Counseling Profession Research Articles

Recruitment and retention of minoritized students in CACREP‐accredited counseling programs

AbstractThe recruitment and retention of minoritized students is critical for diversifying the counseling profession. Accreditation standards and scholarship provide little guidance on best practices. We sampled 38 administrators from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs to understand recruitment and retention practices for minoritized students. We found four themes and provide implications for counselor education.

Patterns of professional identity in school counselors: A latent profile analysis

AbstractUnderstanding school counselors’ professional identity development is important to promote positive work‐related outcomes and provide appropriate support for more quality school counseling services. The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of professional identity in school counselors. As a result of latent profile analysis using a sample of school counselors (N = 343), we found five types of professional identity, including (1) Well‐Developed (n = 99; 28.9%), (2) High Competence (n = 53; 15.5%), (3) Moderate (n = 156; 45.5%), (4) Professionally Disconnected (n = 18; 5.2%), and (5) Vulnerable (n = 17; 5.0%). Based on the profiles, we identified significant differences in their work‐related attitudes and experiences (i.e., burnout, stress, job satisfaction, and years of school counseling experience), but there were no significant differences in demographics except for the American School Counselor Association membership. Implications and recommendations for counseling professionals are suggested.

Association for Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness Exemplary Practices for Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness

In this document, we present exemplary practices for counseling sexology and sexual wellness. These professional guidelines advance practice, research, and education in sexuality and sexual health within the counseling profession. The exemplary practices are grounded in critical theories to center the experiences of diverse clients, contextualize the role of culture, environment, and history in shaping our sexualities, and celebrate varied ways of being. We detail 12 exemplary practice areas for sexuality counseling across the following domains: a) attitudes, beliefs, & understanding of historical influences; b) knowledge; c) counseling skills; d) action and advocacy; and e) counselor education and supervision.

Predictors of Trauma Symptoms in Adults Living with HIV: The Role of Social Connectedness and Sexual Orientation

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has claimed over 740,000 lives in the United States since the 1980s, and further brought a host of mental health concerns, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), primarily brought on by the discrimination and stigma felt by people living with HIV (PLWHA). Social connectedness may serve as a buffer to the trauma often felt by PLWHA. However, rejection and discrimination can limit access to this needed support, especially for sexual minorities living with HIV. The present study (N = 396) examined relationships between social connectedness, trauma symptoms, and sexual orientation for PLWHA. Results showed that social connectedness was a significant predictor of trauma symptoms within the sample, while sexual orientation did not hold a significant relationship with these symptoms. Clinical implications for professional counselors are discussed.

Effects of job stress and emotional labor on depression in call-center workers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of job stress and emotional labor on depression among call center workers. Data collection was conducted from October 2 to October 30, 2023. The subjects were 175 workers at a large IT call center located in Seoul, Korea. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. As for data analysis, differences in job stress, emotional labor, and depression were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation between job stress, emotional labor, and depression. Finally, multiple regression analysis was conducted on factors affecting depression. As a result of this study, the factors affecting call center workers' depression were the number of family members living together (t=-2.650, p=0.009), job stress (t=3.743, p<0.001), and emotional labor (t=2.064, p=0.041), (F=10.306, p<.001). In other words, the greater the number of call center workers' family members living with, the lower the level of depression, the higher job stress and the higher the emotional labor, the higher the level of depression. In conclusion, workplaces should conduct a full survey on the level of job stress and emotional labor to reduce the level of depression among call center workers. In addition, measures are needed to reduce job stress, and depending on the results, professional counseling and healing programs are needed for workers who complain of mental illness.

