Counseling Experience Research Articles

Enhancing the Counseling Process: The Significance of Counselor's Personality Traits

This paper examines the significance of counselor's personal qualities in the counseling process. The research highlights the impact of counselor's personality on counseling attitudes and behaviors, emphasizing the counselor's role in establishing a strong counseling relationship. The study draws on a literature review of selected articles and scientific papers to explore the relationship between counselor's personal qualities and the effectiveness of counseling services. The findings indicate that the success of the counseling process is highly dependent on the counselor's personal characteristics, which include empathy, respect, acceptance, appreciation, and honesty. Furthermore, the quality of the counseling relationship, characterized by the interaction between the counselor and the individual seeking guidance, plays a pivotal role in achieving positive counseling outcomes. The research underscores the importance of counselor's personal qualities in shaping the counseling experience and highlights the need for counselors to possess desirable character traits. The implications of this study extend to counselor training programs and professional development, emphasizing the significance of nurturing and enhancing counselor's personal qualities to provide effective counseling services.

Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Students’ Understanding and Experiences of Counseling: A Qualitative Pilot Study

Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Students’ Understanding and Experiences of Counseling: A Qualitative Pilot Study

Factors Related to Submission of Tracing Reports Regarding Cancer Chemotherapy by Pharmacy Pharmacists

In Japan, use of a report for providing information from pharmacies to medical institutions called as "tracing report (TR)" is not widespread especially in the field of cancer chemotherapy. Identification of the factors related to submission of TRs could enhance the necessity of TRs. The purpose of this study is to clarify the factors related to submission of TRs regarding cancer chemotherapy through a questionnaire survey. A questionnaire survey was conducted at the live web-based seminar regarding cancer chemotherapy held for pharmacists in January 2023. After the questionnaire survey, the participants were divided into those who had submitted at least one TR regarding cancer chemotherapy within one month before the seminar (TR group) and those who had not (non-TR group). The multivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors related to submission of TRs regarding cancer chemotherapy. Of 118 participants, the responses from 93 pharmacy pharmacists involved in dispensing drugs who agreed to participate in this study and fulfilled all questionnaire were analyzed. TR group included 21 participants and non-TR group included 72. As a result of multivariate analysis, "Years of experience in counseling and following-up with patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy (odds ratio: 4.81, p=0.02)" and "Types of workplaces (odds ratio: 3.79, p=0.02)" significantly increased the incidence of submission of TRs regarding cancer chemotherapy. It was revealed that experience of intervention in cancer chemotherapy cases and an environment in which prescriptions for cancer chemotherapy can be handled on a daily basis are important for submission of TRs regarding cancer chemotherapy.

A Qualitative Study of Buddhist Counseling on Traumatized Clients: Counseling Practices of Seven Experienced Buddhist Counselors

In the past decade, a number of contemporary psychotherapy approaches for trauma have extracted Buddhist ideas and practices into their treatment models. However, there has been growing criticisms that are primarily rooted in the concern that these practices have been taken out of their original Buddhist context, necessitating the implementation of holistic Buddhist knowledge among mental health professionals. In response, this qualitative study aims to explore the treatment of traumas by utilizing a Buddhist counseling approach that incorporates the wisdom and principles of Buddhism. Seven experts with advanced training in Buddhism and experiences in Buddhist counseling for trauma were interviewed. The results indicate that Buddhist counseling facilitates the development of concentration, enabling clients to cultivate wisdom in addressing their rigid attachment to self-identity or self-notion. Various specific Buddhist counseling interventions were discussed. Initially, the research question aimed to explore the Buddhist conceptualization of trauma. However, the participants encountered difficulties in understanding the Western construct of trauma. To them, trauma was simply suffering associated with concepts such as grief, loss, and challenging life experiences

Peer counseling for perinatal depression in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review.

