Counsellor bias against shorter term counselling? A comparison of counsellor and client satisfaction in a Canadian setting

The American counselling/psychotherapy outcome research documenting the effectiveness or brief, time-limited treatments is substantial, however, this appears to have had little influence on changing the views of practitioners. One respected researcher has concluded, for example, that a science/practice schism has developed where practitioners continue to believe that brief counselling is superficial and to underestimate the effects of their own shorter-term work. A study was undertaken to determine if counsellors at a large urban Canadian university counselling centre also had lower expectations of change for those clients who received fewer treatment sessions. It was found that the counsellors significantly underestimated treatment gains relative to their clients' reports, and that this discrepancy was greater for those clients seen for fewer sessions. Counsellor satisfaction was also lower with clients seen for fewer sessions. These findings suggest that, like their American counterparts, Canadian counsellors tend toward a practitioner bias against shorter-term treatment based on misconceptions about its efficacy.     

Team Effort – Training Therapists to Work with Interpreters as a Collaborative Team

This paper considers components of a framework for relational training for counsellors who work with interpreters. Where counsellors and clients cannot be linguistically matched, they will need to incorporate an interpreter into their therapeutic relationship. Counsellors are often unprepared to work in this way. ‘Mothertongue multi-ethnic counselling service’, a UK counselling agency has developed and piloted an in-house training for counsellors and interpreters. Components of this training in how to work collaboratively with interpreters are considered in this paper. These components address the need for a collaborative relationship between counsellor and interpreter, consideration of dynamics in a triangular relationship and a clear delineation of responsibilities. Recommendations are made for the development of a training curriculum and models of clinical supervision for counsellors and interpreters who want to work together collaboratively.     

“What do I Share?” Personal and Private Experiences in Educational Psychological Counselling

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study is to explore and develop knowledge about how educational psychological counsellors’ personal and private experiences appear in their counselling practice. We conducted four focus group interviews with twelve counsellors from Educational Psychological Counselling Service. Through Thematic Analysis four themes emerged. The first is that counsellors’ personal and private experiences functioned as a backdrop for their counselling practice. The second theme is the counsellors’ use of different types of stories. The third theme deals with how the counsellors were holding back relevant stories. Finally, the fourth theme comprises the purposes of counsellors’ self-disclosure. The conclusion is that personal experiences form a backdrop for counselling practice and are relevant for how a counsellor makes sense of and understands a situation or a problem. Self-disclosure is in some situations used explicitly in the counselling setting. On the other side the counsellors sometimes consciously hold their experiences back.     

The Paradigm Shift – Rhetoric or Reality?

This article discusses changes in working life and other aspects of life and their significance for counselling and guidance. It focuses on a shift in research, international debate and goal documents rather than in counselling practice. The paradigm shift refers to the change from a modern to amore post-modern view, which means that counselling should be oriented more towards the whole person and his or her life projects. The aim in this perspective is to make clients more proactive in constructing their own lives. Some clients, however, are still stuck in a passive and helpless role. This is a great challenge for counsellors who are striving to develop more holistic working methods. The transition from a modern to a more post-modern society requires a counsellor with a wide arsenal of interventions and many working tools, i.e. a multi-instrumentalist. The conclusion is that counsellors have to be more aware of the different situations, expectations and forms of behaviour faced by clients. Counsellors have to develop new methods centred round the clients’ self-activity. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An Holistic Approach for Counsellors: Embracing Multiple Intelligences

This paper explores a range of therapeutic modalities used by counsellors of children and positions those modalities within Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Research by O’Brien (Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence and its implications for the counselling of children. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, 1999) revealed that by drawing on a combination of preferred intelligences, children were able to enhance the dialogue between the unconscious and conscious, while strengthening the relationship between the counsellor and client. A number of useful counselling approaches are highlighted in working with children, particularly younger children who have not yet developed language sufficient for more formal counselling sessions. Suggestions that assist counsellors to operate across settings are explored.     

COUNSELLING FOR TOLERANCE

With the duties and responsibilities of the counsellor in mind and the pressures upon him or her, this article begins by considering the fine line between active tolerance, based on firm personal values, and passive tolerance, viewed by the author as more a form of valueless moral neutrality. Not only must the counsellors of today face clients with diverse cultural backgrounds as well as situations which challenge their own standards, they must also deal with the widely held belief that problems which appear not to be suitable for legal intervention should be solved by counselling. Understanding that the western notion of tolerance first developed in regard to ideas rather than actions, it becomes possible for counsellors to be compassionate while adhering to a conviction that some ideas are better than others and that certain actions must be avoided altogether. Generally speaking, there are two approaches to counselling: therapeutic or psychological, on one hand, and philosophical, on the other. The latter is best directed at the problems of ordinary people who need help with a problem such as personal loss, an overwhelming feeling of guilt because of an action one regrets, the fact that one will soon die ‐ as in the case of persons diagnosed for AIDS. Finally, the tolerant counsellor living in a diverse society can become a vehicle for imparting tolerance and understanding to others.     