Professors’ Academic Advising Experience in Faculty-only Model

The purpose of this study is to explore in depth what experiences professors have while providing academic advising at universities. For this purpose, five professors with academic advising experience at K University in Chungcheong Province were selected as research participants and interviews were conducted. The collected data were analyzed using the constant comparison method. The results are as follow. First, professors covered five areas in academic advising: adaptation to college life, academics, career path, psychology-emotion, and others. Second, the positive experiences in academic advising recognized by professors were divided into two areas: direct effects and indirect effects. Third, four areas were identified regarding the difficulties experienced by professors while carrying out academic advising: lack of administrative support, psychological burden, difficulties due to student characteristics, and limitations arising from the role of advisor (dual relationship). Fourth, the support plan for academic advising recognized by professors were organized into two areas: close support for academic advising and separation of professors academic advising, and professional counseling. Based on these results, a support plan for professors' academic advising and implications for higher education were discussed.

Exploring the Experiences of Florida Elementary School Counselors Implementing the Parental Rights in Education Act

Anti-LGBTQ+ school legislation has proliferated across the United States in recent years, with potential consequences for both students and school counselors. Florida’s controversial 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act offers one such example. In this descriptive, phenomenological, qualitative study, we examined the experiences of 10 Florida elementary school counselors regarding the implementation of the Parental Rights in Education Act. We identified three distinct themes from the participants that related to understanding, implementation, and impact of the Act. We discuss these themes and implications for training, practice, and advocacy in the school counseling profession.

The importance of nutrition and overweight as a risk factor in family medicine

Improper nutrition leads to changes in the body that are not only an aesthetic problem, but also lead to chronic diseases. The goals of the research are to analyze knowledge, habits and attitudes about nutrition and knowledge about obesity, to determine the body mass index (BMI) of all respondents, to analyze the connection between nutrition, excess body weight and the frequency of chronic non-communicable diseases. The study was cross-sectional epidemiological, descriptive-analytical, was conducted on a sample of 200 respondents of patients Family medicine, Public Health Center of the Sarajevo Canton. The survey was conducted by interviewing respondents using a modified questionnaire, made up of 27 questions. Analyzing the results, it was determined that the respondents' knowledge of nutrition is satisfactory, but that the majority of respondents (121) have a BMI over 25. For men in the age group of 46-55 years, the average BMI is 29.3, and for women in the same age group, it is 27. 5, which shows that they do not apply their own knowledge about nutrition. The majority of respondents (32%) whose BMI is over 25 have one or more chronic non-communicable diseases. Most respondents stated that they get information about proper nutrition through the media, although many of them suffer from some chronic diseases, they do not get information at the health center. In the family doctor's clinic, it is very important to recognize excess body weight, bad eating habits of patients in time, plan a prevention strategy, and prevent the further development of chronic diseases with professional counseling.

Psychological Impact Of Kidnapping On Social Reintegration And Academic Pursuits Of Female Undergraduates In Zamfara State

Although kidnapping and banditry are increasingly rampant in northern Nigeria, research on their psychological impact on female undergraduate students is lacking. To fill this gap, this study investigated the psychological impact of kidnapping on female undergraduate students in Zamfara State, Nigeria, focusing on their social reintegration and academic pursuits. Kidnapping and banditry have become pervasive in northern Nigeria, severely disrupting the lives of vulnerable communities including students in both pre-tertiary and tertiary institutions, particularly Zamfara State. The study adopted qualitative research design. Seven out of the female undergraduates of Federal University Gusau who had recently been released after prolonged captivity participated in the study. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques was used to select participants based on availability, willingness, and ability to provide detailed accounts. Data was collected through structured interview. Thematic analysis revealed profound psychological trauma, including symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Social reintegration challenges found in the study include stigmatization and alienation, while academic difficulties involved concentration, memory issues, and decreased motivation. The study recommends implementing comprehensive psychological support programmes within educational institutions located in high risk locations such as Zamfara State, including professional counseling and peer support groups, to address the long-term psychological effects and facilitate better social and academic reintegration of the victims

Development of Konseling-Ku.id website to improve Islamic guidance and counseling services

