Counseling Experience Research Articles

Decision-making regarding immediate vs. interval postpartum levonorgestrel intrauterine device insertion timing

BackgroundUnderstanding decision-making for contraception initiation timing postpartum may help guide patients in selecting a contraceptive method most aligned with their reproductive goals. The objective of this study was to explore the decision-making process in patients who chose immediate postplacental (IPP) levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG IUD) insertion versus interval insertion at the postpartum follow-up visit.MethodsWe recruited English-speaking, reproductive-aged adult postpartum participants who received either an IPP or interval postpartum LNG IUD from September to December 2017 at MetroHealth Medical Center. We conducted interviews over the phone utilizing a pilot-tested, semi-structured interview guide. Interview topics included past experiences with contraception, provider counseling, intrapartum factors, and current experiences after IUD insertion.ResultsWe interviewed 20 participants (12 IPP and eight interval IUD recipients). Participants receiving an IPP IUD described convenience, desire for immediate contraception, pain control and availability of alternative contraception options as influential for their decision. Patients who received an interval IUD performed outside research, focused on the events surrounding delivery, and generally favored additional recovery time before obtaining an IUD. Patients who received interval IUDs were often not aware that IPP IUDs were available. Early, frequent, and comprehensive counseling was viewed favorably when compared to counseling upon arrival to the laboring unit. While overall there was congruence of participant expectations and experiences, unexpected expulsion affected desire for future IUD use in some participants.ConclusionProviders should be mindful that prior experience and knowledge as well as delivery room considerations affect insertion timing decision-making.Trial registrationN/A

Work-related experiences of mental health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT The imposition of nation-wide lockdowns and sporadic transition to remote work produced unforeseen psychological challenges likely to impact the medium of care and workload of mental health professionals. The present study explored the lived occupational experiences of clinical psychologists, counsellors, and psychotherapists working in the National Health Service (NHS) and private practice in the UK during COVID-19 pandemic. Nineteen professionals (11 employed in the NHS and 8 working in independent settings) were interviewed about their professional experiences during first and second waves of the pandemic. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: (i) transition from face to face to online therapy; (ii) novel changes and wellbeing; and (iii) uncertain professional support in uncertain times. The findings suggest that lack of experience in providing online or telephonic psychotherapeutic services from home negatively impacted professionals’ physical and psychological health and wellbeing. Thus, to cope with it, they availed psychological and structural support from colleagues, co-workers, clinical supervisors, managers, organisations, and professional bodies. This study adds to the existing body of research on the impact of the pandemic on UK-based mental health professionals and from an applied perspective, it highlights the need for skill-upgradation of professionals.

The photoreal new-age innovative pedagogical & counseling tool for glaucoma with 3D augmented reality (Eye MG AR).

In this manuscript, we have reported an augmented reality (AR) application named, 'Eye MG AR' innovated by us, to show different anatomical/pathological parts of the eyeball pertaining to glaucoma, from multiple customized angles of the user's choice to simplify glaucoma learning and clinical counseling. It is available free of cost from the Google Play Store for Android users. Procedures ranging from a simple outpatient department procedure (yttrium aluminium garnet peripheral iridotomy) to a complex surgical technique (trabeculectomy/tube surgery) can be explained and counseled with this Android application. Also, complex structures such as the angle of the anterior chamber and optic nerve head, are constructed in advanced real-time three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution confocal images. These 3D models are useful for glaucoma neophytes' immersive learning and 3D patient counseling experiences. This AR tool aims to reinvent the approach to glaucoma counseling with 'Unreal Engine' software and is created in a patient-friendly approach. Incepting 3D pedagogy and counseling with AR in glaucoma with real-time and high-resolution TrueColor confocal images has never been reported in the literature according to our knowledge.

Exploring the relationship between secondary traumatic stress, professional identity and career factors for counsellors

AbstractThis study used a correlational research design to explore the relationship between secondary traumatic stress, counsellor professional identity and career factors, including work setting and amount of counselling experience, among counsellor practitioners. A sample of 1,218 counsellors completed an online survey including the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), Professional Identity Scale in Counseling and career factors. Career factors included context of work environments including years of experience, licence status, type of practice and work setting. Multiple regression analysis with forward selection demonstrated that, out of all the variables, professional identity emerged as the best predictor of secondary traumatic stress. One‐way ANOVA showed significant group differences in the level of counsellors' secondary traumatic stress based on work setting, level of experience, type of practice and gender. Discussion explores how career and personal factors impact counsellor experiences of professional identity and secondary trauma in mental health settings.

