Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Client Welfare As An Anchor: Lived Experiences Of Gatekeepers In Counselor Education, Jessica L. Motroni Banik, Katherine F. Coule, Nicole Bradley, Joseph M. Rizzo

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Gatekeeping is an essential function within counselor education that is aimed at helping counselors in training (CIT) achieve competency to practice. There is a lack of research focused on understanding gatekeepers’ experiences, including how they resolve challenges. The purpose of this hermeneutic study was to understand the lived experiences of gatekeepers in counselor education, including gatekeeping challenges and how they are addressed in the training system. There were five emerging themes with eight subthemes. The findings highlight how gatekeeping is vital, cannot be done in isolation, and how individuals learn from their experiences. These findings inform the counselor training community …

The Application Of Relational Cultural Theory In Digitally Delivered Ce Programs, Jinnelle V. Powell, Nicole Bradley, Jayce Patton, Carrie Lynn Bailey, Gary M. Szirony, Kathleen Levingston

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Relational Cultural theory (RCT) as a pedagogy in counselor education and supervision (CES) uniquely positions educators and learners for growth through vulnerability and authenticity. The authors in this article share their individual journeys with RCT along with practical strategies for implementing RCT as a pedagogy in an asynchronous digitally delivered counselor education program. Ethical implications are addressed.

New Counselor Educators’ First 10 Years Of Journal Article Publications, Gregory Hatchett

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to assess the journal article publications accrued by a recent cohort of counselor educators (N = 376) over the first ten years since attaining their doctoral degrees. After ten years, these counselor educators had accrued a median of three journal article publications. There were not any clear trends in publications over the first ten years since degree completion except for an upper trend in publication counts for counselor educators at R1 universities. Journal article publication counts could be predicted from academic rank, the funding source of their current universities, and Carnegie Classifications. Implications …

Child Sex Trafficking And Professional School Counselor Preparedness In Texas, Devon E. Romero, Claudia G. Interiano-Shiverdecker, Katherine E. Mcvay, Brenda Jones

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Professional school counselors in Texas responded to a questionnaire about training received and their needs concerning preparedness to identify and work with youth exposed to child sex trafficking (CST). The study utilized a convergent parallel mixed methods design. Quantitative results indicated many participants did not find that their graduate degree program prepared them to work with CST and less than half felt their school and/or district provided adequate training opportunities. In addition, thematic analysis revealed two themes characterizing Texas school counselors’ needs to identify and work with CST: (a) concerning preparedness: “so much going on” and (b) “specific training”: a …

De-Colonizing And Enlivening Lifespan Development In Counselor Education With Experiential Exercises Across The Curriculum, Emily Horton, Diane Smedley, Karen M. Roller, Kelly Coker

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

ACA and IAMFC codes of ethics center culturally-affirming lifespan development skills as professional identity responsibilities specific to counselors. Despite the critical importance of lifespan, the training of CITs in this area is inadequate and grounded in research based on homogeneous samples and discriminatory practices. Counselor education is deeply in need of a lifespan curriculum that reflects diverse populations. The updated lifespan curriculum must be inclusive and consider the impact of context and culture on lifespan development. In this conceptual article, we call on counseling faculty to infuse updated developmental science with clinical skills development across their plans of study.

S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Self-Care For Counselors, Nicole Marie Arcuri Sanders, Jenny Kim

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Practicing self-care activities is essential to helping professions stave off and combat burnout and vicarious trauma. Mental health counselors and counselor educators and supervisors (CESs) need specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (S. M. A. R. T.) self-care activities to best meet the demands of this highly relational field. This article will assist CESs in supporting the personal development of S. M. A. R. T. self-care goals for their students and supervisees’ evolving professional identity with the addition to evaluate (E) and review (R) identified self-care efforts. CESs are supported with gatekeeping relevance and examining student and supervisee self-care plans …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Clinical Mental Health Counselors' Group Practicum Training Experiences, Brittany L. Pollard-Kosidowski, Monica E. Kaule, Heather Uphold, Chad Losinger, Adam F. Stephens

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The authors of this study used inductive content analysis to qualitatively explore the group practicum training experiences of clinical mental health counselors who graduated from one CACREP-accredited program. Fifteen participants shared about their firsthand experiences in a required group practicum course and described the ways in which the experience impacted their competence and self-efficacy as counseling professionals and group workers. Five resulting themes highlight the significance and value of practical training experiences dedicated solely to group facilitation. Implications for counselor educators and program accreditors are provided, along with recommendations for future research.

