Reducing Counselor Anxiety by Using Modeling Strategies

We hypothesized that beginning counselors experience interview-related anxiety that affects counselor performance. Two kinds of videotaped modeling—an expert model approach and a coping model approach—were compared as to the relative effectiveness of each method in reducing beginning counselors' anxiety toward a counseling interview. Those persons who viewed expert models significantly reduced situationally related anxiety following participation in an analogue interview. Persons who viewed coping models had nominal but nonsignificant reductions in anxiety. In neither group was anxiety significantly related to counselor performance. A modicum of anxiety may be a desirable attribute in beginning counselors. The relative merit of each kind of modeling strategy is discussed.     

White Racial Identity Attitudes and the Ego Defense Mechanisms Used by White Counselor Trainees in Racially Provocative Counseling Situations

This exploratory study examined the relationship between racial identity attitudes and the use of ego defense mechanisms by White counselor trainees during cross‐racial counseling and supervision dyads. The sample consisted of 145 White counselor trainees enrolled in both master's and doctoral programs at 2 small private universities located in the northeastern United States. Results indicated that White counselor trainees at less mature statuses of racial identity attitudes relied on more primitive ego defenses to manage the anxiety experienced during racially provocative counseling and supervision dyads. Implications for counseling and counselor training are discussed in the context of the study's findings.     

Role conflict for school counselors: training versus job demands

Principals' expectations on six counselor role dimensions were compared with ideal counselor roles as seen by counselor educators. The relationship of principals' training and practice in counseling to appropriate counselor role perceptions was also studied. Disagreement was found between principals and counselor educators on the role of the counselor in situations involving clerical tasks, confidentiality, personal-emotional counseling, and non-related counseling functions. Principals with some counseling training or experience were more similar to counselor educators in expectations concerning discipline, confidentiality, and clerical activity than those principals without counseling training experience. Yet all principals differed markedly from the ideal role as viewed by counselor educators.     

Simulating Culture Shock in Counselor Trainees: An Experiential Exercise for Cross-Cultural Training

The authors describe a bipartite learning exercise designed to increase counselor trainees' sensitivity to cultural differences. The exercise emphasizes extending traditional, cognitive-focused multicultural training to include actual interactions with culturally diverse persons. A 2- month follow-up evaluation indicated that trainees viewed the learning exercise as valuable. Suggestions are made for infusing similar experientially based exercises into diverse counseling courses.     

Counselor Trainees' Self-Statement Responses to Sexually and Physically Abused Clients,and Client Role Conflict

Because sexual abuse issues present a threat to counselor trainees, the authors predicted that trainees who expected to counsel a sexually abused client would respond with an increase in anxiety and negative self-statements. A total of 63 female trainees were assessed after viewing a videotape of a client reporting sexual abuse, physical abuse, or role conflict. Results indicated that, counter to predictions, the trainees who expected to counsel the sexually abused client increased their positive self-statements. Schwartz's (1986) States-of-Mind model was applied to the self-statement ratios, and, according to the model, trainees were unrealistically optimistic with respect to their counseling.     

Model of Effects of Adult Attachment on Emotional Empathy of Counseling Students

The effects of adult attachment on emotional empathy were investigated using a sample of master's‐degree level counseling students. Through structural equation modeling, the authors found that the latent attachment dimensions of avoidance and anxiety work in tandem in their effects on empathy. Lower avoidance and higher anxiety were associated with highest levels of empathy. Results are discussed in terms of attachment theory and the wounded healer concept, with implications for counselor trainees, counselor educators, and counselor supervisors.     

A Preliminary Longitudinal Study of Multicultural Competence in Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate longitudinal changes in master’s-level counselor trainees’ (N = 78) self-perceptions of their multicultural counseling competence over the course of their counseling program. Multilevel modeling results indicated an increase in scores across 3 time points. The authors discuss study limitations and how counselors and counselor educators can incorporate the study’s findings into their practice and into the education and supervision of counselor trainees.     

Affirmative Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Counselor Education and Religious Beliefs: How Do We Bridge the Gap?

The position held by the American Counseling Association, reflecting acceptance, affirmation, and nondiscrimination of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals, has created conflicts for some trainees who hold conservative religious beliefs about sexual orientation. This article explores the counseling profession's evolution regarding LGB‐affirmative counseling and examines the potential conflict this evolution can create for counselor educators who are training students with conservative religious viewpoints about sexual orientation. Recommendations for counselor educators to manage this dilemma are offered.     

The impact of gender role conflict and counseling technique on psychological help seeking in men

We hypothesized that men's gender role conflict would predict attitudes towards psychological help-seeking after viewing counseling that focused on either client feelings or client cognitions. The sample was made up of 164 male undergraduates: 115 White, 13 African-American, 13 Hispanic, 18 Asian, 2 Portuguese, and 3 of unspecified ethnicity. Participants completed the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS), viewed a videotape of a 10-minute counseling session that used interventions that were either emotion-focused or cognition-focused, and completed a measure of their attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Results indicated that men scoring high on gender role conflict who viewed the session that focused on feelings were least likely to indicate a willingness to seek psychological help compared to men in each of the three other conditions. We discuss implications for counseling interventions for men who adopt the traditional male gender role.A version of this paper was presented at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada. We would like to thank Bob Cournoyer and Piet Lammert for portraying the counselor and client in the study.     

Rehabilitation Counseling: A Profession or a Trade?