Perinatal depression is associated with adverse maternal, newborn and child health outcomes. Treatment gaps and sociocultural factors contribute to its disproportionate burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Task-sharing approaches, such as peer counseling, have been developed to improve access to mental health services. We conducted a scoping review to map the current literature on peer counseling for perinatal women experiencing depression in LMICs. We searched CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Global Health and EMBASE for literature with no date limits. We included 73 records in our analysis, with most being systematic reviews and meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials and qualitative studies. Most studies were conducted in India and Pakistan and published from 2020 onward. The Thinking Healthy Program (THP) and its Peer-Delivered (THPP) adaptation were the most common interventions. Studies suggested effectiveness, feasibility, acceptability and transferability of peer counseling, particularly within the THPP, for perinatal depression. Studies indicated that local women, as peers and lay counselors, are preferred and effective implementation agents. Gaps in the evidence include those relating to understanding perinatal depression (e.g., contextual understandings of the etiology, comorbidity and heterogeneity and social conditions of psychosocial distress including long-term impacts on relationships and children's development) and understanding and improving implementation. Further research on the adaptation, scaling up and integration of peer-delivered approaches with other approaches to improve impact are needed. There are also gaps in understanding the perspectives and experiences of peer counselors. Evidence gaps may stem from an emphasis on conventional public health approaches and measures derived from Western psychiatry, such as randomized controlled trials. There is relatively little research or implementation that prioritizes peer counselors in terms of understanding their perspectives and experiences (e.g., of professionalization), despite them being central to peer-delivered models. Task sharing has the potential to both empower peer counselors through mental health benefits and professional opportunities but also render peer counselors susceptible to vicarious exposure to traumatic stories and difficult situations amid limitations in available support. Better understanding counselors' and perinatal women's experiences can help decolonize the evidence base and improve implementation.

What Happens in Pre-Marriage Counseling Rooms? Examining the Process of Pre-Marriage Counseling from the Perspective of Its Recipients

The rising divorce rates and declining marriage rates have increasingly highlighted the necessity of pre-marriage counseling. The aim of the present study was to conduct a qualitative examination of the pre-marriage counseling process from the perspective of individuals who received such counseling in the city of Isfahan. This qualitative research was carried out using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The study population consisted of individuals who had received pre-marriage counseling at counseling centers in Isfahan. The participants were purposively selected from those who had received pre-marriage counseling and had subsequently married based on that counseling. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews containing questions related to the pre-marriage counseling experience. Qualitative data from the interviews were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase method. The results revealed that pre-marriage counseling comprises four main categories: assessment, education, advice, and conclusion, each containing subcategories, and these categories occur in a systematic process during counseling. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that although counselors may use different materials, tools, and methods in the pre-marriage counseling process, a specific pattern dominates the counseling process.

고등학교 유형별 상담경험 유무와 마음챙김 수준에 따른 학교상담기대의 차이

The purpose of this study was to find out what differences there are in school counseling expectations depending on the presence or absence of counseling experience and mindfulness level of students by type of high school. For this purpose, 492 students(246 general high school students, 246 specialized high school students) in J City were surveyed using the Mindfulness Scale and Counseling Expectations Questionnaire, and the major findings are as follows. First, there was no significant difference in school counseling expectations, but there was a significant difference in mindfulness according to counseling experience. Second, the mindfulness of the group without counseling experience was significantly higher than that of the group with counseling experience for both general and specialized high school students. Third, in the case of general high school students, students with high levels of mindfulness showed significantly higher scores in the total score and all sub-factor scores of school counseling expectations than students with low levels of mindfulness, whereas students in specialized high schools showed significantly higher scores in the total score of school counseling expectations as well as acceptability, confrontation, directiveness, and truthfulness, nurturing, professionalism, and concreteness subfactors. Fourth, in the case of general high school students, regardless of whether or not they had counseling experience, students with a high level of mindfulness were found to be significantly higher in the total score and all sub-factor scores of school counseling expectations than those with a low level of mindfulness. On the other hand, for students at specialized high schools, there was no significant difference between students with high and low levels of mindfulness in the total school counseling expectation score and all sub-factor scores, regardless of whether or not they had counseling experience. These findings can be used as basic data to develop measures to improve mindfulness and improve school counseling expectations depending on the type of school.