A Guide To Infuse Trauma Informed Principles In Counselor Education, Amirah R. Nelson

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Trauma informed principles (TIPs) are minimal within counselor education and supervision literature. After reviewing TIPs that have been incorporated into other graduate programs, counselor educators (CEs) should consider integrating more trauma informed concepts. Through this conceptual article the author: a) defines TIPs, b) explores ways to combine TIPs into most curricula and the learning environment, c) infuses TIPs across the eight core areas of CACREP, and d) discuss future implications for having a robust and well-rounded curricular for future counselor educators.

Keywords: trauma informed principles, counselor educators, counselors in training, CACREP, counseling programs

A Counseling Student’S Experiences With Vision Impairment: A Narrative Inquiry, Jason J. Li, Susan Bray, Jody Fiorini, Philip Mullins

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article explores a female counseling student’s experience with vision impairment in a counselor education program. By using narrative inquiry, three main themes (perceptions, received supports, and challenges for a visually impaired student) and seven subthemes (perceptions of herself, perceptions of others, daily commute, attitudinal barriers, barriers to access, practicum experiences, and disability services) emerged from the analysis. Recommendations for counselor preparation and research are provided.

Group Counseling Preparation Amidst Crisis And Disaster: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Heather C. Sands, Kristopher M. Goodrich, Monique N. Rodríguez, Kelley R. Holladay, Renee C. Howells

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

There is consensus that group counseling and the use of telehealth platforms (i.e., phone or video conferencing usage) are highly effective interventions during and in response to crises and disaster situations. Wishing our Counselor Education and Supervision (CES), program had access to this information prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; we use this study to reflect on what we learned from that time. Building from the experiences of eight masters-level students enrolled in a group counseling internship at the height of the pandemic, this manuscript connects our programmatic oversights to the sparsity of information related to group counseling and the use …

Faculty Search Experiences Of Assistant Professors Of Counselor Education, Gregory Hatchett

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Using an online quantitative survey, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the faculty application experiences of assistant professors of counselor education (N = 159). The counselor educators in this sample completed a median of two off-campus interviews and a median of one on-campus interview. They received a median of one offer for any faculty position and a median of one offer for an assistant professor position on the tenure-track. Assistant professors on the tenure-track differed from those not on the tenure track on the following variables: demographic and professional characteristics, application strategies, credentials/qualifications at the time …

A Duoethnographic Investigation Of A Cross-Cultural Dissertation Chairing Relationship, Phillip L. Waalkes, Yuima Mizutani

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Despite the importance of cross-cultural mentorship in supporting doctoral counselor education students with international backgrounds in overcoming barriers, few have researched the specific complexities of these relationships with critical depth. Therefore, in this duoethnographic study rooted in relational cultural theory, we offer a critical and transformative polyvocal dialogue of the cross-cultural dissertation mentoring relationship of [author 1], a White counselor educator, and [author 2], an Asian-Japanese former doctoral student with an international background. We discussed how our cultural backgrounds impacted the relationship, our experiences of imposter phenomenon, and how broaching may have impacted our relationship. We present a series of …

Gatekeeping In Online Learning: Best Practices To Facilitate Non-Traditional Learning, Amanda Faucher, Ajitha Chandrika Prasanna Kumaran, Wannigar Ratanavivan

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Online learning has evolved, bringing several opportunities and challenges to counselor educators. Gatekeeping is an ethical responsibility of counselor educators, especially in a distance education platform, to evaluate personal and professional growth of counselors-in-training. To minimize gateslipping, there is working literature evidence that looks quite different in an online platform. In a synchronous setting, technology allows us to offer an experience that is not drastically different from traditional learning, but literature on asynchronous learning is far more limited. The authors will highlight the strengths and challenges of gatekeeping in a distance learning environment and discuss potential strategies for gatekeeping to …

Building Competence: Trainee Counselors’ Supervision Journey With Self-Injury And Suicidality, Rachel Jacoby, Karen M. Roller, Latoya Smith, Shreya Vaishnav, Tasmeer Ali

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This grounded theory study examines the supervision needs of counselors-in-training (CITs) addressing clients with non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal ideations. The qualitative research question focused on counselor-in-training perception of their counseling program and practicum supervision preparation. Four key themes emerge: Supervision Facilitation, Secure Base Provision, Clinical Identity Development, and Sufficient Preparation. CITs express readiness concerns and a need for enhanced support in supervision for NSSI and SI. CITs also clarify logistical and emotional support that addresses their needs to serve NSSI and SI clients effectively.

Infusing Shame Resilience Into The Counseling Curriculum To Support Client Conceptualization And Student Wellness, Sarah I. Springer, Kathleen Grant, Lauren Cozzolino

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Shame is a silent epidemic that influences the health of our clients and the counselors who serve them. Using the tenets of phenomenology, researchers explored the experiences of students participating in a counseling course created to infuse shame resilience into the curriculum. Results and implications for future research are included.