In the current era of the industrial revolution 4.0, digital technology-based innovations are urgently needed and are growing rapidly. The development method in this study is the Borg and Gall development model. The researcher made a development in the form of a website media named "konseling-ku.id". The purpose of research and development is to produce "Website Development "konseling-ku.id" to improve Islamic counseling guidance services. Based on the analysis of data from the development research results regarding konseling-ku.id websites in avery clear category, based on an assessment of usefulness, convenience, accuracy, attractiveness, and clarity that have been validated by two expert validators. The results of the qualitative analysis data are used as input to revise the product until the final product is produced on the konseling-ku.id website to improve the Islamic guidance and counseling services that have been theoretically accepted. The results of research and development show the effectiveness of counseling services through the https://konseling-ku.id/ website because it can provide convenience and benefits for peer counselors, professional counselors and counselors to conduct counseling that is not limited by distance and time.

Case Analysis of Women Experienced Abuse: with Special Reference to Beneficiaries of Parihar, Bangalore

Abstract Case Analysis in this article presents a consolidated analysis of five case studies of women who have experienced abuse, exploring the varying types of abuse, challenges faced, and systemic responses. The cases have been chosen from the individuals i.e women who especially approach the institution “Parihar” Bangalore seeking help or emotional support. span different cultural and socioeconomic contexts, highlighting the pervasive nature of abuse across the globe. Through detailed comparison, the article examines the role of economic dependency, legal protections, and social stigma in perpetuating abuse, as well as the importance of community and psychological support in recovery. The analysis underscores the need for stronger legal frameworks, community education, and economic empowerment to help women break free from abusive environments. “Parihar” is a charitable institution registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration act 1960, exempted under 80(G) of Income Tax Act. It is an initiative of Bengaluru City Police, and is managed by a dedicated, committed and successful team of professional counsellors, and police staff with vast experience in counselling and social work. Parihar undertakes charitable, philanthropic and socio–economic programs for the welfare of Women, Children and Family as a whole. Parihar’s implementation structure consists of mainly four important people, its Ex-officio President being the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City, Vice President and Nodal officer, is the Jt. Commissioner of Police (Crime) & Secretary is the Deputy Commissioner of Police(Admin) and Treasurer is the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) “Parihar” stands out for its ‘vision’ and ‘mission’ to work for the upliftment of women and children in today’s society with various challenges and positive attitude to redress the issues in a holistic manner.

Defining Systemic Change in School Counseling: A Delphi Study

ABSTRACT Systemic change is regarded as a key component of professional school counseling practice for increasing positive, equitable outcomes for PreK-12 students. Although related constructs like leadership and advocacy have been thoughtfully explored, systemic change requires consultation and collaboration with educational and community partners. To date, there has been a lack of clarity around how systemic change looks in practice for school counselors. The purpose of this study was to explore the foundational components of systemic change in school counseling. Using Delphi methodology, an expert panel of 22 participants consisting of professional school counselors, counselor educators, and school counseling supervisors developed a consensus list of 130 items describing the core beliefs, knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary for school counselors to conduct systemic change. The findings suggest future implications for school counseling research, preparation, and consultation.

Self‐care in prevention of burnout amongst counselling professionals: A systematic literature review

AbstractAimThis paper sought to examine current application of self‐care to reduction and prevention of burnout amongst counselling professionals.Materials and MethodsA systematic approach to the literature across CINAHL, EBSCO, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar was conducted, adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) and Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation and Research type (SPIDER) were applied as strategic tools to paper inclusion. After the completion of selection process, Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) was used to examine the included papers and to narrow the study down to a total of 16 journal articles. Furthermore, thematic analysis revealed two superordinate themes: Factors contributing to burnout with total of five subthemes and actions contributing to self‐care with total of six subthemes.ResultsThe factors contributing to burnout had both personal and organisational origin, primarily based on lack of knowledge of burnout symptoms and reduced resources for applied self‐care. Furthermore, access to clinical supervision was not readily available, and self‐care concepts were not adequately implemented within the organisational context.ConclusionDespite the extensive research regarding the serious occupational repercussions of burnout amongst counselling professionals, the role of timely and appropriately applied self‐care has not been clearly established. Many counselling professionals were not aware of burnout signs and symptoms while self‐care was seen as optional exercise, applied either minimally or not at all. Holistic education on the effects of cognitive, emotional, physical and spiritual self‐care needs amongst the counselling professionals is necessary in prevention and reduction of burnout and should be further examined.