성폭력 상담자들의 현장 경험에 관한 합의적 질적 연구: 개인적ㆍ전문적 영역을 중심으로

This study aimed to explore the field experiences of sexual violence counselors. It included 11 sexual violence counselors, and the research was conducted from March to June 2019. Data were analyzed using the Consensus Qualitative Research(CQR) method. The results revealed 5 central concepts, 13 domains, 39 categories. In the personal domain, psychological exhaustion due to various factors, efforts to continue the work, and the driving force of 'sense of mission' were identified. In the professional domain, the importance of multifaceted efforts as professionals, assistance needed for professional improvement, and the recognition of the connection between sexual violence and socio-cultural structures were emphasized. Through this, it was evident that sexual violence counselors experienced psychological burnout in the personal domain due to vicarious trauma, competence gaps, limitations of specialized counseling, heavy workloads, and recruitment challenges due to low pay and high turnover. Although counselors overcome these challenges through a sense of mission, sustaining work for an extended period is challenging through individual efforts alone, challenging work environments. In the professional realm, there was a consensus that continuous personal efforts are being made for professional improvement, but it was emphasized that social support should accompany these individual endeavors. Therefore, active support on a societal level is necessary, and improving their working conditions is crucial. This study is significant as it delves deeply into the experiences of sexual violence counselors, laying the groundwork for improving their professionalism.

상담전문가의 소명에 대한 현상학적 연구

Objectives This study was conducted to identify the essential elements of experience by understanding the experience of professional counselors' perception of calling and clarifying the structure of the experience.
 Methods Interviews were conducted with professional counselors who recognized their job as a calling and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological study. The participants were six people; all of them were expert counselors with 7 to 23 years of counselling credentials and the age group ranged from in their late 30’s to the early 50’s. The period for collecting the data was from January to March 2020, and interviews were conducted once to twice for each participant.
 Results As a result of the analysis, 32 themes, 16 themes clusters, and 4 categories were derived. The results of each study result can be presented as follows. First, the origin of calling was ‘guidance of transcendental being’ and ‘occurrence of an individual's inner self’. Second, the process of forming a calling appeared to be ‘positive prior experience’, ‘altruistic motivation as a wounded healer’, ‘strong interest, curiosity, and talent’, ‘the desire to master and passionate immersion’ and ‘arduous process to find the meaning of life in work’. Third, the results of the calling were ‘peak experience in the counseling scene’, ‘healing and growing for interaction with the client’, ‘exercising a good influence on the world’, ‘changing the client is the top goal’ and ‘finding the meaning of life in work’. Finally, the change of the calling were ‘change and expansion of the subject’, ‘repeating acceleration and degradation’, ‘promotion and reinforcement through the management of counselor tools’ and ‘exhaustion and deterioration due to the limitation of time and physical strength’.
 Conclusions Through the results of the study, the counselor's experience of calling was confirmed, and based on this, basic data for future related research and intervention were provided.

청소년 상담자가 체험한 조기 종결에 관한 현상학적 연구

Objectives The purposes of this study is to find out the difficulties that youth counselors face in Dropout, the termination factors they recognize, and coping strategies.
 Methods As a research method, Giorgi's phenomenological research method was applied, and nine counselors who experienced Dropout in youth counseling were recruited to conduct in-depth interviews and analysis.
 Results As a result of the analysis, 95 central meanings, 24 subcategories, and 8 upper categories were derived. Experiencing an Unprepared, But Expected dropout, Dropout result in negative and confusing emotional responses., Continuous rumination on self-blame and unsolved tasks occurs, Counselor factors that influenced dropout, Client, parent, and external factors that influenced dropout, Attempting various efforts through supervision and external assistance to overcome dropout, In order to avoid repeating dropout, new attempts and environments are created based on dropout experience, and Dropout becomes a time of acceptance and ventilation for the counselor’s growth.
 Conclusions In youth counseling, the counselor's Dropout experience was confirmed, and their experience, termination factors, and countermeasures against termination were suggested.

