CLIENT 1: A Computer Simulation for Use in Counselor Education and Research

CLIENT 1 is an interactive program that was designed to simulate client behavior in an initial interview and to provide a standardized environment for training and research on counselor problem-solving strategies. Through interaction with the computerized client, counselors attempt to facilitate client movement toward the goal of verbalizing a specific problem statement. Client movement is a function of the appropriateness and accuracy of counselor statements, the threat value associated with both client and counselor statements, the strength of the relationship between the counselor and client, and an index of counselor expertise. The uses of the simulation in counselor education and research are discussed.     

Effect of Experimentally Induced Sets of High and Low ‘Expertness' During Brief Vocational Counseling

A study was designed to evaluate the effects of an experimentally induced set of “expertness” on clients' evaluations of their selected experiences during brief vocational counseling. Thirty-one college freshman males were randomly assigned to two induced sets of high and low expertness, and client responses to both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the interview were obtained. The results suggested that (a) clients responded more favorably to relationship aspects of the interview with a counselor who was introduced as a nonexpert than with a counselor who was introduced as an expert, (b) informational recall was greater for clients interviewed by the expert counselor, and (c) global ratings of counselor effectiveness did not differentiate between expert and nonexpert counselors. Implications for counselor training and counselor practice are discussed.     

Integrating Counseling Theory and Practice: Searching for F.A.C.T.S. and C.R.A.C.K.S.

This article suggests a device that counselors may use as a reference for bridging the gap between counseling theory and technique. Cognitive development theory provides the basis for understanding a single transaction between counselor and client. The acronyms FACTS and CRACKS suggest the structural dynamics taking place within the client's cognitive field as the counselor performs in two different stages of the counseling process.     

The Coached Client as a Research and Training Resource in Counseling

Coached client methodology can be an important resource in the education of student counselors by simulating a counseling experience with a standard client stimulus before actual counseling is begun. The authors carried out the following procedures for establishing and maintaining standard client consistency: (a) development of a general concept of the content of the client's role; (b) incorporation of specific information about the coached client in a cumulative folder to be used by the counselor; (c) development of specific client statements as essential aspects of the client's role; (d) training the coached client to incorporate all essential statements into his role; (e) assessment of client consistency across interviews with different counselors. Research applications of coached client methodology were discussed as well as its use by schools in the hiring of counselors. Editor Abstract     

Training Counselors to Work With Complex Clients: Enhancing Emotional Responsiveness Through Experiential Methods

Training counselors to work effectively with complex client presentations requires a variety of methods. These methods not only need to be aimed at developing conceptual understanding but also must assist counselors in managing their own emotional reactivity when working with such clients. The author describes the curriculum and experiential training processes of a course in a transtheoretical program, which draws on psychodynamic concepts to help counselor trainees develop competencies with more disturbed clients. These competencies include alliance building and repair, understanding and working with transference and countertransference, and using an understanding of personality structure in case conceptualization.     

A Review of the Empirical Basis for Counseling: Implications for Practice and Training

This article reviews the empirical literature in terms of three components of counseling including existing counselor and client factors, the counseling process, and the outcome of client change. The counseling process is based on the therapeutic relationship, general factors, and common techniques or interventions, as well as specific counseling approaches. The review supports the contention that there are common factors exhibited by skilled therapists that are empirically related to positive client change. Recommendations are made for the use of this information by counselor educators in training student counselors and designing training programs.     

Disability and Counselor Education

Mainstreaming legislation is an impetus for social change in relation to treatment of individuals with disabilities. This change requires that counselor educators include content areas related to aspects of disability to prepare counselors to serve clients with disabilities. The author makes recommendations for curricular change for experiential and didactic training to increase a counselor trainee's sensitivity, skills, and knowledge regarding disability. Also, counselor educators are urged to team trainees from school and rehabilitation counseling training programs so that these professionals can work cooperatively for the benefit of the client with a disability.     

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.     

Reconstructing Clinical Training: Implications From Research

The methods used to train counselors need to be reexamined because research has consistently shown that trained clinicians are not more effective than untrained individuals. This article presents an empirically based discussion of methods for reconstructing the clinical training portion of counselor education to increase the effectiveness of training. The proposed reconstruction focuses on the topics of establishing a therapeutic relationship, increasing counselor skillfulness, and training in client matching.     

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.     