Personal therapy: An essential aspect of counsellor training,or a distraction from focussing on the client?

As part of a research project investigating therapist/counsellor orientation and the therapeutic alliance with anorexic or bulimic clients, data was collected not only on therapist orientation but also on training, supervision and personal therapy of the counsellors. While no significant correlation was found between length of training or supervision and the therapeutic alliance score, there was a significant negative correlation between the amount of personal therapy the counsellors had had and the measure of the therapeutic alliance achieved with their clients. Further investigation produced other studies on personal therapy and effectiveness of counselling, in which at best no positive correlation was found between personal therapy and outcome, and at worst, personal therapy was negatively correlated with outcome.These research findings challenge the assumption often made that personal therapy is a desirable if not essential aspect of counsellor training. The arguments for and against personal therapy being included in the training of counsellors are discussed.     

Using humour in counselling mentally retarded clients: A preliminary study

The effects of using two types of humour in counselling sessions with mentally retarded clients were examined. Eleven male and eleven female mildly handicapped participants rated the helpfulness of a male counsellor following in vivo counselling sessions where no humour (NH), facilitative humour (FH), and non-facilitative humour (NFH) were used. Results indicated that overall participants' ratings were significantly higher under the FH condition than when either NH or NFH were used. No overall effects were found for gender type, but analysis of intra-individual rating patterns indicated that ratings varied considerably among both male and female participants.     

How Counsellors Cope with Traumatized Clients: Personal, Professional and Organizational Strategies

This qualitative study examined the experiences of counsellors and their perceptions of resources that helped them cope with traumatized clients and difficult client sessions. The research was conducted using in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of eight counsellors working in five counselling agencies. The study identified how counsellors develop their own personal and professional strategies for coping with challenge, and the supportive structures and coping strategies provided by agencies. From these counsellors’ stories of learning to cope with traumatized clients and traumatic material, we highlight some recommendations that may facilitate the development of effective coping strategies for the prevention or amelioration of vicarious traumatization.     

Homophobia in Counselling Practice

Current attitudes of counselling practitioners towards sexual and gender differences raise the possibility that minority clients may experience re-traumatisation due to in-session expressions of therapist homophobia. This paper explores these issues through a qualitative study that examines client and counsellor narratives on homophobia in counselling. The results describe specific examples of homophobic behaviour by counsellors. While individual examples might appear mundane on the surface, the frameworks they invoke and their pervasiveness constitutes a considerable threat to the counselling relationship. The paper argues that homophobia in counselling practice is a significant issue that requires sensitive, critical and applied analysis that redirects therapeutic efforts in the future.     

Becoming a guidance counsellor in Ontario: formative influences from counsellors’ perspective

Contrary to guidance counsellors elsewhere in North America who hold a master’s degree, career and guidance counselling services in secondary schools in Ontario are delivered by teachers who have completed additional undergraduate studies. Guidance counsellors are pivotal components of the school as they complete tasks that promote students’ overall development. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how teachers perceive and describe the process of becoming guidance counsellors in Ontario. The thematic analysis revealed four major themes that articulated the process of becoming a guidance counsellor in Ontario: peer guidance, contextual factors, professional experience, and theoretical knowledge.     

Catching Transitive Thought through Q Methodology: implications for counselling education

Transitive thoughts are the feeling tones, rhythms and idiosyncrasies that are communicated in speech. They are important sources of information for counsellors and their clients. Q methodology is presented and discussed as applicable to counselling education in its ability to give meaning to transitive thought. Relevance to counsellor education is based on the assumption that it is important to assist counsellors in intentionally developing self‐knowledge as an essential part of their practice. Through explicitly structuring and analysing transitive thought, Q methodology makes it possible to discover its underlying patterns. Those patterns can be subsequently interpreted and given meaning through dialogue, thus leading to a more holistic understanding of thought. Q methodology is suggested as a useful systematic approach for counsellors to learn about themselves and to include the feeling part of thought in their practice.     

