The Counselor Trainee Portfolio

Problems with both sides of the “skills versus personal growth” dispute are presented as evidence that a third counselor education paradigm is needed. The portfolio concept is introduced as a means of assessing counselor trainees' competence against their own integrated theory of counseling. The portfolio approach, as currently implemented in one counselor education program. is presented. The future of the portfolio system is explored.     

Personal Growth of Counselor Trainees

This study compared the level of self-actualization of beginning and advanced students in a master's program in counselor education using the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI). The advanced students scored significantly higher than the beginning students on two POI Scales, Feeling Reactivity and Acceptance of Aggression. The beginning students were more like a sample of normal adults than a sample of self-actualizing persons; however, the advanced students were more like the self-actualizing group.     

Concerns of Beginning Counselor Trainees

The concerns of beginning counselor trainees were factor analyzed. The analysis yielded five distinct variables about which trainees expressed concerns: whether clients liked the counselor, counselor adequacy, counselor role, counseling techniques, and client needs. The relative importance of the concern variables, the specific items that trainees rated of greatest concern, and the implications of these findings for counselor educators are presented.     

Heterosexual Bias Among Counselor Trainees

Master's level counselor trainees rated an audiotaped and role-played intake interview of a female client whose sexual orientation was varied. In Condition 1, the client referred to her partner as “Doug,” a man; in Condition 2, the client referred to her partner as “Diane,” a woman; in Condition 3, the client referred to her partner as “Chris,” whose sex was unidentifiable. Subtle forms of heterosexual bias were found through participants' ratings of the unidentifiable client. When responding to the ambiguous condition involving the unidentifiable client, 83% of the participants assumed the client was heterosexual. When they were debriefed, participants expressed concern over the lack of training on issues related to counseling lesbian and gay clients. Use of the ambiguous case example, as in this study, is recommended for training to assess and confront increasingly subtle forms of heterosexual bias.     

Counselor Trainee Effectiveness: More Puzzle Pieces?

This study continues the search for meaningful relationships between counselor trainee characteristics and effectiveness. Self-disclosure, dogmatism, locus of control, Machiavellianism, academic aptitude, and sex of counselor trainees were investigated for their relationships to effectiveness during practicum or internship. The nature of these relationships as well as their implications for the counseling profession are discussed.     

Coached-Client Effects on Counselor Trainee Response

This study investigated whether or not coached clients modified the verbal responses of counselor trainees. The responses were judged on two dimensions: (a) interpersonal relatedness and (b) portion of total time consumed by the counselor. The subjects of the study were 58 pre-practicum graduate students in counseling at the University of Washington. The coached clients did elicit significantly different responses on both the dimensions of relatedness and speaking time. For example, aggressiveness or intrusiveness on the part of a mother client limited counselor verbalism, while aggressiveness on the part of a boy client stimulated overtalk. The counselor's social responsiveness was significantly related to his tendency to respond with reflected feeling instead of inference of diagnosis.     

Intergenerational Family Characteristics of Counselor Trainees

In comparing the intergenerational relationships of counselor trainees and a nonclinical sample, counselor trainees reported healthier relationships with their parents and spouses concerning intergenerational triangulation, intergenerational intimidation, and spousal fusion and less healthy relationships with spouses and children on nuclear family triangulation.     

Critical Incidents Among Novice Counselor Trainees

The authors attempted to gain an understanding of critical incidents (CIs) from the perspective of novice counselor trainees during their 1st year of supervised clinical practicum. Journals kept by 9 trainees in master's‐level counseling programs were qualitatively analyzed using the discovery‐oriented research methodology (A. Mahrer, 1988). One hundred fifty‐seven CIs emerged in 5 major categories: (a) professional identity, (b) personal reactions, (c) competence, (d) supervision, and (e) philosophy of counseling. Implications of the findings are discussed for counselor development theory and research, as well as counselor training.     