Supporting Counselors-In-Training: A Toolbox For Doctoral Student Supervisors, Jeffrey M. Warren, Mark Schwarze, Helen S. Lupton-Smith

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counselor education doctoral students are often required to supervise master-level counselors-in-training as part of their supervision internship. While practical, this arrangement places doctoral students and their supervisees in potentially compromised situations, given their lack of experience in these respective roles. This article offers a toolbox of strategies doctoral student supervisors can use to facilitate their work with counselors-in-training. These strategies address focus areas identified through prior research. Doctoral student supervisors are encouraged to use this toolbox in conjunction with the support and guidance of their faculty supervisor as they navigate clinical supervision.

Embedding Grief And Loss Training Across Cacrep-Core Areas In School Counseling Programs, Katherine M. Wood, C.Missy Moore, Jolie Ziomek-Daigle

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Each year, millions of school-aged children and teens experience grief and loss (Judi’s, 2023). This conceptual article describes the impact of grief and loss on school-aged children and the need to integrate grief and loss training into CACREP-accredited programs through the eight-core CACREP areas. Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the authors will highlight how counselor educators can infuse content to address grief and loss with preservice school counselors holistically across the various systems surrounding the student in each CACREP core area.

The Needs Assessment As Authentic Learning For School Counselors In Training, Dr. Dianne Vargas, Dr. Steven Drouin, Dr. Karen Zandarski

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Although school counselor educators are tasked with preparing effective school counselors, they are continually presented with the challenge of creating authentic learning experiences that enhance the development of counselors in training. This descriptive-interpretive qualitative study describes the knowledge gained by counselors in training while creating, implementing, and analyzing an authentic learning experience within a master’s counselor education course. Data for this study included needs assessments completed by participants, and findings were summarized in four major themes. The themes included participants' awareness of the relevance of needs assessments, sources of knowledge utilized in survey design, school sites as stress and validation, …

Emotional Intelligence And Self-Perceptions Of Counseling Competency In Counselors In Training, Ariel K. Hernandez, Walter Frazier, Rebecca Cowan

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and counseling competency. Results indicated that CIT status was positively correlated with counseling skills and therapeutic conditions. Results further showed that CITs with higher EI had a higher self-perception of all components of counseling competency.

Shared And Unique Competencies In Interprofessional Behavioral Health: Implications For Counselor Education, Julie Berrett-Abebe, Jocelyn K. Novella, Dilani M. Perera

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Behavioral health reform in the U.S. recommends interprofessional education and practice grounded in clinical training in competencies relevant to practice. In tandem, counselor education requires training to learn roles and responsibilities as members of interdisciplinary teams. This pilot explored participants’ (N=19) understanding of professional identities and competencies among clinical mental health counseling (CMHC), marriage & family therapy (MFT), psychiatric mental health nursing (PMHNP) and social work (MSW) students in an interprofessional education (IPE) program. Participants identified unique profiles of each of the four behavioral health disciplines that align with professions’ histories and theoretical orientations as well as a common profile …

The Proctor Model Of Clinical Supervision: An Introduction For Professional Counselors, Gideon Litherland, Gretchen Schulthes, Charlotte Cowles, Edward Ewe

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counseling supervisors require an increasingly diverse set of tools, theories, and interventions to address the myriad concerns that arise in clinical supervision. The ability to support, provide feedback, and systematically address supervisee issues are critical to effective supervision. Deliberate practice remains a key indicator of clinical effectiveness, with supervision skills requiring the same attention and practice. As consumers of supervision or providers of supervision services, professional counselors require useful models of how to engage in supervision. The Proctor Model is an internationally recognized and implemented model of supervision that has great utility for professional counselors.

Incorporating Trauma-Informed Educational Practices In The Counselor Education Classroom, Yoon Suh Moh, Katharine Rose Sperandio, Glory Munthali, Amy Dugan

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This conceptual article provides a description of trauma-informed educational practices informed by a model of trauma-informed educational practice (TIEP) that was created for social work education. We subsequently will call for an integration of this model to counselor education. To demonstrate an application of the model into counselor education, we will provide a case study influenced by both the TIEP model and our experiences in working in a CACREP-accredited counselor education program that infuses trauma content throughout its program curriculum.

Multicultural Competence In Counseling Students: Addressing Social Class In Multicultural Counseling Courses, Carly Paro-Tompkins, Jennifer Pereira, Joffrey S. Suprina, Elda Veloso Ph.D, Eric Davis, Renata F. S. Goldhagen, Katarzyna Wojnas, Samantha Both

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

There are consistent findings of clinician bias toward clients of differing social classes, and little research about faculty efforts to address bias within educational programs. Informed by a literature review, quantitative methodology and descriptive exploratory design were used to examine counselor educators’ instructional strategies for teaching multicultural counseling. Additionally, perceptions of faculty effectiveness and comfort level with social class issues were explored.

