Paid Clients in Counselor Education - An Investigation

This investigation follows an earlier attempt to evaluate the use of paid clients in practicum work. Pre- and post-counseling responses of paid and unpaid clients, counselors, and counselor supervisors were tested by Fisher's exact probability tables. Before-counseling paid clients were found to be different from unpaid clients only in that paid clients did not expect counseling to make them more independent in their relationships with other people. Post-counseling responses did not reveal any significant differences between paid or unpaid clients. Counselors saw paid clients in the way that paid clients saw themselves. Counselor supervisors did not expect significant differences between paid and unpaid clients. The only significant difference in post-counseling ratings was that neither counselors or counselor supervisors had anticipated that paid clients did want counselors to offer alternative solutions to problems. Differing pre-counseling responses of unpaid clients and of counselors and counselor supervisors reflected unfounded expectations that unpaid clients would have greater counseling needs than paid clients. All those involved in the study evaluated paid-client counseling as being a worthwhile experience. The writers encourage further investigation and evaluation.     

STRESS,COPING METHODS,AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT NURSES

Nursing is a profession which emphasizes health teaching and counseling. Although nurses have a special responsibility to promote health behavior in clients, they have been somewhat slew in involving themselves in personal fitness practices (Macnamara, 1980).

Commitment to the concept of personal health is crucial since those professionals with better personal health habits tend to discuss with clients more health related topics and counsel them more aggressively in regard to personal health habits (Wells, 1984). This paper describes new graduate nurses’ perceived stress level, personal health status, and their methods of coping with stress. The value of physical activity in coping with students’ stress is of particular interest as part of the development of their future client counseling role.     

Instrumentation (GSR) and Its Effects On Counselor Responses

This study investigated the feasibility of using client GSR responses to increase counselor sensitivity to clients during the counseling interview. Six counselors counseled 22 clients under experimental conditions in which they observed clients' GSR responses and 22 control clients whose GSR responses were not visible to them. Clients were matched on the variables of age, sex, general diagnosis, counseling session number, and type and effect of medication, if any. Counselor responses, classified according to a modified Porter scale, were compared between experimental and control conditions. A significant difference (p<.01) between experimental conditions was observed with counselors appearing to use more probing and fewer understanding statements while viewing their clients' GSR responses.     

Another Look at Counselor,Client, and Supervisor Ratings of Counselor Effectiveness

The purpose of the study was to compare the perceptions of counselors, clients, and supervisors with regard to the effectiveness of counseling. The Counseling Evaluation Inventory (CEI) was used as a measure of counseling effectiveness, using client satisfaction as a criterion. 25 graduate student counselors provided self-ratings on the CEI. Additional CEI ratings of these counselors were obtained from 120 of their clients and their practicum supervisors. The counselor self-ratings and the supervisors' ratings were significantly correlated with each other, but neither was significantly correlated with the client CEI ratings. In addition, the client CEI ratings were significantly higher than both the counselor self-ratings and the supervisors' ratings.     

Shifting the paradigm: The use of creativity in career counseling

Conclusion To summarize, the techniques provided were intended to serve as a springboard for career counselors to employ creative strategies in their work. There also are important individual difference variables in career counselors that would make some of these techniques more desirable than others. It seems critical to explore different ways of being creative in our work in order to ensure that students develop an interest in vocational counseling and clients receive excellent services.As surveys of counselors as well as clients continue to show a dissatisfaction with career counseling it seems imperative that we investigate dynamic new ways of helping our clients think about their life/ career planning. As we model creativity in our own lives and practice, our clients will vicariously experience people who are truly excited about their occupational employment. This alone may assist career clients in achieving their dreams and maximizing their creative potentials.     

Current legal trends regarding abortions for minors: a dilemma for counselors

According to several US Supreme Court decisions, minors have the right to abortions, yet various conflicts cause some uncertainty for counselors and other professionals working with minors. In defining the role of the school counselor with regard to abortions, Duncan and Moffett (1974) explained that counselors should establish a setting for clients to examine feelings and evaluate alternatives. They advised counselors against imposing their views and attitudes on clients. Walleat (1975) summarized the counselor's responsibilities as follows: view abortion in relation to the student's total involvement rather than a crisis situation; work in conjunction with other community and school programs; help students "process" information; and help students use information about abortion, even when schools fail to supply that information. Additionally, Walleat emphasized that there were possible legal and ethical issues regarding schools providing abortion information. The extent to which schools can or should provide abortion information to minors is unclear. Burgum and Anderson (1975) made some recommendations to help counselors avoid lawsuits regarding abortions. They suggested that counselors give advice only in those areas in which they are competent according to their education and work experience. In view of the proposed legislation and legal shift toward parental notification, counselors of minors should strongly encourage their clients to discuss their situation with parents. The major questions are: how far must counselors go in providing information to parents of minors; and is the legal responsibility strong enough to require counselors to break confidentiality under certain conditions. Until a major court case or legislation addresses these questions, the school counselor's role is undefined. Because parental notification about abortion for minors is unclear, professional guidelines are urgently needed to aid counselors. Professional counseling groups need to address the unresolved issues in a position paper or other materials. Until such time, the following recommendations should prove of value to counselors: counselors should urge minors to discuss abortion plans with parents and involve families in the counseling process, if possible; counselors should consider the social mores of the community; counselors should work through their national, state, and local professional organizations for directions and guidelines on abortion counseling and dissemination of abortion information for minors; and counselors should be knowledgeable about appropriate referral agencies dealing with abortions.     