불경 본생담 아난다 서사의 문학치료적 독해

This paper explores the therapeutic potential within the past life stories of Ananda from the Buddhist sutra Jataka, applying the literary therapy theories and methods of the Society of Korean Literary Therapy.Literary therapeutics regards humans as literary beings, and its main task is to reflect on and adjust the story-in-depth inherent in life through the story-in-depth inherent in works. Using Ananda's narratives as a reflective tool, this study aims to examine the mindsets and behaviors that modern individuals should adopt when pursuing religious practices and the path of sainthood. In the Jataka, Ananda, alongside Devadatta, emerges as the second most frequently depicted character after Buddha. Often depicted as someone living a worldly life, Ananda symbolizes the juncture between the paths of Buddha and Devadatta. Many stories vividly portray his journey, showcasing a qualitative transformation from worldly entanglements to becoming an authentic companion of the Buddha. This process offers profound insights for contemporary individuals ensnared by greed and ignorance, illustrating how to break free, undergo existential transformation, and progress towards enlightenment.
 Through a narrative analysis of various Jataka materials, this study identifies six conditions contributing to Ananda's transition from a worldly existence to a saintly one. Firstly, an open-minded approach to truth, embracing immediate acceptance devoid of prejudice. Secondly, the willingness to let go without remorse, embracing bold changes in direction. Thirdly, embodying humility, sincere honesty, and selflessness in actions. Fourthly, the capacity for cool-headed discernment and practical problem-solving. Fifthly, unwavering faith and resilience during crises. Sixthly, fostering a humanity of respect and engaging in practical acts of compassion. These aspects interconnect rather than stand alone, portraying a human existence passionately lived not only through thoughts but also actions. Ananda's portrayal in the Jataka stories can be seen as a literary representation of the ideal Buddhist figure, serving as inspiration for Buddhism followers.
 Ananda's portrayal in the Jataka stories can be seen as a literary representation of the ideal Buddhist figure, serving as inspiration for Buddhism followers. The findings of this analysis hold significance in the realm of Buddhist counseling. Ananda's narrative provides rich material for healing conversations between counselors and clients, each characteristic of Ananda offering potential as a therapeutic focus. Employing 'story-making,' a hallmark technique in literary therapy, where clients reconstruct Ananda stories and reflect upon them, could introduce a novel approach to Buddhist counseling. Moreover, incorporating Ananda stories into established Buddhist counseling methods, such as ascetic meditation healing, could diversify and enhance the counseling experience. Leveraging various literary works, including folk tales, could serve as a valuable avenue to enrich Buddhist counseling methodologies.

초심상담자의 자기성찰과 소진의 관계에서 초심상담자의 어려움의 매개효과

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of novice counselor’s self-reflection on burn-out and the mediating effect of novice counselor’s difficulty on the relationship between self-reflection and burn-out.
 Methods A survey was conducted with novice counselors who had fewer than three years of counseling experience and 225 counselors completed self-report questionnaires. Simple regression analysis and multiple regression analysis was conducted to verify research questions using SPSS 26.0 and Process Macro.
 Results The analysis indicated that novice counselor’s self-reflection had a significantly negative effect on burn-out, and novice counselor’s difficulty had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between self-reflection and burn-out.
 Conclusions The findings imply strategies to decrease novice counselor’s difficulty and increase counselor’s self-reflcetion are effective to decrease novice counselor’s burn-out.

