The responsibilities of counsellor supervisors: A qualitative study

A study was carried out to investigate whether supervisors of counsellors considered themselves to be clinically responsible for the work of their supervisees, what responsibilities they considered themselves to have for the counsellors' work, and how they managed their responsibilities. The purpose of the study was to enhance the counselling profession's understanding of the responsibility of supervisors and of the supervisory relationship. The study was confined to supervisors working in private practice. Ten experts in the field of counselling and supervision were interviewed, using a semi-structured questionnaire. The interviews were analysed using the 'constant comparative method'. They revealed that the participants would not use the term 'clinical responsibility' to describe their responsibilities. There were mixed views about the nature of the responsibility of the supervisor when supervising counsellors practising independently. The participants indicated a preference to supervise only the most experienced counsellors, with whose practice they were already familiar and in whose work they already had considerable confidence. None of the supervisors interviewed considered themselves to be legally responsible for the counsellors' work. All the participants were aware that the risks associated with counselling in private practice could be considerable and had an acute sense of responsibility for the content of the work. Reluctance to take action against supervisees who were in breach of the code of ethics was expressed. There was scepticism about the requirement for them to have supervision for their supervisory work. Implications for the practice of counselling supervision and for the profession are discussed.     

A qualitative exploration into how the use of prayer in counselling and psychotherapy might be ethically problematic

Aim: This research article contributes to the debate on the value and limitation of the use of spiritual strategies, like prayer, in counselling (Foskett & Lynch, 2001) by disseminating the insights that were gained from a qualitative study of mainstream counsellors whose work includes prayer. Method: Participants were 19 British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)‐accredited and Churches Ministerial Counselling Service (CMCS)‐approved counsellors who use prayer in their practice. They were interviewed, and the data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: The data reveal that counsellors who use prayer are aware that ethical problems may be encountered: if prayer changes the way that the counsellor is perceived; when using prayer with issues of psychopathology; if the counsellor uses prayer to impose faith on a client; when being professionally held to account; if prayer is used for avoidance or as a defence; if prayer is used to enhance the counsellor's power; if prayer is not part of the client's agenda; if prayer is used routinely; if prayer cannot be challenged; if there is a cultural pressure to pray; and if the prayer method is not matched to the client – but that their concern over potential ethical issues is not of sufficient strength to override their therapeutic use of prayer if facilitated with due care.     

The impact of Christian counselling on survivors of sexual abuse

The absence of research and growing involvement of Christians in all areas of counselling gave rise to this study which explores the impact of Christian counselling on adult survivors of sexual abuse. The sample of 44 women and 5 men from an inter-denominational, self-help network, completed a self-report questionnaire of perceived Christian and professional counselling experiences involving issues of trust, power, directive approach, use of prayer and Scripture, responsibility and outcome. Results show that Christian counselling is experienced as qualitatively different from professional counselling: Christian counsellors are perceived as significantly more directive and more powerful than professional counsellors and the overall outcome was perceived more negatively. A number of key factors were identified which influenced the negative experience of some Christian counselling. These included having experience of professional counselling, an emphasis on the use of prayer and Scripture, perceiving the counsellor to have different goals from the client, feeling blamed for continued distress and having prior experience of prayer ministry. Implications for counselling practice and training are discussed.     

Do counselling supervisors want or need to have their supervision supervised? An exploratory study

In response to a survey of counselling supervisors, 70 practitioners provided information about their practice as supervisors of counsellors and supervisors of supervisors. Questions were asked about the practice of supervision for supervision and attitudes towards the BAC Code of Ethics and Practice for Supervisors requirement that supervisors have access to supervision for their supervisory work. All but six of the respondents claimed to have supervision for supervision. In response to questions about the helpfulness, general importance, ethical importance and desirability of supervision for supervision, for which a bipolar visual analogue scale was provided, mean scores were all above 70%, indicating that there was considerable satisfaction with supervision for supervision requirements. Factor analysis revealed only one factor including all four questions. Questions were asked about contracts with supervision supervisors. A total of 55.7% used the same supervisor for their clinical work and supervision. In response to a question about issues raised in supervision, four categories accounted for the majority of comments: boundaries, competence of supervisees, training and ethics.     

