Level Counseling Students Research Articles

Interprofessional Education Simulation Project Using the Collaborative Care Model.

Integrated behavioral health care (IBH), a team-based approach to care, involves behavioral health providers (BHP) to be utilized in primary care settings. Unfortunately, many BHP and primary care advanced practice nursing students do not receive IBH content in their educational curriculum. This article describes an innovative interprofessional simulation project (ISP) in a virtual IBH setting with primary care nurse practitioner and master's level counseling students. The ISP involved students role-playing using case studies while enacting the roles exemplified in the Collaborative Care model (CoCM). Interprofessional faculty collaborated in developing the project and training facilitators and interprofessional students. Of the students and faculty who completed a postsurvey, 87.7% reported an increase in preparedness in learning the CoCM, and 92.6% responded the preparation time for the project was "appropriate." The ISP project resulted in high satisfaction and perceived increased preparedness for students and faculty to practice and teach IBH. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].

A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Counseling Students in a Co-Facilitated Experiential Group

Research on experiential learning, group psychotherapy, and neuroscience has supported the inclusion of the experiential group in counseling training programs for the positive impact on students’ personal and professional development (Denninger, 2010; Zhu, 2018). This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of master’s level counseling students in a group co-facilitated by a doctoral student and a professor. Results of this research provide a deeper understanding of counseling students’ experiences in a co-facilitated experiential group and offer a rationale for best practices in the facilitation of the required group experience in counseling training programs.

A Comparison of Traditional Talk Therapy and Experiential Sandtray Approaches in Counselors in Training

This study explored the comparative effects of traditional talk therapy (control group) and sandtray therapy (experiential group) on group dynamics within a true experimental design. Utilizing the Group Climate Questionnaire-Short Form (GCQ-S), we measured engagement, conflict, and avoidance among master’s level counseling students. Findings revealed a significant interaction between therapy type and time on the engagement subscale, with participants in the experiential group experiencing greater increases in engagement over time. These results underscore the potential of expressive modalities in altering group dynamics and enhancing the effectiveness of group therapy in counselor education.

Expanding the Behavioral Health Workforce: Pediatric Psychologists Training Master’s Level Students in Integrated Healthcare

ABSTRACT As mental and behavioral health needs continue to rise, additional providers are needed to expand the behavioral health workforce. Integrated behavioral health services result in increased access, reduced stigma, and improved quality of patient care. Psychologists are in a unique position to provide training to future mental health professionals in integrated settings, across multiple levels of training, and particularly to future master’s level providers, which make up the majority of the mental health workforce. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health Workplace Education and Training (BHWET) Program aims to increase the behavioral health workforce in order to improve access to services. A priority is placed on care for children, adolescents, and transitional aged youth who are at risk for behavioral health disorders and highlights team-based approaches to care in integrated settings. An overview is provided of a HRSA BHWET funded training program implemented with master’s level students. Students completed clinical field placements in one of several integrated care settings and were provided specialized training in the areas of evidence-based treatments, integrated healthcare, and quality improvement. The overarching purpose of the Integrated Behavioral Services Training and Education Program (I-STEP) was to improve access to behavioral health services for underserved children and their families by expanding the behavioral health workforce. This was achieved through training master’s level counseling students to provide evidence-based services in integrated healthcare settings. I-STEP program goals, challenges, outcomes, and lessons learned are presented.

Developing an asynchronous LGBTQ+ affirmative counseling training: A mixed‐methods study

AbstractMaster's level counseling students completed a 5‐week online asynchronous LGBTQ+ affirmative counseling training. Using a mixed‐methods and quasi‐experimental design, results indicated that participants’ LGBTQ+ knowledge, clinical skills, and advocacy increased posttraining. Content analysis revealed four themes of how students experienced the training. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Assessing counseling student self-reported competencies in primary care behavioral health.