University Counseling Center Clients' Expressed Preferences for Counselors

ABSTRACT

This archival study explored patterns of client preferences from a randomized sample of 881 clients at a Midwestern university counseling center. Information from client intake forms was collected for a four year time frame. Results showed that 61% of the clients did not express preferences for particular types of counselors when asked on intake forms. Thirty-nine percent of the clients did express a preference for a particular type of counselor. Chi-square analyses found that clients with preferences tended to have prior therapy experience and tended to prefer counselor gender over other traits. Women and people of color tended to be the most likely to express counselor preferences. It is suggested that future research clarify the meaning behind preferences, the lack of preferences, and clients' expectations for counseling.     

Career Counseling Practitioners: Reflections on Theory, Research, and Practice

Career counseling practitioners of varied training levels were surveyed regarding the extent to which major career theories and research data inform their work with clients. In addition, this study was interested in career counselors views regarding (a) how career theorists, researchers, and practitioners can work together to address the needs of career clients, and (b) how theory and research findings can be more relevant to practice. Survey findings revealed that licensed counselors and psychologists as compared to non-counselor trained career practitioners agreed to a greater extent that their degree program had adequately prepared them to provide career counseling by emphasizing theory and attention to personal and career issues, and were more likely to regard professional development activities as important to their career counseling effectiveness. Finally, practitioners had numerous comments regarding the utility of career theory and interventions, and suggestions for bridging the gap between theory and practice.     

Inclusion of Substance Abuse Training in CACREP‐Accredited Programs

Professional counselors and counselors‐in‐training continue to serve clients who have substance abuse issues, yet systematic training in substance abuse counseling is not available to many counselors. The authors investigated the extent to which students in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2001) are exposed to clients presenting with substance abuse issues and the relationship between state licensure or certification in substance abuse and the resulting perception of the need for the inclusion of substance abuse training in these programs. Three methods are presented for possibly including substance abuse training in CACREP standards.     

Perceived Competency in Working With LGB Clients: Where Are We Now?

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients use counseling services at higher rates than their heterosexual counterparts, yet current training for counselors may be inadequate. In this online study, 234 graduate counselor education and counseling psychology students completed the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale ( Bidell, 2005 ) and provided information about their training in working with LGB clients. Participants viewed themselves as more competent on the Awareness and Knowledge subscales than on the Skills subscale. Increased level of training (doctoral vs. master's), number of LGB clients seen in practica, and attendance at LGB‐focused workshops and conferences were associated with increased competence. Implications for programmatic development are discussed.     

The value of theories for counseling practitioners

The emergence of counseling as a recognized helping profession has led to the introduction of higher standards for counselor education. Emphasis has been placed on a balance between theoretical erudition and practical training. Some counseling practitioners, however, minimize the value of theoretical knowledge and doubt its importance for professional effectiveness. This article challenges such views and points out that counselors cannot remain true professionals unless they undergird their work by adequate theoretical insights. Theories help counselors understand the dynamics of human behavior and choose therapeutic approaches appropriate to specific clients and situations. Psychological theories come alive in the counselor's mind if they are seen as extensions of life experiences of various theorists. To document this reality, the article presents several examples of well-known psycholoical theorists. Counseling practitioners are then encouraged to form, on the basis of existing theories, an operational framework consistent with their own experiences and values.     

Teaching Feminist Counselor Responses to Novice Female Counselors

This article describes an innovative teaching method to teach novice counselors 4 counselor responses based on selected goals of feminist counseling. Using a workshop format and ongoing group supervision, graduate student counselors were taught 4 counselor responses: empowerment, decreasing the power differential between client and counselor, taking a gender role perspective, and placing client issues in a sociocultural context. An evaluation of the teaching approach showed that counselors were able to apply feminist counselor responses in counseling sessions with clients and that these clients reported experiencing these responses.     

