Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons^™

Mental Well-Being, Academic Experience, And Dropout Intention Among Counseling Students Affected By The Shift To Online Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Yusen Zhai, Mahmood Almaawali, Lindsey Bannish

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated challenges for many counseling students due to the threat of COVID-19 and the rapid shift to online learning, possibly resulting in increased mental health problems and dropout rates. This convergent mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19-related experiences and shift to online learning on (a) counseling students’ mental well-being, (b) academic experience, and (c) dropout intentions among a sample of 405 counseling students across 45 states. Path analysis results showed an excellent model fit (χ² = 5.612, p = .47, CFI = 1.000, SRMR = .025, RMSEA = .000, 90% CI [.000, …

How And Why School Counselors Use Twitter: A Phenomenological Study, Danielle R. Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School counselors are often isolated in their role because of the unique nature of their job. Lack of connection, lack of relevant professional development, role ambiguity, high stress, high student-to-school counselor ratios, and lack of professional connections are all contributors to school counselor burnout. School counselors use Twitter, a social media tool, for a variety of purposes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of school counselors who use Twitter to illuminate how and why school counselors use Twitter. This study found that school counselors see the purpose of their Twitter use as professional advocacy, professional connection, and validation. …

Mentoring Doctoral Students In Counselor Education For Research Competence: A Developmental Perspective, Nayoung Kim, Eunae Han

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Doctoral students in counselor education should develop varying competencies in the degree program including research capabilities. However, there is a dearth of research addressing different characteristics of the students based on their research competence development. This article aims to provide a detailed guideline using a developmental approach that counselor educators may use in research mentorship and doctoral students can refer to in understanding their development and validating their struggles. Specifically, the authors used three themes including (a) tasks, (b) self-efficacy, and (c) researcher identity in the comprehensive framework for counselor educators-in-training researcher development (CFCRD). Implications for counselor educators and counselor …

Antiracism Internship: Applying The Ecological Social Justice School Counseling Theory, Kaprea F. Johnson, Dana L. Brookover, Alexandra Gantt-Howrey, Krystal L. Clemons, Lauren B. Robins

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

This manuscript describes an empirically designed internship course that utilized the Ecological Social Justice School Counseling theory to teach internship students how to engage in antiracist practice to address social determinants of health in schools. The research reports on the eight school counseling internship students' experiences, through five themes and 12 subthemes, highlighting the ways they increased awareness of SDOH, antiracist practice, and related constructs at their schools and with students including their action toward addressing SDOH, advocacy, barriers, and growth. Implications for counselor educators and site supervisors conclude.

The Lived Experiences Of Higher Education Academic Advisors With Counseling Degrees In Addressing Their Role In Student Success, Shajuana Isom-Payne

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the lived experiences of academic advisors with a counseling degree in addressing their role in student success. If student retention rates are not addressed, higher education institutions are at risk of losing students, which is costly to the institution and the student (Himes, 2014). Most college students are in a state of change and need academic advising support to achieve success during a college transition (Tinto, 2012). Academic advisors can assist students in finding the right career for students’ specific strengths. Academic advisors with counseling degrees address advising through the lens …

School Counselor Educators’ Reactions To Changes In The Profession: Implications For Policy, Evaluation, And Preparation, Jennifer Betters-Bubon, Emily Goodman-Scott, Olamojiba Bamgbose

Journal of School-Based Counseling Policy and Evaluation

In this transcendental phenomenological study and related data analysis (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Moustakas), authors explored school counselor educators’ perceptions regarding recent changes in the profession. Through six focus groups, participants (N = 29) shared their experience, resulting in four themes: (a) range of reactions to changes in the field, (b) school counseling is less valued in the counseling profession, (c) inconsistent school counselor educator identity, and (d) ardent advocacy. Authors discuss implications for school counselor preparation, identity, policy, and advocacy within an ecological framework and the need for additional national and international research.