Professional counselors are becoming increasingly represented in the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) workforce. Accordingly, models for training these professionals to work in integrated health care settings are needed. This article presents the results of 34 master's level counseling students' self-reported competencies in PCBH as a result of a PCBH training program. Results indicated that students' self-perceived competence across all domains increased over time. Implications for the function of self-reported skill development in students training as behavioral health consultants in primary care are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Relationships between ecosystemic variables and professional identity of master’s counseling students

ABSTRACT Despite the recent increased attention in professional identity in the counseling profession, the literature on professional identity development (PID) of master’s students is limited. As such, we designed a cross-sectional, correlational study to examine whether training environment, advisor-advisee relationship, and online versus on-ground learning delivery could predict students’ PID. We recruited 229 students from CACREP-accredited programs to complete a web-based survey. Bivariate correlation results showed that master’s-level counseling students who reported higher levels of satisfaction in their advisor-advisee relationship and a stronger training environment reported higher levels of professional identity. Regression results further showed that the combined study predictors significantly accounted for 9% of the variance of their professional identity (PI). Only the advisor-advisee relationship and the number of courses students had taken contributed uniquely to the students’ PI. Implications on the criticality to consider ecological influences when understanding students’ PID is discussed.

Motivation, Belonging, and Support: Examining Persistence in Counseling Programs

The rising racially and ethnically minoritized population in the U.S. challenges counselor educators to train racially and ethnically diverse counselors; therefore, there is a need to better understand the factors that affect persistence and retention of diverse students in counseling programs. The researchers examined the role of motivation (Academic Motivation Scale), sense of belonging (Campus Connectedness Scale), and social support (Student Academic Support Scale) on the persistence (3-item persistence measure) of 396 master’s level counseling students, including investigating differences between White and minoritized students. Pearson’s correlations results revealed intention to persist was positively correlated with motivation (r(394) = .44, p < .01), belonging (r(394) = .39, p < .01), and social support (r(394) = .01, p < .05) and ANOVA results showed no significant differences were found between White and minoritized students. Counselor educators can improve student experiences by implementing strategies to create a diverse and inclusive community.

Remedial Interventions to Address Receptivity to Feedback in Master's‐Level Counseling Students

Remediation is an essential gatekeeping responsibility, yet counselor education lacks consensus on the best way to approach student remediation. We used Q methodology to explore the remediation practices of 28 counselor educators employed full‐time in accredited university programs. Four factors emerged: Due Process, Reflective Practice, Remedial Coursework, and Preserve Programmatic Status.

Experience of Graduate Counseling Students During COVID-19: Application for Group Counseling Training

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many universities moving abruptly from face-to-face to online instruction. One group of students involved in this transition was master’s-level counseling students. Their experiential group counseling training (EGCT) program started in a face-to-face format and abruptly transitioned to an online format because of COVID-19. In this phenomenological study, we examined these students’ experiences of participating and leading in six face-to-face and four online EGCT groups. Two focus groups were conducted, and three major themes emerged: positive participation attributes, participation-inhibiting attributes, and suggestions for group counseling training. The findings point to additional learning and skill development through the online group experience as well as its utility as a safe space to process the novel experience brought about by COVID-19.

Creating Counselors: Master’s Level Counseling Students’ Experience of Expressive Arts in a Multicultural Course

ABSTRACT Counseling governing bodies have clearly defined what should be prioritized in multicultural counseling courses, including students’ multicultural knowledge and awareness; however, best practice regarding how to teach these multicultural concepts has largely been left up to the counselor educator. This phenomenological study explored the lived experience of master’s level counseling students who participated in weekly expressive arts activities as a part of a diversity class and offers a best practice model for implementing ethical and effective experiential learning using expressive arts techniques.

Teaching Counseling Research and Program Evaluation through Problem-Based Service Learning

ABSTRACT Service learning offers counselor educators experiential learning opportunities. This article presents the findings of a quantitative action research study examining the impact of problem-based service-learning on research knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy for 20 master’s-level counseling students. Implications include using service learning to fulfill learning objectives related to practical research skills.

A constructivist approach to promoting spiritual competence in counselor trainees: a pilot study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a two-and-half hour constructivist-oriented training session upon the spirituality and religious competency of 15 master’s level counseling students. The results revealed that the master’s-lever counselors in training demonstrated a significant overall increase in spiritual and religious competency. Although the intervention resulted in a significant increase in the spiritual and religious competency scores, the participants’ scores at posttest remained below the minimum cutoff score, echoing a consistent finding in the literature that counselor preparation programs are not adequately training students to incorporate spirituality and religion in their work. Students who scored higher on a Personal Spiritual and Religious Practices scale demonstrated greater increases in their spiritual competency.

Counselor Trainee Self‐Perceived Disability Competence: Implications for Training

We explored the relationship between master's‐level counseling students' (N = 285) disability competence, disability‐related life experience, and multicultural course completion. Results indicated disability‐related life experience and multicultural course completion may differentially affect self‐perceived disability competence. Implications and recommendations for counselor training are discussed.