Counselors’ theoretical orientations and competencies in counseling women

AbstractThe current study examined the relationship between theoretical orientations and competencies in counseling women among professional counselors. Counselors currently meeting clients were recruited from professional counseling organizations, and the responses from 265 counselors were analyzed using structural equation models. Results indicated that a stronger psychoanalytic orientation predicted lesser competencies in counseling women, while stronger humanistic, feminist, and multicultural orientations predicted higher competencies in counseling women. The study highlights the need for counselors to integrate theoretical orientations with social justice perspectives to better serve women.

Role of Professional Counselling in Mental Health Services Provision: A Case of Zimbabwe

This study sought to examine the role of professional counselling in mental health services provision: A case of Zimbabwe. The representative sample consisted of a staff compliment of five (5) registered mental health nurses (RMN), two (2) social workers, four (4) general hands and one (1) psychiatrist were involved in this study. A qualitative research descriptive survey design was employed to guide the methodology. Data was generated through in-loco observations; face to face interviews, focused group discussions and document analysis. Findings from the study showed that most patients did exceptionally well whilst in the institution but relapse once discharged. It was also noted that patients or their relative(s) who received support information on the rationale for medication were the ones who were good on adherence to the medication.

Machine learning predictive models to guide prevention and intervention allocation for anxiety and depressive disorders among college students

AbstractCollege student mental health has been a critical concern for professional counselors. Anxiety and depressive disorders have become increasingly prevalent over the past decade. Utilizing machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), we developed predictive models (i.e., eXtreme Gradient Boosting [XGBoost], Random Forest, Decision Tree, and Logistic Regression) to identify US college students at heightened risk of diagnosable anxiety and depressive disorders. The dataset included 61,619 students from 133 US higher education institutions and was partitioned into a 90:10 ratio for training and testing the models. We employed hyperparameter tuning and cross‐validation to optimize model performance and examined multiple measures of predictive performance (e.g., area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], accuracy, sensitivity). Results revealed strong discriminative power in our machine learning predictive models with AUC of 0.74 and 0.77, indicating current financial situation, sense of belonging on campus, disability status, and age as the top predictors of anxiety and depressive disorders. This study provides a practical tool for professional counselors to proactively identify students for anxiety and depressive disorders before these conditions escalate. Application of machine learning in counseling research provides data‐driven insights that help enhance the understanding of mental health determinants, guide prevention and intervention strategies, and promote the well‐being of diverse student populations through counseling.

Does Online Social Support Affect the Eating Behaviors of Polish Women with Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance, a key factor in developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, is linked to various health conditions. The basis of its treatment is lifestyle modification. However, adherence to nutritional and other medical recommendations can be challenging for chronic disease patients due to many factors, including demographics, social context, gender, age, and the patient's baseline health condition. This study aims to evaluate the impact of online support group members on the diet quality of women with insulin resistance. This study was conducted as an online survey consisting of KomPAN (validated food frequency questionnaire) augmented with questions regarding using professional counseling and membership in support groups. The study covered 1565 women with insulin resistance, 1011 of whom were associated with the online support group. The mean pHDI (pro-health diet index) was 5.18 ± 2.69 in the support groups and 4.86 ± 2.69 in the control group (p = 0.0319. There were no significant differences in the nHDI (non-health diet index). We found that the pHDI is associated with financial situations, the household's situation, occupation education level, and medical or dietitian care, whereas occupation, medical, and dietitian care affect the nHDI. Membership in support groups is related to a higher pHDI and state of self-assessment of nutritional knowledge. Our study indicates a relationship between participation in online support groups and dietary behaviors and the subjective assessment of nutrition knowledge. Future research should focus on elucidating the mechanisms behind these influences and exploring how these communities can be optimized for broader public health initiatives.