Computer-Based Accountability: Implications for Training

Since the call for professional accountability in the early 1970s, counselors and counselor educators have attempted to assess counseling effectiveness, to upgrade programs as a result of assessments, and to communicate results of program assessment and change to their publics. Until recently, their efforts have been impeded by the interpersonal nature of counseling, insufficient training in research and evaluation, and available low-cost computer technology. This article addresses each of the impediments with the focus on how present computer technology, specifically computer-assisted systems, can be used to help counselors and counselor educators ethically input, store, and retrieve pertinent client and program data—data that can be used to achieve program evaluation and lead to accountable program development. The Counselor Accountability System is presented as an example of an easy-to-use computer program designed to facilitate counselor accountability.     

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.     

辅导员艺术修养提升的途径及其价值

优秀的辅导员具备了较高的艺术修养,就能摆脱生硬枯燥的说教,就有了帮助和教育学生的多种方法,就会使学生感到亲切和"佩服"。提高辅导员艺术修养的主要途径是:从树立正确的世界观着手;从培养辅导员的生活审美情趣着手;从提高辅导员艺术鉴赏能力着手等。     

The Meaning of Words: Teachers and Counselors

The semantic differential technique was used in this study for the purpose of discovering similarities and differences in the meaning of words between teachers in training and counselors in training. A number of differences were revealed which indicate that teachers in training and counselors in training are not in accord as to the connotations of certain concepts. These differences suggest that counselors and counselor educators must strive for a greater understanding of the counselor's role in the school setting on the part of other education professionals.     

The Relationship of Counselor Self-Disclosure to Counselor Effectiveness

Counselor self-disclosure was investigated as a dimension of counselor effectiveness with a sample of forty-one graduate students in a counseling and guidance practicum. Effectiveness was measured by ratings from clients and practicum supervisors. Clients rated the counselors in three aspects of the counseling interview and supervisors rated counselors in eight areas. Counselor self-disclosure scores were correlated significantly with all the criterion scores of counselor effectiveness (p <. 05). It was suggested that the concept of psychological disclosure may have important implications for counselor selection and training.     

Lessons from professional identity development literature: A qualitative content analysis

The development of a professional identity as a counselor is the result of training, practice, and integration into a community of professional counselors and is defined as the synthesis of personal and professional behaviors, values, ethics, and worldview. The research on this topic has been plentiful, but this systemic and systematic review of the research literature provides a comprehensive overview of this important concept for counselor training and supervision.     

Relevant Training for Relevant Roles: A Model for Educating Inner-City Counselors

The inner-city counselor is expected to enter into his role with an understanding of his students and their culture, as well as with a knowledge of the processes of social change and his own potential contribution. Present programs of counselor education do not tend to provide the basis for development of these wide-ranging skills. It is suggested that counselor education should place potential counselors in public school settings working in teams with practicing counselors, providing relevant experience for future counselors and invigorating contacts for future supervisors. Course work would be inter-disciplinary and provided in the public school milieu.     

Leadership and Leader Behavior in Counseling: Neglected Skills

Leadership and leader behavior are important topics for any professional discipline. However, these issues have been neglected throughout the entire short history of counseling. Despite the fact that many counselors attain various leadership positions, little attention has been paid to training for leadership. While much has been written about the various roles of counselors, leadership and the behavior of leaders are rarely the focus. It is our contention that counselors, because of their unique training, can be effective leaders in a wide variety of settings. This article argues for a greater emphasis by counselor education on the role of counselor as leader.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIENT AGE AND COUNSELOR TRAINEES’ PERCEPTIONS OF PRESENTING PROBLEMS,THERAPEUTIC METHODS,AND PROGNOSES

Research has indicated that counselor perceptions of older adults may influence therapeutic methods. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between client age and counselors’ perceptions of presenting problems, severity of problems, prognoses, and use of therapeutic techniques. Recommendations for client‐counselor compatibility were also evaluated. Counselors were presented with introductory counseling situations that varied by age of client. Participants were then asked to complete questionnaires designed for the purposes of the study variables. Results indicated a significant relationship between the age of the client and the recommended age of the counselor. Other significant differences included therapeutic strategies employed and number of client problems identified. Implications for counselor education are discussed.     

Counselor Training for Facultative Human Relationships

This study evaluated the effects of the first stage (prepracticum) of a three-stage counselor training practicum designed to merge cognitive and experiential learning in a systematic manner using professional trainers. Results indicated positive changes in counselors in training who exhibited increases in facultative behaviors associated with positive client outcomes.