Improving Cross-Cultural Effectiveness of Counselor Trainees

This article describes a training program called the Ethnic Student Training Group (ESTG), a process that helps university counseling center staff learn how to counsel students from ethnic groups more effectively. The members consist primarily of counseling center practicum and intern trainees and counseling center staff psychologists. Members of ESTG represent a variety of culturally diverse backgrounds (i.e., Hispanic, Black, Asian, Native American, and Jewish American). Members gain knowledge and skills by participating in numerous training activities including case presentations, brief lectures on cross-cultural issues, and counseling ethnic students.     

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.     

Professional Functioning: Exploring Developmental Narratives of Counselor Trainees

The authors analyzed the reflective journals of 49 counselor trainees in internship using a conventional content analysis approach. Developmental insights from the 4 overarching themes and 7 subthemes are provided to assist counselor education and supervision programs in supporting the professional functioning of counselor trainees.     

Experiences with Counselor Training in Central Europe: Voices from Student Trainees

Globalization has led to an increase in United States-influenced counseling programs the world over; however, the extent to which these training models apply to other cultures is unclear. Using a sample of master’s-level counseling students studying in the Czech Republic (n?=?5), the authors conducted a phenomenological inquiry examining the experiences of European students trained in a program developed and supervised by faculty in the United States. Three themes (and potential barriers) related to English-language training programs in Central Europe included: cultural differences between faculty and students, complications related to the notion of professional identity, and concerns related to the utility of wellness-based principles in the Czech Republic. Implications for educators include cultural adaptation of training and course material as well as reframing illness perspectives through a wellness lens.     

Measuring Professional Identity Development Among Counselor Trainees

This study examined the differences in professional identity development between novice and advanced counselor trainees (N = 161). Multivariate analyses of variance indicated significant differences between groups. Specifically, advanced counselor trainees demonstrated greater professional development compared with novice counselor trainees. No differences existed between groups with understanding of professional orientation and values. Implications are presented.     

Personality and Attitude Change in Counselor Trainees: An Evaluation

Subjects were 22 participants (14 males and 8 females) in a 38-week Guidance Institute designed to prepare secondary counselors to work with disadvantaged youth. Twenty students with similar characteristics enrolled in the regular counselor education program served as a control group. The Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) and Semantic Differentials were administered to experimental and control subjects at the beginning and end of the Institute program. Results indicated that both groups made significant changes on the POI, with the amount and direction of change favoring the Institute subjects. The authors concluded that the Institute had a highly significant impact on the personal development of participants and that the Institute was more efficient than the regular program in eliciting such change.     

The Effects of Assertive Training on Counselor Trainees

It has been suggested that the addition of assertive training as an integral part of counselor education programs would be desirable. Although this study indicates that assertive training is effective in reducing counselor discomfort and anxiety, such training has no significant effect upon client or supervisor ratings of counselor effectiveness. Therefore, the addition of such a training experience seems, at best, to be open to question.     

Promoting and Celebrating Multicultural Competence in Counselor Trainees

The author discusses the rationale for counselor education programs' promotion of the development of multicultural counseling competence in counselor trainees. The current status of multicultural counseling competence is discussed, and recommendations are made regarding how counselor education programs and faculty can enhance multicultural competence. An Appendix provides specific action‐based recommendations.     

Encouraging Counselor Trainee Affective Group Behavior by Social Modeling

Can the planned social modeling of affective, group-focused, personal responses significantly increase such group behaviors in counselor trainees? In the study reported here 32 counselor trainees were randomly assigned to four practicum discussion groups: two video social model groups, one video lecture group, and one discussion group (eight in each group). Pre- and post-response frequencies were analyzed from audiotapes of the counseling groups to study type of delivery, content, process, and focus. Social modeling treatment significantly increased the response frequencies on all measures, while insignificant changes were generally found for the video lecture and group discussion treatments. Questions about social modeling variables and the usefulness of planned modeling in training are considered.