Building relational trust and hope: The experiences of counsellors in a service for birth relatives whose children have been adopted or taken into care

The profound and lasting impact of losing a child to adoption or foster care has been powerfully described, and the importance of offering therapeutic support to birth relatives is a requirement in most parts of the UK. However, little is known about effective counselling for this group. In this article, we report on the experiences of four counsellors and a project worker who offer counselling to birth relatives whose children have been removed following care proceedings. We present their reflections under four themes, namely: ‘It’s all about the person, it’s all about the relationship’; ‘Meeting clients where they are’; ‘Having a sense of achievement’; and ‘This work can really get into you’. These accounts offer valuable reflections for others offering counselling to birth relatives and their supervisors, as well as those who commission and design these services.

Collaboration between Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Neonatology When Counseling at Extreme Prematurity.

Enhanced communication between maternal-fetal medicine (MFM)/obstetrics and neonatology regarding counseling at extreme prematurity remains an essential element of prenatal consultations. Together, the obstetrician and neonatologist can collaborate to provide timely and synergistic information to affected couples during a dynamic period, combining their expertise to elucidate values and formulate a plan that best supports the pregnant person and partner's goals. Such collaboration can help resolve differing perspectives between specialties, minimize redundancy and inconsistencies, and mitigate the impact of clinician bias. Best practices for joint-specialty collaboration include a precounseling clinician huddle, contemporaneous counseling by MFM specialists/obstetricians and neonatologists with the expectant parents or individualized sequential counseling if preferred by the couple, and a postcounseling clinician debrief. This approach can help establish a trusting relationship with families facing possible extremely preterm delivery and optimize the overall counseling experience. Future efforts focused on education and research, including a standardized approach to educational curricula among fellowship programs, should be emphasized.

A Quantitative Exploration of School Counselors’ Evidence-Based Classroom Management Implementation: Investigating Culturally Sustaining Practices and Multicultural Competence

Considering professional calls for culturally sustaining, comprehensive school counseling practices, this study examined school counselor factors (e.g., age and years of experience) and school factors (e.g., school size and percentage of students of color enrolled) that predicted school counselors’ implementation of evidence-based, culturally sustaining classroom management. We also examined correlations between school counselors’ classroom management and their multicultural practices. The results indicated (a) that age, previous teaching experience, years of school counseling experience, caseload, and percentage of students of color enrolled at school were the strongest predictors of school counselors’ culturally sustaining classroom management implementation and (b) that evidence-based, culturally sustaining classroom instruction is moderately correlated with school counselors’ multicultural behaviors. We offer implications for school counselor practice and preparation, and discuss limitations and future directions.

초등학교 교사의 학부모 상담 관련 국내 연구동향 분석

Objectives This study attempted to present a research direction for parent counseling in the future by analyzing research trends focusing on domestic papers on parent counseling of elementary school teachers.
 Methods To this end, 53 papers were extracted by searching for parent interviews, parent counseling, and elementary school teacher terms for academic paper and jourrnals published for about 30 years from 1993 to August 2022.
 Results As a result, first, the trend by year gradually increased from 1993 to 2012 and then increased rapidly from 2018. Above all, in 2018, there were many academic journal studies. However, there were no doctoral papers. Teachers were the most common subjects in the study, followed by studies on mixed research subjects. As for the research method, there were many quantitative studies, but after 2018, many qualitative studies centered on interviews have been conducted. Second, the contents and experience of counseling were the most common as trends on research topics, followed by awareness, actual conditions, and topics on the role of counselors.
 Conclusions Based on the results of the analysis, it is hoped that it will be used as a basic material to improve the overall understanding of the subject and set up research for follow-up women on parent counseling, and will help support teacher education on parent counseling in the educational field.

상담자 자기효능감의 관계적 원천에 관한 연구

A tripartite model of relational efficacy beliefs which explains how self-efficacy developswithin close relationships was applied to the context of counseling supervision to confirmrelational sources of counselor self-efficacy. Survey data about relational efficacy beliefs werecollected from 153 counselors and analyzed using AMOS 21.0. The results of path analysis showthat counselor self-efficacy is well predicted by counselors' beliefs about how their supervisorsperceive counselors' ability(Relation-Inferred Self-Efficacy: RISE), and counselors' beliefs aboutthe supervisors' ability(other-efficacy) and counselors' length of counseling experience moderatethe strength of this relationship. Furthermore, other-efficacy predicts RISE and supervisoryrelationships. It is suggested that RISE and other-efficacy play important roles as relationalsources of counselor self-efficacy in a supervisory relationship.