Multicultural Counseling Course Instructors’ Cultural Background And Diversity Teaching Approaches, Cameka Hazel

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Abstract

The success of any multicultural counseling course hinges upon the cultural competence of the course instructor. Research indicates that cultural competence is developed through personal experiences with diversity; however, little is known about how these experiences are translated into teaching practice. In this qualitative study, the researcher used a phenomenological inquiry to explore how instructors’ experiences with diversity influence how they teach multicultural counseling. The main thematic finding indicates that the cultural diversity background of the counselor educators shapes the way they teach. The two subthemes also reveal that some instructors teach diversity topics from a place of familiarity …

Practical Interventions For Groupwork Leader Training In Master’S Counseling Programs, Madeleine Stevens, Shannon Strohl, Pat Mcgowan

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Groupwork in counseling has been utilized to promote client wellness, but little attention has been paid to the development and standardization of group leadership skills training in counselor education. This paper highlights this gap and offers practical, evidence-based solutions to help counselor educators train effective group leaders at the master’s level. The authors developed skill-building solutions using the core competencies for group leadership training in the Professional Standards for the Training of Group Workers (2000) by the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW).

Utilizing The Safe-T Model And Anti-Racist Counseling Principles For Suicide Assessment And Teaching Counselors In Training, Aubrey D. Daniels, Kristen Nadermann, Christy Beck, Yusen Zhai

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Training on suicide assessment and intervention in college counseling centers is crucial. The SAFE-T model is effective when teaching counselors in training (CITs) in training clinics on college campuses as students learn how to assess clients’ suicide risk level. We share how the SAFE-T model, in tandem with anti-racist counselor education practices, can enhance training in programs with training clinics based on our clinic at The Pennsylvania State University, followed by a case study to exemplify how to synthesize both practices for robust clinical outcomes.

Experiences Of The Supervisory Alliance And Self-Compassion In Counseling And Psychotherapy Students, Alexandre Brien, Patricia Dionne, Réginald Savard, Cynthia Bilodeau

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This qualitative research examined the relationship between supervisory working alliance, self-compassion and reflexive self-awareness with students enrolled in a graduate-level counseling or counseling and psychotherapy program (n = 48). A thematic analysis using a Critical Incident Questionnaire was performed. The themes identified in this study indicate that both supervision alliance and self-compassion seemingly contribute positively to student supervisee learning experiences and to the development of their reflexive self-awareness. Moreover, the perceived learning achieved, and the development of reflexive self-awareness, reciprocally strengthened the supervisory alliance. Furthermore, the degree of supervisees’ self-compassion as well as their perceived supervisory alliances had an …

Counselors’ Stigma Toward Addictions: Increasing Awareness And Decreasing Stigma, Natalie M. Ricciutti

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to explore licensed counselors’ level of stigma toward individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and process/behavioral addictions (PBAs) and note any differences. A total of 138 licensed mental health counselors from one Midwestern state completed the SRTSS and the BRTSS to determine levels of stigma toward SUDs and PBAs, respectively. Participant scores from the SRTSS and BRTSS were normally distributed, and 15% to 32% of participants’ scores were reflective of stigma toward individuals with either SUDs or PBAs. A significant difference was not found between participants’ stigma toward individuals with SUDs or PBAs. Hypotheses …

Suggestions To The Field: Novice Counselors’ Challenges In Treating Borderline Personality Disorder, Qu Chen, Richard Hazler

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Novice counselors working with clients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are at risk for professional burnout. For many novice counselors, the cause of professional burnout is based on factors related to quality guidance and supervision. This article aims to call attention to counselor educators and supervisors to protect novice counselors treating BPD and provide suggestions for supervision. The authors review books, journal articles, and training workshop materials from 2003 to 2022, summarize features of BPD, analyze novice counselors’ challenges in treating BPD, and suggest some strategies that counselor educators and supervisors can use to assist novice counselors in treating …

Aspiring Counselors’ Mental Health: Recognizing Students’ Wellbeing As An Impactor On Development, Christopher R. Lafever, Melinda M. Gibbons

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Aspiring Counselors (AC) are learning to navigate professional knowledge and skills while engaging in developmentally necessary self-reflection. Wellness, as a professional cornerstone, has been an emphasis in the instruction and development of AC. AC’s development can have barriers of professional and personal disposition, such as un-met or underattended mental health concerns which may require remediation. AC may also have higher prevalence of adverse childhood and trauma experiences. Exploring the current literature on AC’s development, wellness, and adverse childhood experiences and trauma provides insights in how counselor educators can structure programs in a more proactive rather than responsive way. The purpose …