Master's‐Level Counseling Students of Color in Personal Growth Groups: A Phenomenological Study of Congruence

This study investigated the phenomenon of congruence for students of color (N = 6) in master’s‐level counseling programs using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The authors identified 3 main themes: (a) congruence‐facilitating experiences (safety and necessity), (b) congruence‐inhibiting experiences (micro‐ and macroaggressions and risks and consequences), and (c) personal and professional influences (microaggressive stress and interpersonal awareness and empathy).

Using Sandtray as a Creative Supervision Tool

ABSTRACT Evidence-based research supports the incorporation of creative techniques in counselor supervision. There are numerous methods of implementing creative techniques within the supervisory process; sandtray is one such tool. This qualitative article discusses the power of creative approaches for supervision, explains how creative techniques assist supervisors in providing meaningful supervision, and reviews current literature supporting these arguments. This study involved the supervision of master’s-level counseling students by doctoral-level counseling supervisors. Supervisors used sandtray during initial, mid-term, and final supervisory sessions. Data included student journal entries, supervisor case notes, photos of sandtrays, and video recordings of sessions. Results of the study are discussed along with clinical implications and recommendations for future research.

Challenge Course Activities and Orientation for Master’s Level Counseling Students: A Qualitative Exploration

ABSTRACT Orientation is an important component of a student’s transition to beginning a counselor preparation program. In this study, the researchers conducted interviews with 16 students to explore the use of challenge course activities, involving group games, within the orientation process. The researchers identified three overarching themes (process of getting to know each other, application, and recommendations) and multiple subthemes. The researchers also discuss the limitations and recommendations for future research, as well as the implications for counselor education.

An interprofessional internship model for training master’s level social work and counseling students in higher education settings

ABSTRACTThe mental health needs of college students are steadily on the rise, which compels mental health service providers and educators to explore innovative ways to provide more collaborative, supportive, and interdisciplinary service models of practice and professional training. Graduate programs in social work and counseling are at the crux of producing internship training programs to help accommodate the influx of students with persistent mental health concerns across a variety of needs and cultures. This article describes an interprofessional internship program structured and designed to meet the clinical training needs of master’s level students matriculating in social work and counseling who aspire to provide mental health services in higher education settings. The interprofessional internship training model proposes an innovative interdisciplinary approach to field education which may result in positive training outcomes and learning experiences for social work and counseling students. This paper discusses the model’s emphasis on individual and interdisciplinary group supervision, objectives of the internship experience, internship site criteria, and professional and personal benefits to pre-service social workers and counselors. Recommendations for training and limitations of the model are provided.

Medicalizing tensions in counselor education?

The aim of this paper is to summarize research into the tensions associated with medicalization in graduate counselor education in a primarily Canadian context. Counselor education, until recently, has largely embraced pluralistic traditions of practice that are potentially at odds with a medicalized approach to practice. Medicalization here refers to a diagnostic and treatment focus most commonly associated with use of DSM5 diagnostic procedures and evidence-based treatment. Tensions, in this study, refer to competing accountabilities encountered in reconciling medicalized with other approaches to practice. Following a review of relevant textbooks, graduate program websites and curricula, Master’s-level counseling students, counselor educators, and profession leaders were surveyed and/or interviewed regarding how medicalization influenced counselor education, and for how they responded to its influence. Data across all sources were analyzed using the mapping procedures of Situational Analysis, a method useful in analyzing contested phenomena and processes. We report our findings as navigable, negotiable, and dilemmatic tensions shaping the experiences of students and other stakeholders in counselor education. We recommend ways to enable students and educators to navigate and negotiate potential dilemmas associated with medicalizing influences on counselor education. We close by discussing the implications of our findings with respect to practice and training in the UK context.

Effectiveness of Coloring Mandala Designs to Reduce Anxiety in Graduate Counseling Students

ABSTRACTAn exploration of the role that creativity can play in anxiety reduction was conducted using a quantitative study design. Participants completed the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) before and after completing a coloring activity and results were compared. The experimental group colored a mandala design and the control group colored a blank piece of paper. This study hypothesized that partaking in the mandala coloring activity would produce a greater reduction in anxiety than coloring a blank piece of paper. Results revealed that coloring a blank piece of paper and coloring a mandala were equally effective techniques for reducing anxiety in master’s-level counseling students. Implications for the findings are discussed.