Qualitative analysis of university counselors' online counseling experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aimed to reflect on counselors' experiences and the adaptation processes in university counseling centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, 15 counselors and psychologists working at different counseling centers were reached and interviewed. Thematic analysis showed that participants had to adapt to changes brought by the pandemic to continue their services. The adaptation of counseling centers to online practices showed differences according to administrative decisions and technical capacities. As a result of the urgent need to continue providing psychological help, participants moved to online practices, which caused professional and social life changes. Participant attitudes to online counseling were mainly positive. Since students had to move back to their family homes during the pandemic, limited confidentiality was the main problem aside from technological glitches in online sessions. Counselors encountered personal and professional challenges as a result of the ongoing counseling sessions and listed the self-care activities they used.

Defining orienting language in the genetic counseling process.

We defined orienting language in genetic counseling sessions as 'language intended to direct focus to a particular aspect of the counseling process; a physical, emotional, or cognitive space; or an outcome'. This is a concept expanding on the idea of 'orientation' statements in the genetic counseling literature. We propose that orienting language is an important component of effective communication in the genetic counseling process. Our goals were to document the presence of orienting language in genetic counseling sessions with practicing genetic counselors and simulated clients, categorize types of orienting language, and evaluate the purpose of this language. A sample of Genetic Counseling Video Project videotape transcripts was evaluated through consensus coding for orienting language. Orienting language was found to be abundant in the dataset evaluated. Each excerpt was coded for orienting language Strategies and Purpose. The six categories of Strategy codes identified were Logical Consistency, Providing Context, Guidance, Structuring the Session, Anchoring, and Procedural. The six categories of Purpose codes were Counselee Understanding, Guidance, Engagement, Promoting Effective Counselor/Counselee Interactions, Counselee Adaptation, and Relationship Building. Results support our expanded definition of orienting language, which was similar in both cancer and prenatal specialties and across years of counselor experience. Orienting language acts as a series of signposts to help clients navigate the sometimes complex and unfamiliar territory of a genetic counseling session. The introduction of this term into the genetic counseling literature allows its use by genetic counselors to be further evaluated and potentially incorporated into genetic counselor training.

Experiences of Preconception Counseling among Pregnant Women with Preexisting Diabetes: Opportunities to Improve Patient-Centered Care.

Available research suggests that patients with diabetes do not regularly receive preconception counseling, but information on patients' experiences of counseling is scant. We conducted a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 22 patients between October 2020 and February 2021. Pregnant patients with preexisting diabetes were recruited from a specialty diabetes and pregnancy clinic at a large academic medical center in Northern California. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using an inductive and deductive content analysis approach. A total of 27% reported they did not have any pregnancy-related discussions with a health care provider before pregnancy. Of those that did, many sought out counseling; this was often connected to how "planned" the pregnancy was. Few participants, nearly all with type 1 diabetes, reported having a formal preconception care visit. Participants described receiving information mostly about the risks associated with diabetes and pregnancy. While participants who sought out counseling generally reported their providers were supportive of their desire for pregnancy, there were a few exceptions, notably all among patients with type 2 diabetes. The varied experiences of participants indicate gaps in the delivery of pre-pregnancy counseling to patients with diabetes and suggest counseling may vary based on diabetes type. There are opportunities to improve the patient-centeredness of counseling.

Types and Characteristics of Stress Coping in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics and predictors of types of stress coping in women undergoing infertility treatment. The cross-sectional study included 120 women who were receiving infertility treatment at infertility hospitals. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure. K-means cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine the characteristics and predictors of stress-coping types. Out of all the women undergoing infertility treatment who completed a self-report survey, 30.8% had a weak mixed coping type, 35.9% had a strong mixed coping type, and 33.3% had a passive coping type. The strong mixed treatment type was compared to weak mixed treatment type, with the following results: infertility adaptation (OR = 17.71, p < 0.000), spousal support (OR = 4.50, p = 0.021), infertility counseling experience (OR = 7.14, p = 0.010). Comparing the strong mixed coping type with the passive coping type, resilience (OR = 9.11, p < 0.000) was shown. It is necessary to strengthen resilience and provide a receptive attitude and spousal support to women undergoing infertility adaptation to help them relieve stress and develop functional coping.

네트워크 분석을 통한 학사경고자 대상 연구 동향

The purpose of this paper is to examine the trends of academic probation research through keyword network analysis, and to suggest the direction of academic probation research in the future. The key words were selected using Textom program, and the 1-mode network matrix was constructed and visualized. The analysis results are as follows. 1)The papers were published in 96 journals in five research over a 10-year period. 2)Research on academic probation is mainly focused on ‘program development and analysis’, ‘participation in programs of academic warnings’, ‘experience of academic warnings’, and ‘the impact of academic warnings on college life. 3)In the first period, many studies were conducted to identify the characteristics, status, and cause of academic warnings. In the second period, research on the process of overcoming academic warnings and counseling experiences was conducted, and in the third period, the most research was conducted on the development and evaluation of support programs for academic warnings.