Changes in Altruistic Orientations and Theory Preferences of Beginning Counselors

While researching clients “from stem to stern” to see what effects participation in counseling may have upon the non-professional member of the encounter, the field of counseling appears to have ignored the possibility that the “other party,” the counselor, may alter his behavior in some way as a result of counseling relationships. In a modest approach to this question, the author worked with 252 new counselor graduates entering their first professional experience. It was found that certain counselors tend to become more altruistic in their interpersonal orientations during their first year in the field. At the same time, however, the new counselors not only select a counseling theory which is considerably more directive than they believe their teachers would support, but they become even more directive in theory preference during their initial year of experience. The need for more detailed studies of the professional member of the counseling relationship appears obvious.     

Client Perceptions of Counselors With and Without a Practicum

The Counseling Evaluation Inventory (CEI) was used to elicit information about the relationship between secondary school counselors with and without a practicum and their clients. The 167 counselors who volunteered for this study represented a 61 percent return. Analysis of variance procedures were used to test the difference between counselors with and without a practicum and to test the influence of age, teaching experience, counseling experience, and sex on these results. The results indicate that counselors with a practicum experience are rated significantly higher on the CEI than counselors without a practicum. When the factors of age, years of counseling experience, years of teaching experience, and sex were partialled out, client ratings of counselors with a practicum continued to be rated significantly higher than client ratings of counselors without a practicum.     

Counselor Education Students’ Exposure to Trauma Cases

In the past two decades there has been an increase in the number of studies that have examined the psychological effects on counselors who provide counseling to clients with trauma experiences. However, little is known about the experiences of counselor trainees who provide counseling to their clients seeking counseling because of trauma. This qualitative study explored the experience of eight doctoral students in a counseling program who completed their master’s-level training in the United States. Three themes emerged from the inductive data analysis process, namely: (1) immediate reactions, (2) information processing, and (3) post-exposure development. Implications for counselors, counselor educators, and clinical supervisors are examined and recommendations to enhance counseling and supervision services are offered.     

How Can a Career Counselor Work with a Whistleblower?

Principles for counseling potential whistleblowers are presented along with two sample cases to assist career counselors in advising their clients. The article provides information on relevant laws, difficult choices, and the working alliance that must be developed with a potential whistleblower. A checklist of questions to guide the client in their decision-making is provided as well as a table of options.     

The Process of Counseling: A Synthesis

There are many theories of counseling and consequently many approaches to describing the sequence of events that occur during the process of counseling. As a result, there is potential for student counselors to become confused over the process. Among the responsibilities of counselor educators is helping students reduce confusion and increase understanding of the process of counseling. This article proposes a four-stage, 16-phase synthesis to describe the process. The rationale for the synthesis includes the need to (a) increase student understanding of the process, (b) keep the number of phases within reason to increase use of the process, and (c) base the phases on client behaviors, particularly verbal behaviors, that occur during the process.     

Training Counselors to Work with Disabled Clients: Cognitive and Affective Components

This study examines the relationship of cognitive complexity, counselor anxiety, and client disability condition to accurate empathy on the part of students in training. A sample (n = 28) of students in a graduate counseling program observed a series of eight vignettes of counseling interviews (four clients with disabilities and four without disabilities) and reported a verbal counseling response to a client statement. A significant main effect was found for the cognitive complexity variable only (p < .05). A significant interaction among cognitive complexity, anxiety, and client disability condition (p < .01) indicated that all three factors interact to influence empathy. Implications for research and the training of counselors are discussed.     

Cross-cultural or intercultural counseling or psychotherapy

Summary We have reviewed the problems in counseling or psychotherapy posed by cultural differences. Few if any solutions to these problems have been proposed. It has been the general conclusion that theories and methods of psychotherapy developed in Western culture are not applicable in other cultures.This view is rejected on the basis that there are universals of human nature, a basic one being the common motive of self-actualization. The goal of counseling or psychotherapy is to facilitate the development of self-actualization in clients. Cultures can be evaluated in terms of their contribution to the self-actualization of their members. The major conditions for the development of self-actualizing persons are known, and must be present in counseling or psychotherapy as practiced with any client, regardless of his culture. These conditions are not time-bound nor culture-bound. The problems of practicing counseling or psychotherapy in other cultures are viewed as problems of implementing these conditions. Certain characteristics of clients which present obstacles to the implementation of the conditions are associated with certain cultures. Until cultural changes lead to changes in these characteristics, counseling or psychotherapy will be difficult and in some cases impossible with certain clients from certain cultures. Structuring and client education and training may change client expectations and make therapy possible. In any case, however, to accede to client expectations, abandoning methods which have been demonstrated to be related to self-actualization as an outcome of counseling or psychotherapy, is to abandon self-actualization as the goal, and to accept goals which are often inconsistent with self-actualization.