Counseling Commons^™

Attitudes Of Counselors Toward Collaboration With Healthcare Professionals, Rashunda Miller Reed, Theodore P. Remley Jr., Lillian M. Range

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counselors are experts in handling mental health issues, however many mental health issues are reported to primary care providers. Collaboration between counselors and healthcare providers is increasing yet little is known about counselors’ attitudes toward this challenging practice. In this study 165 counselors completed surveys related to their attitudes and social anxiety levels toward interacting with healthcare professionals. Counselors in this study reported having slightly negative attitudes toward healthcare professionals. There was no significant relationship between attitudes and social anxiety. Social anxiety was inversely related to frequency of collaboration, however, only a few counselors reported social anxiety. More importantly, most …