예비부부의 사례 개념화 기반 단회 상담 참여경험에 관한 내러티브 탐구

Objectives The purpose of this study aims to provide basic data on single-session counseling conducted in the clinical field by examining the counseling experience of single-session counseling clients based on case conceptualization and what the experience means in the context of their lives.&#x0D; Methods As a narrative exploration method that can help participants separate problems from themselves and explore exceptional situations outside the problem, this researcher conducted a study on a pair of prospective couples who have experienced single counseling. To this end, after three in-depth video interviews were conducted from June 16, 2021 to November 8, 2021, additional interviews were conducted by phone or text message.&#x0D; Results The results of the study are as follows. First, participants were disappointed, but they participated in counseling more honestly and actively since it was a single counseling. Second, through single counseling, participants increased their self-understanding as well as self-acceptance. Third, as the participant participated in the single consultation, recognized and accepted problems, and decided to try for change, so felt lighthearted. Fourth, through the experience of single counseling, participants were able to have a positive perception of counseling, and if they faced problems that were difficult to solve alone in their daily lives again, they wanted to be consulted again.&#x0D; Conclusions Based on the results of the study, the counseling implications and limitations were presented, and the single counseling experience improved the image of counseling, but it was regrettable to experience the changed results directly by changing one's old habits in daily life. Therefore, it is necessary to study so that case conceptualization education is conducted in detail and in detail so that the effect of single counseling can be further improved through counselor training. It can be seen that this study has implications in that it showed how to approach and conduct single counseling in the clinical field.

A Study of Adult Attitudes toward Online and Face-to-Face Counseling according to Self-Concealment, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support and Certain Demographic Variables during Covid 19 Pandemic

With the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become inclined to seek online counseling help in addition to face-to-face counseling. For individuals who need mental health services, social-physical isolation and quarantine decisions have rendered online counseling a necessity rather than an option. In this process, individuals needing mental health services may avoid seeking help due to their self-concealment tendencies or inadequate self-perceived social support. The present research explores whether online and face-to-face counseling are predicted by self-concealment level, multidimensional perceived social support, age, gender, and previous experience with face-to-face/online counseling. The study group comprises 508 adults aged 18 or above living in Turkey. The data were collected with the help of "Online and Face-to-Face Counseling Attitudes Scale", “Self-Concealment Scale”, “Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support”, and a “Personal Information Form”. Data analysis was based on Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression Analysis. The results demonstrate that attitudes toward online counseling are predicted by self-concealment, perceived social support, age, and previous experience of online counseling. The findings also show that attitudes toward face-to-face counseling are predicted by self-concealment, perceived social support, gender, and previous experience with online and face-to-face counseling. With the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become inclined to seek online counseling help in addition to face-to-face counseling. For individuals who need mental health services, social-physical isolation and quarantine decisions have rendered online counseling a necessity rather than an option. In this process, individuals needing mental health services may avoid seeking help due to their self-concealment tendencies or inadequate self-perceived social support. The present research explores whether online and face-to-face counseling are predicted by self-concealment level, multidimensional perceived social support, age, gender, and previous experience with face-to-face/online counseling. The study group comprises 508 adults aged 18 or above living in Turkey. The data were collected with the help of "Online and Face-to-Face Counseling Attitudes Scale", “Self-Concealment Scale”, “Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support”, and a “Personal Information Form”. Data analysis was based on Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression Analysis. The results demonstrate that attitudes toward online counseling are predicted by self-concealment, perceived social support, age, and previous experience of online counseling. The findings also show that attitudes toward face-to-face counseling are predicted by self-concealment, perceived social support, gender, and previous experience with online and face-to-face counseling.

School counselors' perceptions of virtual counseling in Lebanon: A qualitative study.