The problem of the shortage of counselors is examined and the various possible solutions considered. A solution that appears to be developing in many state rehabilitation agencies is the employment of college graduates with no preparation in counseling. These employees are designated as counselors, counselor aides, or counselor trainees, and given in-service training. Such persons, it appears, will eventually be considered counselors without any further educational preparation. It is questioned whether they are, in fact, counselors, but if they are able to perform all the functions of those designated as counselors (excluding professional counseling), then counseling is not a profession, but a trade, for which adequate preparation can be obtained through on-the-job training.     

The Rape Myth and Blame‐Based Beliefs of Counselors‐in‐Training Toward Male Victims of Rape

The authors surveyed counselors‐in‐training at counselor education programs nationwide, accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, to examine trainees' acceptance of rape myths and their willingness to make blame‐based attributions toward a male victim of rape. Results suggested that male counselor trainees with no experience counseling sexually assaulted clients tended to endorse the greatest degree of acceptance of rape myths. Trainees of both sexes thought that a male rape victim who showed no resistance to his attacker should have done so. The authors discuss implications for counselor training and supervision.     

A Preliminary Survey of Relationships Between Counselor Educators' Ethics Education and Ensuing Pedagogy and Responses to Attractions With Counseling Students

Literature suggests that counselor education does not consistently teach ethics and that ethical violations currently occur between trainees and faculty. The literature also suggests that ethical dilemmas during training strongly influence later ethical counseling practice. A survey examined the ethics training of counselor educators and ensuing attitudes and actions in professional practice. The author discovered that ethics pedagogy during training was related to later pedagogical strategies and to reactions to attraction with students. Furthermore, no single pedagogical strategy seems to guarantee best teaching or ethical professional practice. This survey reinforces the need for ethics education for counselor educators and suggests directions for research.     

Testing Models of Counselor Development With a Measure of Counseling Self-Efficacy

Models of counselor development have become very popular, but empirical research has found differences primarily between beginning graduate students and doctoral interns. In the research described here, a counseling self-efficacy instrument was developed and was used to test hypotheses based on self-efficacy theory and models of counselor development, both of which would make similar predictions about increases in counseling self-efficacy resulting from clinical training and experience. The findings include strong reliability and validity evidence for the instrument and several significantly different groups of participants that correspond roughly to the groups hypothesized in stage models of counselor development.     

Evaluating educational—vocational counseling: a model for change

This study sought to assess students' reactions toward their vocational and educational counseling at a university counseling center. Students receiving educational-vocational counseling during the 1968-69 academic year served as subjects whose responses to a 29-item questionnaire were used to determine their reactions to counseling. The majority of clients who were counseled by advanced trainees or doctorate level staff viewed their counseling experience positively. A large percentage of the clients of beginning practicum students viewed their counseling negatively. The findings suggested weaknesses in vocational counseling facilities, in counselors' skills, and in training of beginning practicum students. Implications for change are suggested and the need for assessment in counseling agencies is emphasized.     

A study of engagement and premature termination in a university counseling center

Differences between engaged (clients seen for at least two counseling sessions) and nonengaged clients, and between post-engaged premature terminators and clients who terminated with counselor knowledge at a university counseling center were investigated. Five practicum trainees, four professional counselors, and 308 college student clients participated. Professionals had higher rates of engagement and lower rates of premature termination than trainees. Engagement was positively associated with understanding and teaching the client and with longer intake interviews. Premature termination was associated with counselor attractiveness, expertness, and trustworthiness. These characteristics related to premature termination in opposite directions for professional and practicum counselors. Results are discussed in terms of possible different mechanisms operating at the beginning and end of counseling.     

Integrating Personal and Career Counseling: A Challenge for Counselors

In recent years career counseling has often been viewed as separate and distinct from personal counseling, ignoring a long tradition in the career development field that has consistently recognized the importance of personality factors in the process of choosing and maintaining a career. This paper argues for the use of an eclectic career counseling model that embraces both personality and career development theories. The model requires the counselor to be able to move back and forth between the active and directive role of the career counselor and the facilitative and exploratory role of the personal counselor. A case is presented to demonstrate its application and implications for counseling and training are discussed.     

An evaluation of the effectiveness of a telephone counseling center

Three-thousand questionnaires were distributed to students on campus to identify a sample of actual telephone counseling center users and their ratings of the effectiveness of the help received and of the counselor. Ratings of help received and impact of counseling on life as it is today were considered for sex of caller and counselor across type of problem. A sample of 66 actual callers was identified who had used the service for personal problems at least once. Of male callers, 67% reported that telephone counseling helped at least somewhat, while 80% of female callers reported favorable results of telephone counseling. Female callers who talked with male counselors reported a significantly greater impact on their life than did the callers in any other caller/counselor sex interaction. Only one average rating of counseling effectiveness by problem type fell below the neutral rating. Results are presented as evidence for the effectiveness of paraprofessional counselors.     

The Effect of Previous Experience on Preference of Approach for Effective Counseling

Students in a general psychology class viewed four videotapes of initial vocational-educational and initial personal concern counseling sessions. The sessions were presented from a client-centered approach and from a behavioral approach, and employed the same client and counselor. After viewing the tapes, the students were asked to indicate which approach they thought would be more effective in helping a client. Results showed that students who had previously experienced counseling preferred a behavioral approach for both the vocational-educational concern and the personal concern. Students with no experience of counseling did not exhibit a preference.     

The effect of previous experience on preference of approach for effective counseling

Students in a general psychology class viewed four videotapes of initial vocational-educational and initial personal concern counseling sessions. The sessions were presented from a client-centered approach and from a behavioral approach, and employed the same client and counselor. After viewing the tapes, the students were asked to indicate which approach they thought would be more effective in helping a client. Results showed that students who had previously experienced counseling preferred a behavioral approach for both the vocational-educational concern and the personal concern. Students with no experience of counseling did not exhibit a preference.