Guidance and Counseling Perspective Da'wah: Implications of Madrasah Guidance and Counseling Services To Prevent Child Marriage In Central Lombok District

This research aims to describe the general picture of the implementation of BK services in Madrasas, analyze what factors inhibit the implementation of BK services, and describe what efforts have been made to overcome obstacles to the implementation of BK services in Madrasas to prevent child marriage in Central Lombok Regency. This research approach is qualitative with descriptive research type. The location of this research is MAN 1 Central Lombok and MTsN 1 Central Lombok. The primary data source for this research is through observation and interviews with students, guidance and counseling teachers, and madrasah leaders as well as secondary data sources through documentation. Furthermore, data analysis techniques in this research were carried out by reducing data, presenting data, verifying data and drawing conclusions. The results of this research describe the general picture of guidance and counseling services in madrasas to prevent child marriage, namely through basic services, individual specialization and planning services, responsive services, and system support. Internal factors inhibiting the implementation of guidance and counseling services in madrasas include the competency of guidance counselors which is still lacking and needs to be upgraded further, the inadequate work experience of guidance counselors , the state of health and age, the motivation and work discipline of guidance counselors, and the planning and implementation of counseling services which are less than optimal. Furthermore, external factors that hinder include inadequate facilities and infrastructure, lack of coordination between madrasah leaders and local governments and related institutions, the lack of guidance and counseling teachers, the economic disadvantage of guidance and counseling teachers, and the lack of awareness and participation of students and parents. Lastly, guidance and counseling teachers and madrasah leaders have made efforts to overcome obstacles in implementing the guidance and counseling service program in madrasas to prevent child marriage. To reduce the number of cases of child marriage, there needs to be cooperation from all school personnel and external parties such as parents and related institutions to jointly prevent the practice of child marriage involving students.

An exploration of the ways in which person-centered counselors’ diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can challenge or support their practice

ABSTRACT Little or no research has been conducted to explore the experiences of counselors who have a diagnosis of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this research, therefore, was to explore and better understand the challenges and opportunities that a diagnosis of ADHD can present for these practitioners in order to inform counseling practice, supervision and training. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews to obtain data from three participants, who were all person-centered counselors with ADHD. This data was then analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, which revealed five Group Experiential Themes (GETs). Each of these themes helped to illustrate both the challenges that participants faced as a result of their ADHD, such as inattention, impulsive disclosures, and emotional dysregulation, as well as the opportunities that it presented such as heightened curiosity and greater unconditional positive regard. This research addressed a gap within the literature and serves to enhance understanding of the ways in which a counselor’s diagnosis of ADHD can impact person-centered practice. It is hoped that this understanding can encourage greater support and acceptance of counselors with ADHD within the profession.

Adolescents’ perspectives on SSWs’ counselling practice in Swedish elementary schools: “plumb the depths and navigate to shore”

PurposeThis study aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of adolescent’s experiences of individual school social work counselling in Swedish elementary schools.Design/methodology/approachThe study encompasses interviews with 16 adolescents about their experiences of individual counselling with school social workers (SSWs). The data was analysed using conventional content analysis.FindingsThe main result was the adolescents’ desire “to navigate to shore” to speak freely about their whole lives with a professional SSW and find a “ safe haven,” […] where a trusting professional cared for and comforted them in counselling. The counselling contact contributed to increased knowledge about oneself. The results reveal the importance of the SSWs paying attention and listening to the adolescents’ narratives. The creation of a coherent life narrative enables to finally end counselling and “Cast off.”Originality/valueThe results highlight the importance of Swedish SSWs focusing on individual counselling sessions with adolescents to provide a setting for growth.

The role of religion and spirituality in counseling: experience of counsellors in a collectivist society

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study aims to understand the role of religion and spirituality in counseling from the experience of Malaysian counselors. The study participants comprised twelve counselors with experience integrating religion and spirituality into their practice. Data was collected using individual semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The data was then analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the study, namely: (i) religion and spirituality give meaning to life, (ii) building self-reliance, and (iii) strengthening relationships with God and fellow human beings. Implications of the study to research and practice are discussed.