Key words: counselor education, …

Intragroup Marginalization Among Latinx Migrant Farmworker College Students, Annette Calvario Perales

Dissertations

The Latinx population is the fastest-growing racial minority group in the United States (U.S.) (Passel et al., 2014). There are nearly 2 million migrant families in the U.S. (Tippett, 2020). Most migrant families live below the poverty level, and children often provide significant supplemental income to that of their parents’ (Zalaquett et al., 2007). Many migrant families are faced with various challenges, such as secluded living conditions, financial instability, physical and mental health barriers, and educational barriers (Dreby, 2015; Thompson et al., 2002; BPHC, 1995). In addition, migrant students frequently find themselves in a dilemma between providing financial assistance to …

Equipping School Counselors For Antiracist Healing Centered Groups: A Critical Examination Of Preparation, Connected Curricula, Professional Practice And Oversight, Kara P. Ieva, Jordon Beasley, Sam Steen

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

This paper highlights the potential for school counselors to promote antiracist practices and racial healing engagement utilizing small group counseling to ultimately eliminate inequities in schools. However, counselor educator programs, founded on middle to upper class white ideals, worldviews, and narrowly focused theoretical frameworks, currently function in ways that fail to equip future school counselors with the group facilitation knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for equitable practice in schools across the nation using case illustrations and a broad current literature review, the authors conceptualize the rationale for more competencies beyond group course assignment, clinical requirements (e.g., CACREP standards, 2016), practice, …

Counselor Education Doctoral Students’ Experiences As Developing Gatekeepers, Diana Charnley

Dissertations

This phenomenological study sought to understand and describe the gatekeeping experiences of counselor education doctoral students and enumerate key influences in their learning and development. A national sample of 75 doctoral students responded to the descriptive pre-screening survey, and a sub-sample of 15 completed semi-structured interviews. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, two overarching or meta-themes and five main themes were identified pertaining to how doctoral students view their role as gatekeeper and how they learn and experience gatekeeping. Meta-themes included doctoral students feeling “in the middle”, especially between faculty and master’s students, and how they are working to address these uncertainties, …

Relational Cultural Theory: A Guiding Framework For Study Abroad Experiences, Janee R. Avent Harris, Syntia S. Dietz, Loni Crumb

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Faculty led-study abroad programs promote cultural competence and professional and personal development for students. However, students from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups do not participate in these experiences at the same rate as students from majority cultures. Counselor educators must seek ways to recruit diverse populations to promote equity in and access to international education experiences. Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) provides a guiding framework for counselor educators to diversify study abroad programs while also attending to cultural and power dynamics. Implications for counselor educators and recommendations for future research are also included.

Contributing Factors To Earning Tenure Among Black Male Counselor Educators, Michael Hannon, Tyce Nadrich, Alfonso L. Ferguson, Matthew W. Bonner, David J. Ford, Linwood G. Vereen

Department of Counseling Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors used a phenomenological research design and a critical race theory lens to examine interviews with 8 Black male counselor educators and learn what contributed to their earning tenure. Participants described requisite personal dispositions and institutional support as contributing factors. Recommendations include facilitating programmatic sociocultural awareness, assessing faculty experiences, and coordinating mentoring opportunities.

Women Counselor Educators’ Experiences Of Microaggressions, Janeé R. Avent Harris, Heather Trepal, Ashley Prado, Jarryn Robinson

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This phenomological study explored seven women counselor educators’ experiences with committing and receiving microaggressions within the context of their professional roles and academic responsibilities. The following themes emerged: continuum of awareness, responding to microaggressions, power in academia, impact of microaggressions, and intersection of identity. Implications and recommendations for counselor educators and administrators are provided.

Determining Mentoring Needs In Counselor Education Programs, Marcella D. Stark, Jennifer N. Boswell, Angie D. Cartwright, Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article describes the development and initial score validation of the Mentoring Needs in Counselor Education Scale (MNCES), designed to evaluate the mentoring needs of counselor education students and pre-tenured faculty. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 278) yielded a 32-item, five-component solution with strong score reliability as indicated by Cronbach’s alpha values above .70: Career and Professional Development (.82), Research and Scholarship (.86), Growth and Support (.83), Multicultural and Environmental Issues (.84), and Practitioner Role (72). The MNCES provides a tool for facilitating conversations regarding mentorship expectations between mentees and mentors in the field of counseling.

Exploring Latina Clinical Mental Health Counseling Students’ Perceptions Of Teaching Practices, Javier Cavazos Vela, Jeremiah Fisk, James Ikonomopoulos

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with clinical mental health counseling students to understand perceptions of their instructors’ teaching practices. Using an-evidenced based teaching model as a theoretical lens (Malott et al., 2014), researchers highlighted students’ experiences, perceptions, and beliefs regarding teaching. Following a discussion, recommendations for researchers and counselor educators to improve teaching practices are provided.