Virtual counseling has become an increased necessity as a result of the current pandemic as well as the need for methods that comply with the continuous changes and advancements. Studies conducted have shown that the perceptions of counselors of the benefits and barriers reflect whether or not the counseling service will be successful. This study is a descriptive research design following a qualitative approach. The study aimed to explore (a) the school counselor's perceptions of the benefits and barriers they encounter when using virtual counseling, (b) the perceived differences between conducting virtual counseling and in-person counseling, and (c) whether participation in virtual counseling differs as a result of students' characteristics in the perception of school counselors. Five private schools in the Beirut region were contacted as they were known to have virtual counseling programs. Both the schools and counselors were purposively chosen. Seven in-depth semi-structured interviews and one focus group discussion (FGD) were carried out with the study participants. Interpretational analysis was carried out to assess and analyze the obtained data. The results showed that through these experiences, counselors were able to develop new methods with regard to technology and other practices to limit the effects of obstacles faced. Counselors' communication tools were also fine-tuned since they had to rely on unorthodox methods to understand students and deal with them better. Results showed that the benefits also have to do with time and method flexibility, the main barriers were issues of privacy, change in workplace dynamics, and lack of usage of tools. The findings were discussed in relation to four main themes: (a) service delivery adaptation, (b) working with technology, (c) counselor's practices in delivering virtual counseling, and (d) preparation and training for virtual counseling. Being that it is qualitative research, the interpretational analysis was carried out to assess the obtained data. The results showed that the main benefits have to do with time and method flexibility, and the main barriers were issues of privacy and change in workplace dynamics. The results showed that the new changes and the counselor's experience, along with the personal attributes of counselors and students, all influenced the efficiency of the counseling sessions.

Piloting a novel medical student virtual discharge counseling process in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, we identified a gap in adequate discharge counseling for COVID-19 patients in the Emergency Department. This was due to high patient volumes and lack of patient education regarding a novel disease. Medical students were also restricted from clinical areas due to safety concerns, compromising their clinical experience. We piloted a novel program in which medical students served as virtual discharge counselors for COVID-19 patients via teleconference. We aimed to demonstrate an impact on patient care by examining the patient bounce back rate as well as assessing medical student education and experience. Methods This program was piloted in a tertiary care Emergency Department. Medical student volunteers served as virtual discharge counselors. Students were trained in discharge counseling with a standardized protocol and a discharge script. Eligible patients for virtual discharge counseling were 18 years old or greater with a diagnosis of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and no impediment precluding them from participating in a telemedicine encounter. Counseling was provided via secure teleconference in the patient's preferred language. Counseling included diagnosis, supportive care with medication dosing, quarantine instructions, return precautions, follow up, and time to ask questions. Duration of counseling was recorded and medical students were anonymously surveyed regarding their experience. Results Over an 18-week period, 45 patients were counseled for a median of 20 min. The 72-hr ED revisit rate was 0%, versus 4.2% in similarly-matched, not counseled COVID-19 patients. 90% of medical students believed this project increased their confidence when speaking with patients while 80% indicated this was their first telemedicine experience. Conclusion Our pilot discharge program provided patients with an extensive discharge counseling experience that would not otherwise be possible in an urban ED setting and demonstrated benefit to patient care. Medical students received a safe clinical experience that improved their communication skills.

Encountering sexuality difference: the experiences of person-centered counselors and psychotherapists who self-describe as heterosexual and have worked with lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer clients

ABSTRACT Lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer people (LGBQ; a sexual minority social group) access counseling and psychotherapy more frequently than heterosexual people, often working with heterosexual therapists (a sexual majority social group). Heterosexual therapists working with LGBQ clients is under-researched which means limited dialogue exists describing a significant yet sensitive area of sexuality difference where therapist and client hold diverging social experiences. To facilitate awareness development in person-centered therapy and beyond, the paper seeks to challenge such limited dialogue, stimulating discussion through considering how four heterosexual person-centered therapists experience working with LGBQ clients. This qualitative research project was designed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as its methodology to explore the experiences of four heterosexual person-centered therapists who work with LGBQ clients. Findings centered upon four themes: shaping and forming, ways of seeing, witnessing clients and relationships with person-centered theory. The discussion considered the data in dialogue with person-centered theory, explored phenomenological therapy practice, intersectionality, power, and witnessing client experiences of social discrimination, and evaluated the non-pathologizing therapeutic potential that person-centered phenomenological practice holds for working with LGBQ clients. For theory development, the paper calls for further person-centered discourse exploring LGBQ experiencing.

Supporting Immigrant Students in Schools: A Qualitative Investigation

ABSTRACT Immigrant students experience multiple challenges, and school counselors are at the forefront of professionals who can support them. School counselors are vital in ensuring that students are included and feel safe in the school community. This study explored school counselors’ perceptions of their work and involvement in advocacy with immigrant students. The guiding research question was: What are the perceptions and experiences of school counselors supporting and advocating for immigrant students? Themes included multiple priorities for students, best practice recommendations, and enhancing competence. Implications for school counselors are discussed.