The experience of working with refugees: counsellors in primary care

The provision of counselling services for refugee and asylum-seeking patients is relatively new in the UK and their complex needs may present considerable challenges within primary care, where access to specialist support resources is often limited. As far as we know, no previous research has attempted to look at the experiences of the counsellors who do this work. We undertook in-depth interviews with 13 counsellors who provide counselling to refugees in primary care in north London. The findings of this study suggest that counsellors who work in a primary care setting find themselves conflicted, troubled and out of their depth by the experiences, narratives and distress presented by refugee and asylum-seeking patients. They also report an erosion of usual counselling boundaries. Thus, the problems presented by refugees seem to demand approaches which go beyond standard counselling practice and which create ambivalence and uncertainty. These counsellors express feelings of isolation and impotence. The paper concludes with implications for counselling practice and suggestions for further research.     

Surveying the extent of, and attitudes towards, the use of prayer as a spiritual intervention among British mainstream counsellors

A questionnaire was sent to 578 BACP Accredited Counsellors and 122 CMCS Approved Counsellors to survey the use, and attitudes to the use, of prayer as a spiritual intervention in British mainstream counselling. The data reveal that prayer influences the practice of a significant number of mainstream counsellors at a philosophical, a covert and an overt level. More research needs to be conducted into the value and limitations of this phenomenon.     

The counsellor and the GP: The gulf and the isthmus - or the dilemmas of difference

Research supervision in the field of counselling and psychotherapy is a fruitful area for investigation in view of the fact that the research supervisory relationship is powerful and highly charged, whether consciously acknowledged or not. Researchers trained as counsellors and psychotherapists possess the skills to facilitate the emergence of, and work creatively with, impasses and crises, both in the research itself and the supervisory relationship, as a result of their training and experience in dealing with crisis and catharsis in clinical work. This paper will demonstrate these points using a case vignette from my work as a supervisor of research dissertations undertaken by students on a Masters in Therapeutic Counselling course. Drawing on narrative analysis, clinical supervision theory and discursive analysis it will look at the strengths and weaknesses of a ‘psychotherapeutic’ approach to research supervision.     

Replacing client-centred counselling with culture-centred counselling

Models of psychotherapies and counselling do not develop in a social vacuum. They arise out of and rest on several fundamental assumptions-social, linguistic and cultural-most which are understood and shared by the client group and the therapists andor counsellors. The extent to which there is a congruence of shared assumptions facilitates the process of counselling and/or therapy. It does not, however, guarantee its successful outcome. This paper examines the fundamental assumptions underlying client-centred counselling and argues that there is at present a lack of correspondence between the assumptions of the counsellors and those of their client groups-even within their own culture. But among the client groups comprising the ethnic minorities originating from the Indian subcontinent, there is a wide chasm. The clients do not understand or share the fundamental assumptions of their counsellors. As a result, client-centred counselling is irrelevant and does not serve the needs of the clients groups comprising the ethnic minorities. It is in urgent need of a paradigm shaft. It is argued that client-centred therapy needs to be replaced by culture-centred counselling, in which counsellors can be trained. The paper presents the main features of a model of counselling that is applicable not only to the white indigenous population in Britain but to the above ethnic minorities living in Britain.     

How honest do counsellors dare to be in the supervisory relationship?: An exploratory study

A study was conducted to investigate the extent to which psychodynamic counsellors feel able to disclose sensitive issues in supervision. Ninety-six counsellors in supervision responded to a questionnaire that asked about supervision arrangements, the supervisory working alliance, and the likelihood of disclosing issues such as erotic feelings towards clients and discomfort with the supervisor. Results showed that supervisees were likely to disclose more in individual rather than in collective supervision, when their supervisor was someone whom they themselves had chosen rather than had allocated to them, and when they were supervised independently of the setting in which they counselled rather than in-house. There was a positive correlation between the quality of the supervisory working alliance as experienced by the supervisee and the extent of his or her disclosure. Implications of counsellors feeling inhibited from disclosing particular issues in supervision, and the impact on the quality of their work with clients, are discussed.     

