Evaluation of Counseling Practicum: National Study of Programs Accredited by CACREP

This study assessed the current status of practicum training in counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Findings and implications for counselor training are discussed.     

Witches ways of knowing: integrative learning in joining a marginalized group

Although the literature on adult learning is extensive, most of the content is based on research with adults who enrolled in mainstream groups and organizations. Why adults would engage in learning to become a member of a marginalized group and the learning process they undergo to achieve that goal is a question that has been largely ignored in previous research. The authors of this study wanted to know how the decision to join a stigmatized, less visible and less accessible group would be different from or similar to the motivation for participation in mainstream groups. Further, they were interested to determine the nature of the learning process and how it extends what they already knew about the learning process. Wicca was chosen as the context for the study because Wiccans are not easily accessible and provide instances of harassment from employers, friends and family, both indications of a marginalized group. Data were gathered by personal interviews and analysed by the constant comparison method. Adults who embark on the learning experience to become a Wiccan are motivated by an intense internal curiosity that may begin in childhood, that is prompted by recognizing they are different from other people and/or that they cannot find satisfactory answers to questions about the meaning of life. The deeply internal motivation is enduring for years, even decades for some. The components of the learning process include the initial motivation, an exploratory period of self-directed study and a focused component where learners participate in formal classes, experiential learning activities, reflection and mentoring. The complementary nature of these three components reflects an integrated learning process.     

Accreditation of Counselor Education Programs

Over the years there has been a vast array of efforts on the part of numerous individuals and professional organizations to upgrade and professionalize counselor training. These procedures include (a) the development of training standards for counselor education programs, and (b) the establishment of accreditation organizations. This article examines the ongoing process of professionalization in counselor education and will update readers on historical developments that have led to the present status of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Discussion on present trends and future implications for AACD and its divisions are drawn.     

Lessons From History

Reproduced here is a version of the presidential address delivered at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) luncheon, held during the American Counseling Association National Conference in Denver on April 29, 1995.     

A Modified Interpersonal Process Recall Technique as a Training Model

The use of a modified form of the Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR) technique was studied as an influence on the counseling dimensions of level of regard, empathic understanding, unconditionality of regard, and congruence. The subjects were advanced graduate students in a counseling practicum course. The hypothesis was that those groups which underwent the IPR treatment would demonstrate greater growth on the measured conditions of counseling. Analysis of covariance revealed no significant differences between groups on each of the four variables. An interpretation of the results is discussed and Suggestions are made for subsequent research.     

Preservice Occupational Information and Vocational Guidance Curriculum: An Evaluation

This study was designed to identify the areas of strength and weakness in the occupational information and vocational guidance preservice counselor education curriculum. Interviews were conducted with 197 counselors and 21 counselor educators concerning the extent of coverage actually and ideally devoted to 22 content areas. Arranging the ratings for the 22 content areas from highest to lowest suggests a hierarchial emphasis for these topics in curriculum planning. In addition, within group and between group comparisons provide bases for discerning the types of curriculum that are seen as most advantageous by both counseling practitioners and counseling professors.     

Using scientific evidence to improve information practice

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Following the ACES Standards on Preparation of Secondary School Counselors in Career Guidance

Standards for counselor training have been a topic of concern since the 1930s. More recent accomplishments toward quality in counselor education were the adoption of ACES standards at the 1967 Dallas convention and the special issue of Counselor Education and Supervision, “Up-Grading Guidance Practices” (Hill & Munger 1968). This article concentrates on the career guidance and occupational information aspects of the 1967 ACES Standards. In this context, the degree to which some counselor education programs seem to emulate practices contained in the standards and some suggestions for facilitating such emulation are discussed.