Development of a Professional Identity Scale for Information Professionals

Professional identity is generally defined as one’s interpretation of self as a professional in connection with the personal and professional experiences, attitudes, and aspirations. The research used the framework developed by Pierson et al. (2019), value statements from major professional associations, library and information science (LIS) literature to revise a professional identity scale for counseling profession developed by Woo and Henfield (2015). The developed instrument will be reviewed by small number of experts (N≈20) for content validation. The instrument will be sent out to LIS professionals via mailing lists for construct validation. LIS professionals who have just transitioned from school to work (graduated from LIS programs in the last 5 years) will be invited to participate in the study. The final instrument will include demographic questions (e.g., age, gender), highest degree achieved, employment status, and LIS job experience. Exploratory factor analysis will be carried out to identify the factor structure of the scale and relevant tests (e.g., Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin, Bartlett's test of sphericity) will be performed to investigate and assess the professional identity constructs that will emerge from the data. Confirmatory factor analysis will be conducted to obtain additional measures of fit and possibly explore additional changes. As the profession goes through a transformation and recalibrates itself to stay relevant and better address the needs and expectations of users, having a validated and reliable instrument to assess the professional identity of the professionals in the field will help address this gap.

예비상담자인 상담심리 전공 학부생을 위한 그릿 향상 프로그램 개발 및 효과성 검증

Objectives The purpose of this study was to develop a grit improvement program and verify its effectiveness to help prospective counselors increase their mental strength to flexibly respond to various stresses they may experience in the process of building their capabilities as counselors. Methods The grit improvement program was developed according to the ADDIE model development procedure and its validity was confirmed by two relevant experts. The grit improvement program was operated for a total of 6 sessions (12 sessions), each time lasting 2 hours (100 minutes). A grit measurement tool was used to confirm the direct effectiveness of the program, and a resilience measurement tool was used to confirm the indirect effectiveness. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed to verify the homogeneity of the experimental group and the control group. The Wilcoxen Matched Pairs Signed-Rank test was performed to compare the pre- and post-score changes of the experimental group and the control group. For comparison between groups, the Wilcoxen Matched Pairs Signed-Rank test was performed. Analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results As a result of analyzing the effectiveness of the grit improvement program for prospective counselors, the post-average for both grit and resilience increased statistically significantly compared to the pre-average. Through this, it can be seen that the grit improvement program has a positive effect on the grit and resilience of prospective counselors. Conclusions The grit strengthening program will help prospective counselors control the various stresses they may experience during the difficult training process and reach their goal of becoming a professional counselor. Furthermore, it will help them achieve their goal without giving in to bigger challenges in life. It will help you have the strength to do it.

Pathway to Trauma-Informed Rehabilitation Counseling: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors’ Training Experiences and Use of Trauma-Relevant Knowledge in Daily Practice

The compelling evidence regarding the prevalence and profound impacts of traumatic experiences on individuals with disabilities underscores the need to establish trauma-informed service environments within vocational rehabilitation (VR). In an initial endeavor towards cultivating trauma-informed service, this study investigates the VR counselors’ professional training experiences in the topical areas of trauma. Further, the applicability of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM 2) is examined in elucidating the utilization of trauma knowledge by VR counselors in their practices. A needs assessment focusing on trauma training was distributed to 169 VR counselors to measure their trauma-related training history and utilization of trauma knowledge in practices. Path analysis was employed to examine the relationship between training experience and the actual use of trauma knowledge in counseling based on the TAM 2 framework. Participants reported having 9.71 hours of post-graduate training. Path analysis suggested adding three additional paths to the original research model, explaining how post-graduate training leads to the use of trauma knowledge in VR service through perceived ease of use, usefulness, attitude toward using, and behavioral intention. The profession of rehabilitation counseling needs to incorporate more trauma-related training into its practice, education, and research to better serve individuals with disabilities and improve the effectiveness of services.