Experiences Of International Students In Practicum And Internship Courses: A Consensus Qualitative Research, Sangmin Park, Jee Hyang Lee, Susannah M. Wood

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This qualitative study explores the practicum and/or internship experiences of international students in counseling. Based on the foundation of phenomenological research, this study uses a consensual qualitative research method. Semi-structured interview questionnaires asked ten participants regarding their experiences of practica and/or internships (including their fears, challenges, and support from training programs). Results revealed that the fears and challenges that international students face during the practicum and/or internship training primarily stemmed from their language barrier and/or a lack of understanding of the American counseling system. Our findings indicated that providing practical information, such as sites, the American counseling system, insurance, and …

Research Mentorship: Implications For The Preparation Of Doctoral Students, Alyse M. Anekstein, Linwood G. Vereen

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Research mentorship is an important aspect of the preparation of doctoral students in counselor education. A review of the literature of research mentorship within counselor education and related disciplines, the ACES definition, and the experiences of doctoral students grounded in the literature are provided. Recommendations for implementing research mentoring relationships are identified as well as implications for future research.

Shaping Supervisory Working Alliance From A Distance, Tawny Chamberlain, Carol Smith

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

As technology advances, more counselor education programs are implementing options for students to complete clinical experiences at a distance from campus which requires distant supervision. Although distance supervision has the benefit of flexibility, it also has challenges such as building rapport and establishing effective communication. Supervisors would benefit from understanding the influence of delivery method on supervisory working alliance in order to monitor supervisee growth and development.This article explores the influence of supervision delivery method on supervisory working alliance. Recommendations for future research and counselor education supervisory practice are provided.

Cognitive Complexity In Counseling And Counselor Education: A Systematic And Critical Review, Jaime H. Castillo

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Cognitive complexity has found a small yet established niche in the counseling and counselor education literature over the last 40 years. This body of research has highlighted how individuals with high cognitive complexity have greater consistency in empathy, show more varied responses to clients, demonstrate greater toleration of ambiguity, and show higher frequencies of unbiased clinical judgements towards clients. This article provides a systematic and critical review of the cognitive complexity literature and discusses future implications of cultivating cognitive complexity in emerging and professional counselors and supervisors.

Military Culture In Counselor Education: Assessing Educators’ Perceptions Of Inclusion, Seth C.W. Hayden, Heather C. Robertson, Emily Kennelly

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counselor educators are tasked with preparing counselors to effectively engage a wide range of topics and populations within counseling practice. The cultural experience of clients is often a significant focus both in content and experiential learning opportunities. Given the attention within the profession of counseling on our ability to effectively serve military service members and veterans, this begs the question as to the degree the context of the military is viewed as a unique culture within the field of counselor education. This article describes a research study of counselor educators’ perceptions of the military as a unique culture. In addition, …

Remedial Interventions Used With Students Enrolled In Counseling Graduate Programs, Kathryn L. Henderson, Roxane L. Dufrene

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

An exploratory qualitative content analysis was completed on documentation submitted from 12 CACREP counseling programs regarding student remediation. The analysis focused on remedial interventions used with students that resulted in four main themes and eight subthemes: (a) personal counseling; (b) courses (subthemes: clinical courses, related to clinical courses, and didactic courses); (c) assignments (subthemes: workshops, readings, and written assignments); and (d) remediation procedures (subthemes: meetings with faculty, and status in program).

The Impact Of Program Modality On Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam Subscale Scores, Chaya M. Abrams, Adriana De Raet, Deanna Mcculloch, Gregory Elliott, Cheri Meder

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Online counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs are growing in number, however little research exists comparing online and on-campus student outcomes. This study examined the impact of program modality (online versus on-campus) on Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam subscale scores of 451 students with an emphasis on the Helping Relationships subscale. Significant results included on-campus students performing higher on the Helping Relationships subscale and online students performing higher on the Career Development subscale. Analysis found no statistical difference on the remaining six subscales. Implications for counselor education are discussed.

A Comparison Study Of On-Campus And Online Learning Outcomes For A Research Methods Course, Courtney M. Holmes, Christine Reid

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Using a pretest/posttest design, student learning outcomes were examined for online learning and on-campus versions of the same course taught by the same instructor. The course was a master’s-level research methods course taught in a counselor education program. Although both groups of students (online and on-campus) scored significantly higher on the posttest than on the pretest, there were no significant differences in performance between the two groups. Similarly, examination of the students’ course (teaching) evaluations did not reveal any significant difference in mean course ratings between the on-campus and online learning versions of the course.

