutes (range, 21-47 minutes), twenty-two participants were women, and twenty-one worked in metropolitan areas. All participants provide postnatal checks and had the training and facilities needed for providing contraceptive implant insertions. Twelve participants had training in intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, and twenty-one worked in practices with facilities for IUD insertions. Three themes were constructed: views and preferences regarding postnatal contraception counselling; postpartum provision of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC); and opportunities for improving postpartum contraception care in general practice. While most participants recommended LARC methods at postnatal checks, only twelve were trained to insert IUDs. Time constraints, limited access to training, limited financial support, and the lack of guidelines for postnatal checks and contraception care were seen as impeding postpartum contraception counselling. Participants highlighted the importance of access to education and training, appropriate remuneration for general practitioners, multidisciplinary collaboration among health professionals, the inclusion of practice nurses, and raising awareness among mothers of the importance of postnatal checks and postpartum contraception care. General practitioners are well placed to facilitate discussions about contraception with women who have recently given birth. Postpartum contraception care in general practice could be improved by better access to contraception training, appropriate remuneration for contraception procedures, greater multidisciplinary collaboration, and national postnatal check and postpartum contraception guidelines.

Therapy and counselling experiences of queer adults in Germany

AbstractBackgroundMental health professionals play a crucial role in either alleviating or exacerbating stress among queer clients.AimsDrawing on minority stress theory, we conducted a study to examine the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or consensually non‐monogamous clients with current or recent psychotherapy or counselling experiences in Germany.MethodA convenience sample of 492 queer individuals participated in an online survey, providing insights into their most recent experiences with psychotherapy or counselling and evaluating the success of these processes. Among the participants, 92% identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or another non‐heterosexual identity, while 8% identified as heterosexual. Additionally, 54% reported being in consensually non‐monogamous relationships, and 23% identified as gender‐diverse.ResultsThe majority (92%) had prior experience with psychotherapy, with over half reporting their last session within the last month. The remaining 8% reported counselling experience. Most participants rated their recent psychotherapy or counselling process as successful. Exemplary practices were more common than inappropriate ones. While overt discrimination by mental health professionals was rare, subtle inappropriate behaviours were still prevalent. Affirmative and actively reassuring practices were strongly linked to subjective therapy success.ConclusionThe study's findings warrant cautious optimism regarding a non‐discriminative stance in German mental health professionals while highlighting the need for further research, training and guidelines for therapists and counsellors.

상담사의 범죄경력 가족 상담 경험에 대한 질적 연구

This study was conducted to examine the counseling experiences of professional counselors who participated in the Family Psychological Support Project conducted by the Gyeonggi Branch of the Korea Legal Protection and Welfare Corporation from 2022 to 2023, and to explore improvements and complementary points of the project from the perspective of professional counselors. The study was conducted among six counselors, five of whom were affiliated with Gyeonggi National University, and aimed to help provide more suitable and efficient programs and practical institutional support for criminal offenders and their families. The research method used a phenomenological research method that can reflectively analyze participants' experiences in terms of structure and subjectivity, and in the data analysis, iterative comparative analysis was applied to deeply explore the inner experience and define the meaning of a total of 633 consultations in 28 cases from 2022 to 2023. As a result of the research analysis, 57 semantic units were derived, which were grouped into 12 components, which were further categorized into 5 categories. Category 1. 'Feelings before participating in counseling' consisted of two components, 'Worry and curiosity about clients with special needs' and 'Challenging new types of clients', with three and two semantic units, respectively. Category 2. 'Difficulties and obstacles' consisted of four components: 'Limitations faced in the counseling process', 'Clients' insincere attitude to participate in counseling', 'Lack of family cooperation and support', and 'Difficulties due to the situation faced by the client', with seven, three, five, and three meaning units respectively. Category 3. 'Emotions felt while participating in the project' consisted of three components: 'Emotions felt in the counseling scene', 'Gratitude and regret for institutional support', and 'Activeness of support from the industrial complex', with 9, 2, and 4 meaning units, respectively. Category 4. 'Positive outcomes' consisted of two components, 'Positive changes in clients through counseling' and 'Capacity enhancement of counselors', with 7 and 3 meaning units, respectively. Category 5. 'Effective improvement direction of business' is 'business and counseling support area', which has a total of 1 component and 7 meaning units. Based on these findings, we discussed the improvements and deficiencies of the Family Psychological Support Project and made recommendations to provide more suitable and efficient programmes and practical institutional support for criminal offenders and their families.

Learning from the pandemic: School counsellor experience during the pandemic in the United States

Learning from the pandemic: School counsellor experience during the pandemic in the United States

Male-friendly counselling for young men: a thematic analysis of client and caregiver experiences of Menslink counselling

ABSTRACT Objective Across the lifespan, young males in Australia who are experiencing mental health problems report the lowest rates of seeking professional care. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of young men and caregivers who received male-friendly counselling from a male-specific service in Australia Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 young men who had received counselling, and 27 caregivers who facilitated access to Menslink counselling in Canberra, Australia. Inductive thematic analysis was completed to analyse the data Results Four themes were developed: (1) engaged out of desperation; (2) appeal of Menslink service; (3) counsellor more like a professional “friend”; and (4) counsellor prioritised my autonomy Conclusion The findings confirm the suitability of previously recommended adaptations to counselling to engage young men and emphasise the role of caregivers in facilitating access to support. The themes also provide direction for practical adjustments to service delivery that mental health services and clinicians can make to address personal and structural barriers impacting young men’s service contact and engagement. This study contributes to the growing literature examining the benefits of male-friendly counselling practices in psychological treatment for young men.

An inquiry smart chatbot system for Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan

Chatbots are important in artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP). The development of the chatbot is viewed as a continuous issue in the field. This is suitable for Arabic chatbots that are not widely available. This study aims to fill the gap in Arabic chatbot development by creating an Arabic chatbot system for university admissions. The system uses a deep neural network model and a manually constructed dataset for conversation pairings, utilizing the Jordanian Arabic dialect from Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan’s (ZUJ) website. The system efficiently answers most user queries, improving the counseling experience and reducing workload in the admissions department. The adoption of this system also minimizes website traffic congestion. The study contributes to the improvement of Arabic chatbot technology by creating a deep learning-based system optimized for university admissions, demonstrating its potential impact in the Arabic-speaking context. Future research can further enhance the system’s capabilities and its applicability in other disciplines.

Experiences of CCU Counselors with LGBTGEQIAP + Students: Holding Tensions and Honoring Sacredness

Experiences of CCU Counselors with LGBTGEQIAP + Students: Holding Tensions and Honoring Sacredness