Online counseling to Greek teachers: Advantages and disadvantages

This study focuses on the online counseling experience of the participants. In the research participated 3 school psychologists, as counselors and 6 teachers, as clients. The main research questions are: what are the difficulties that teachers face at school? What are teacher’s perceptions about school psychologists and the perceptions of teachers and psychologists about online counseling before and after the experience of online sessions which held in an internet- based application that created for the purposes of the research? The research is qualitative. The method that was used for the analysis of the data is the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The main findings of the research are summarized as follows: a) the participants regarded the online session as helpful and as an interesting approach, b) the advantages of the online session according to the participants were the anonymity, the flexibility, the ability to retain a history of the sessions. On the other hand, as disadvantages the participants reported dehumanization, confidentiality and security issues, absence of non-verbal cues, delayed communication due to typing, c) a pattern of ambivalence towards the school psychologist and the online school psychologist emerged by the participants teachers, d) also emerged a concern of the participants psychologists for the loss of control during the online sessions, e) finally, the participants psychologists reported feelings of anxiety due to the lack of training in online counseling.

대학생의 취업불안이 진로발달에 미치는 종단적 영향력 탐색

Objectives The purposes of this study were to investigate the patterns of change over time of job anxiety and career development in university students, and to analyze the longitudinal influence relationship between them where gender, work experience, and career guidance and counseling experience were set as conditional variables.
 Methods For the purposes of this study, the Latent Growth Modeling was analyzed using data based on the 12th (2018), 13th (2019), and 14th (2020) waves of the Youth Panel.
 Results The main results of this study were as follows. First, career anxiety tended to increase linearly over time and career development tended to decrease linearly over time. Second, the initial value of career anxiety had a negative and significant effect on initial value of career development. Third, it was found that only work experience among the condition variables had a negative and significant effect on the initial value of job anxiety.
 Conclusions Discussions were presented based on the results of this study, which is expected to be used as basic data to establish policy measures to solve problems related to university students' job and career in the future.

보육교사의 부모상담 경험에 관한 질적연구

The purpose of this study is to qualitatively analyze the experiences of childcare teachers during the parent counseling process. To collect data, interviews were conducted in a semi-structured format with seven childcare teachers working at daycare centers in Gyeonggi-do. As a result of focus group interviews with childcare teachers, three themes and 7 categories were derived. The three themes emerged as the importance of parent counseling, experience of parent counseling, and success factors of parent counseling. The first theme, the importance of parental counseling, was analyzed into three categories: provision of expert knowledge in childcare, exchange of developmental characteristics of infants and toddlers, and trust between parents and teachers. The second theme, parental counseling experience, was divided into two categories: difficulties in parental counseling and successful parental counseling experiences. The third theme, success factors in parent counseling, was divided into two categories: parent counseling teacher factors and parent counseling parent factors. It is expected that these results will help provide the support and direction necessary for effective parent counseling.

상담자의 관찰하는 자기 경험 과정과 영향 요인에 대한 탐색: 구성주의적 근거이론 접근

The purpose of this study was to understand in-depth the process of counselor's ‘observing self’ experience and its influencing factors. To this end, 10 counselors with more than 10 years of counseling experience were selected as study participants. Data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews on their experience of observing self, and it was analyzed in three stages according to the data analysis method of Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory: initial coding, focused coding and theoretical coding. As a result of data analysis, 141 semantic units were extracted through initial coding, and 43 subcategories and 14 categories were derived through focused coding. After that, theoretical coding was carried out, and it was derived into four stages: self-limitation stage, self-confrontation stage, acceptance and letting go stage, and self-expansion stage, and three characteristics, such as personal characteristics, relational characteristics, and practical characteristics, were found to influence this process. Based on this, constructing a story about the couselor's experience of observing self is the process of experiencing 'shakable self', 'contemplating self', 'self as it is', and 'transcendent self' through the self-limiting stage, self-confrontation stage, acceptance and letting go stage, and self-expansion stage, and these four types of self circulate with each other and transition to a transcendent identity. Based on these results, the process of counselor's observing self experience and its influencing factors were discussed, and finally, the significance of the study and suggestions for follow-up studies were presented.