Counselor Trainees’ Evaluation of Practicum Course

Yildiz KURTYILMAZ Aysen BALKAYA CETIN Gamze ULKER TUMLU

Problem

Counseling process

• a collaborative approach

• the quality of the therapeutic relationship b/w counselee and counselor

Therapeutic relationship requires initial skills of

• attending

• respecting clients,

• being empathic,

• active listening, etc.

Problem

Problem

Keeping a grip on session

• difficult for trainees

• not good enough/competent on effective counseling skills & techniques

Despite strong theoretical background & knowledge • difficulty in integrating theory and knowledge into

practice

• real client in a real counseling session complicated

Problem• Education & training w/o experience not fulfill

trainees’ needs during session

• Individual counseling practicum course (PC)

Research Questions

How counselor trainees evaluated

• themselves in counseling process

• a-14 week practicum course in an undergraduate Counseling & Guidance Program

Method

• Qualitative study

• Five open-ended questions

• 11 counselor trainees

• Written answers for anonymity

• At the end of the semester

Method

1. What are your attributes and qualifications you need to develop to become more efficient and effective in counseling process?

2. Which situation in counseling sessions is the most difficult for you to handle? When you are faced with this situation, what did you do?

3. When you can’t respond appropriately in sessions, what do you do? 4. When you get supervision about sessions, what did you experience/

how did you feel? 5. Did the feedback given in supervision make any contributions to the

management of counseling process professionally? If it did, how?

Method

Data Analysis

• Inductive Analysis

Participants

• 11 seniors taking Individual Counseling Practicum Course• 8 females• 3 males• Age range= 21-24

Method

Participants

• complete about 20 sessions with real counselees to be successful in a 14-week course

• transcribe each session they audio taped

• took supervision both individually and as a group during a 5-hour course

Findings

Findings are presented under themes of

I. the difficulties experienced during counseling process & the practicum,

II. coping methods

III. supervision experiences

Findings

I. Difficulties

Subthemes were obtained as

1. Difficulties in managing counseling process,

2. Difficulties in meeting the course requirements

3. A lack of theoretical knowledge

Findings

1. Difficulties in managing counseling process 1. Focusing on the process2. Using therapeutic skills and techniques3. Conceptualizing problems4. Managing silence

Findings

1. Difficulties in managing counseling process 1. Focusing on the process

1. Diverted attention due to overinvolvement w/ themselves

2. Disengagement from counseling process3. Difficulty in working towards clients’ objectives4. making clients come back to agenda of session

when they digress from their main goals …..When my counselees went out of agenda, I have difficulty. ………..

Findings1. Difficulties in managing counseling process

2. Ineffective usage of therapeutic skills & techniques1. Active listening2. Being objective

1. Being empathic 3. Personalizing problems, meaning, goals4. Restructuring

……..when my clients ask for advices from me, I have difficulty in restructuring. …………

5. Managing silence

Findings

1. Difficulties in managing counseling process3. Difficulties in conceptualizing problems

1. Making inferences about implicit goals2. Making associations b/w various themes3. Misconceptualization of the problem & wrong road

map.

Findings

2. Difficulties in meeting course requirements1. Counseling with more than one client2. Transcribing each session 3. Coping with criticism and feedback in

supervision

Findings

II. Ways of Coping1. Using therapeutic skills and techniques 2. Integrating supervison into practice 3. Reviewing literature

FindingsII. Ways of Coping / Using therapeutic skills and techniques

1. Minimal encouragers2. Concretization 3. Reflection of content4. Reflection of feelings5. Summarizing 6. Here & Now7. Asking questions8. Restructuring9. Using silence

Findings

III. Evaluation of Supervision1. Feelings2. Professional development3. Personal development

FindingsIII. Evaluation of Supervision /Feelings during supervision1. Anxiety 2. Fear 3. Distress

4. Pleasure5. Gratification6. Courage7. Curiosity8. Enthusiasm9. Becoming Motivated

Findings

III. Evaluation of Supervision/ Professional Development1. Development of professional identity2. Objective self evaluation3. Effective usage of counseling skills & techniques4. Managing counseling process

1. Compensating failures

Findings

III. Evaluation of Supervision/ Professional Development1. Development of professional identity

1. professional satisfaction, 2. internalization of professional ethics 3. development of professional self efficacy …The more failure in supervision, the less failure in my professional life. …….. Supervision strengthened me.

Findings

III. Evaluation of Supervision/ Professional DevelopmentEffective usage of counseling skills & techniques

• Concretization• Personalization• Being more empathic

Managing counseling process• Preparation for next sessions /Compensating failures• Clarification & conceptualization of problem

During supervision taking into account what we can do at the next session, how we can be more helpful to our clients at each week made important contributions to better management of the next sessions.

Findings

III. Evaluation of Supervision/ Professional DevelopmentCompensating failures……. Through supervision I could realize the points I missed during sessions. Therefore, I could be more efficient and more helpful at the next sessions of the client.

Findings

III. Evaluation of Supervision/Personal Development1. Coping w/ criticismInitially, I became distressed when I got feedback through supervision. Then, I became relaxed when I realized that feedback was not directed at me and my personality, but my responses during sessions. 2. Increase in self criticism3. Increase in self confidence

Results

Counselor trainees1. experience difficulties in managing process,

using therapeutic skills and techniques spontaneously

2. cope w/ the difficulties by integrating supervision into practice, utilizing literature,

3. perceive supervision as a source of professional & personal development

Results

In conclusion

Despite the difficulties,

• trainees found the practicum course • improving • encouraging

Counselor Trainees’ Evaluation of Practicum Course

Yildiz KURTYILMAZ Aysen BALKAYA CETIN Gamze ULKER TUMLU