Counsellor ethnic differences and perceived counselling effectiveness

The purpose of the present study was to examine how counsellor race influences client evaluation of counselling effectiveness. It was predicted that ethnic minority counsellors would be perceived less favorably than the Caucasian counsellor. Three groups of secondary school students viewed a 10-minute videotaped stimulus interview, with different introductions for the stimulus counsellor's race (Caucasian, Native Indian, and East Indian). The dependent measure, perceived counselling effectiveness, was obtained and compared among counsellor races by analysis of variance. The results showed that the ethnic minority counsellors were perceived more favorably than the Caucasian counsellor. No differential effect was found in client perception of non-verbal behaviors. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Counseling Services for Malaysian Gifted Students: An Initial Study

This is a preliminary study that was conducted in regard to 180 gifted students who attended the ‘Malaysian Gifted Centre’s School Holiday Camp’ in 2011. Data indicated that only about 7 % of the respondents had a tendency to seek a counsellor’s help to solve their problems, and the need for counselling services was higher among female than male students. It was also found that career counselling was the most preferred type of counselling service needed by the Malaysian gifted students. Findings from the study reveal five different elements that need consideration when providing counselling services for gifted students: counsellor personality, student issues, the therapeutic environment, approaches used by the counsellor, and the counsellor’s role.     

Survey of HIV/AIDS Clients in Botswana: Reactions to Supportive Counselling

A survey of HIV/AIDS clients in Botswana, Africa, all of whom were receiving supportive counselling, was conducted. A total of 328 volunteer clients from randomly selected sites completed the survey related to client perceptions of counselling helpfulness, outlook on life, satisfaction with goal setting in counselling, experience of social stigma, and acceptance by family and others. Overall, clients were very positive concerning the benefits received from counselling, their relationship with their counsellor, the goal setting process, their family/friends support system and their present quality of life. The majority of clients did, however, indicate some level of feeling stigmatized by being HIV-positive. Additional major findings indicated that clients with family incomes of less than 10 K pula per year (around US$1 k) were less positive about their counselling and related experiences than were those with higher levels of family income, with the exception of social stigma where lower family income was associated with less perceived social stigma. Clients reporting counselling sessions lasting more than 15 min were generally more positive in their reactions to counselling and related experiences than were clients reporting sessions typically lasting 15 min or less. A discussion of the findings, along with recommendations for areas needing further study and attention, is provided.     

Who Do We Think We Are? A Survey of Counsellors in Canada

The mental health service delivery system in Canada is complex and the need for services is growing faster than the development of methods and programs to address these. Masters-level counsellors are increasingly called upon to play important roles in the treatment of mental health concerns, yet both the public and other allied professionals (psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, medical practitioners) remain unclear about the role and functions of counsellors. The purpose of this study was to describe the essential characteristics of the counselling profession in Canada as revealed through perceptions of counsellors themselves. A web-based survey on counsellor professional identity was developed and distributed to all members of the Canadian Counselling Association with a 22.9% return rate. Results indicate that counsellors’ roles are diverse and that they are generally satisfied with their choice of profession. However, they do not believe that the profession of counselling as a whole has a solid identity. Implications for the counselling profession in Canada are discussed.

Perceived Professional Identity among Experienced Canadian Counsellors: A Qualitative Investigation

This qualitative study addressed how experienced Canadian masters-level counsellors perceived the collective identity of their profession in terms of roles, abilities, reputation, and sense of unity. The study employed a variation of grounded theory methodology guided by two research questions: (a) how do experienced counsellors view the professional identity of counselling?, and (b) how do counsellors describe their professional roles and practices? Nine categories of counsellor perceived identity and nine categories related to roles and practices emerged. Findings are discussed in light of the emerging trend toward the statutory regulation of counselling and psychotherapy in Canada.     

The limits of tolerance in assessing the competence of counselling trainees

At a time when there is intense demand for counselling training in Britain, at considerable cost in terms of time and money for students, the pressure for successful outcome weighs heavily on course tutors. At the same time the pressure to ensure that professional standards of competence in counselling are upheld make the process of continual and final assessment critical.As part of a study investigating the assessment of competence of counsellors in training, trainers were asked a series of questions about the ethical difficulties they have encountered in assessing students. Four case scenarios were presented highlighting various dilemmas that can face trainers when aspects of a student's personal development or self awareness potentially pose a threat to the counselling relationship they have with clients. Trainers were also asked whether they had ever passed students studying on their courses against their better judgement or with reservations about their capacity to fully engage with their clients in a competent and professional manner. If so they were also asked how this came about. The response to these questions was varied and interesting. The majority of respondents reported that students had graduated from their courses about whom they had reservations. The response to the varied scenarios produced valuable qualitative data that reflects both differing frames of reference and value systems of trainers and training courses.The information gathered in this enquiry is discussed with reference to recent sparse literature on counselling training, professionalism and ethics. This paper addresses the concerns that counselling trainers agonise over in private, now open for debate in a public arena, namely how tolerant can they afford to be when assessing the competence of their trainees.