Voices From The Desks: Exploring Student Experiences In Counselor Education, Louisa L. Foss-Kelly, Jake J. Protivnak

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the themes that counselor education master’s students perceived as impacting their experience within a counseling program. Counselor education master’s students provided their perceptions of what they attributed to helping or hindering their progress. Themes identified as impacting their experiences were academic environment, finances, job preparation, self-care, life role balance, support, mentoring and advising, and personal growth. Recommendations are provided for counselor educators to consider when structuring programs and interacting with master’s students.

Therapeutic Relationship And Outcome Effectiveness: Implications For Counselor Educators, Nicole A. Stargell

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counselor and client pairs from a university training clinic were analyzed, and therapeutic relationship was the strongest predictor of counseling outcome effectiveness as it progressed across time. In this quantitative study, therapeutic relationship accounted for 25% of the overall variance in outcome effectiveness. The results of this study support the idea that the therapeutic relationship is positively related to counseling outcomes and can be intentionally improved across time.

Student Perceptions Of Online Video Cases To Promote Helping Skills Training, Chris Mccarthy, Karen French

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Video case based learning was integrated with multimodal online learning to facilitate helping skills training for graduate students. Five online cases were utilized before students participated in classroom-based role-plays and live practice. Students’ reactions to the activity were positive, and recommendations for counselor training are described.

The Lived Experiences Of Academic Advisors With Counseling Degrees In Addressing Wellness With College Student-Athletes, Jennifer M. Gerlach

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of academic advisors who have master’s degrees in counseling in addressing wellness with college student-athletes. Of particular note was to explore if they addressed wellness and, if so, how they addressed wellness. Extant literature is replete with evidence documenting the numerous challenges and stressors student-athletes experience due to their athlete status. Prior to this study, the role of the academic advisor in addressing wellness has not been represented in the literature. This study examined the lived experiences of 10 academic advisors with counseling degrees, or currently enrolled …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Counseling Students' Thoughts, Attitudes, And Beliefs About Addition Counseling And Treatment, Christine Chasek, Douglas R. Tillman, David D. Hof, Julie A. Dinsmore, Thomas Maxson

Counseling Faculty Publications

An estimated 21.7 million people need treatment for their substance use problem. As barriers to treatment are removed with health care reform, this number will continue to grow. Simultaneous to this need for treatment, a workforce crisis is occurring in the addiction counseling field due to high turnover rates, an aging workforce, worker shortages, and lingering stigma about substance abuse. Given this climate, counselor education programs are challenged to develop programs that adequately train future counselors to address the unique needs of clients who are struggling with addiction and to better understand how students construct their knowledge regarding addictions and …

The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination In Counselor Education: Faculty Members’ Perception Of Its Purposes, Katie Kostohryz

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This research focused on faculty members’ perceptions of the comprehensive examination in counselor education doctoral programs. A between-within repeated measure analysis of variance was computed to evaluate significant differences in perceptions of faculty toward five stated purposes of the comprehensive examination related to their current format of the comprehensive examination. Findings showed significant differences in perceptions within the five stated purposes of the comprehensive examination. There was no significant mean difference between faculty’s perceptions of the stated purposes and the current format of the comprehensive examination; however, a significant interaction was found between the format and purposes of the exam. …

Flipping The Counseling Classroom To Enhance Application-Based Learning Activities, Clare Merlin

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Flipped learning is an instructional approach that employs asynchronous video lectures as homework and active, group-based activities in the classroom (Bishop, 2013). During the past decade, this teaching approach has increased in popularity among K-12 teachers and higher education instructors. Though one model of flipped learning is traditionally described in the literature, several models exist and are detailed in this article. Flipped learning is particularly beneficial to counselor education as it can help increase available class time for practicing counseling skills, engaging in application-based activities, and participating in class discussions. Four specific CACREP core curricular areas are addressed: Helping Relationships, …

Preparedness To Counsel Transgender College Students: Perceptions Of College Mental Health Clinicians, Valerie G. Couture

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived preparedness levels of college mental health clinicians to counsel transgender college students. Multicultural counseling competency is required of professional counselors and transgender individuals are considered to be part of the multicultural population. A survey was completed by college mental health counselors (N = 84) from across the United States. The results showed a moderate amount of preparedness overall with no significant differences based on years of counseling experience nor graduation from a CACREP accredited program. Results did show the participants believed they do have a professional duty to be knowledgeable …