Towards a taxonomy of philosophical counselling

As sympathetic outsiders trying to understand and explain the field of philosophical counselling to other (perhaps not so sympathetic) outsiders, we find ourselves repeatedly asking and being asked two questions: “What is philosophical counselling?” and “What is its relationship to psychological counselling?” In seeking to develop satisfactory answers to these questions, we present a taxonomy of philosophical counselling. This fourfold taxonomy was developed by classifying the work of a range of recognised philosophical counsellors in terms of their declared ends. This taxonomy makes sense of the diversity of the field, while also recognising the underlying coherence. Moreover, the categories of the taxonomy align with existing forms of psychological counselling practice, and in this way the taxonomy enables us to pinpoint the relationship between psychological and philosophical counselling. We end with some consideration of what philosophical counsellors can learn from their colleagues in psychology, especially in relation to the role of empathy and the importance of empirical testing.     

An exploration of the use of Christian prayer in mainstream counselling

Interviews were carried out with seven counsellor trainers from British universities to explore the possible use of Christian prayer in mainstream counselling. The data were analysed using Grounded Theory. The results showed that covert prayer is of benefit as a means of grounding the counsellor, a frame of reference for understanding counselling, and as a way of upholding the client. Overt prayer could be used as a way of expressing emotion and as a method of reformulation, but there are ethical implications. Prayer can be used with clients who are able to step back from the act of praying and reflect on their process. Its use must have regard to the client's spiritual development and be supported by good supervision.     

Constructing and deconstructing psychotherapeutic discourse

This paper reviews recent work on the social construction of the self in counselling and psychotherapy, and argues that we need to attend to the ways in which the therapeutic self is fashioned (a) in relation to the ‘psy-complex' as the network of theories and practices concerned with psychological governance and self-reflection in modern Western culture and (b) in the context of ‘therapeutic domains' outside the clinic and academe, domains of discursive regulation and self-expression which then bear upon the activities of professional and lay counsellors. Therapeutic domains contain repertoires, templates and complexes within which counsellors and clients fabricate varieties of truth and story a core of experience into being. I then turn to describe and assess some of the various ways in which this kind of critical reflection on therapeutic discourse and counselling practice now already underpins the work of social constructionist ‘narrative' therapists. Some attention is given to the different pragmatic and deconstructionist approaches which make the discursive constitution of the problem into the problem, either by dissolving or by externalizing the account the client presents. Here I argue that the activities of social constructionist counsellors can be viewed as forms of deconstruction-in-process (a deconstruction of the discursive frames which have been constructed by the client), but that they should not be viewed as stepping outside the discursive conditions of possibility which ground their work. the psy-complex and therapeutic domains still function as relatively enduring structures which limit the degree to which we may construct and deconstruct psychotherapeutic discourse.     

Positive experiences of doctoral-level supervisors-in-training conducting group-format supervision: a qualitative investigation

Experiential learning opportunities are powerful in shaping positive supervisor behaviours. We were interested in examining the positive experiences of supervisors-in-training during their first practice experience as supervisors. Our study was guided by two research questions: (a) what are the experiences that supervisors-in-training viewed as positive during the course of providing clinical supervision to master's-level counselling trainees? and (b) how did these positive experiences contribute to their professional development? We employed a variation of the consensual qualitative research method developed by Hill, Thompson, and Nutt-Williams (1997) and interviewed 10 supervisors-in-training regarding their positive experiences in supervising master's-level counselling trainees. The results included five major categories of positive experiences: (a) the positive value of feedback; (b) enhanced confidence in using a wider variety of supervision tasks and procedures; (c) the impact of the experience on other aspects of professional practice; (d) increased familiarity with the multiple roles of the supervisor; and (e) for some, increased comfort navigating co-supervision dynamics. Each of these categories included subcategories. We discuss our findings within the context of supervision training in graduate education.     

Career guidance and therapeutic counselling: sharing ‘what works’ in practice with young people

Many young people in the UK and across the world, where austerity measures are biting deep, find themselves at a time of crisis and uncertainty in their lives. The assumptions previously held of clear and straightforward career paths are being challenged and ‘career’ has come to mean more than simply ‘work’ or ‘employment’. This has implications for career practice, where career advisers are engaging with a range of complex issues in their guidance interactions with clients. This article draws on research undertaken with therapeutic counsellors into ‘what works’ when counselling young people. It offers career practitioners the opportunity to reflect on four key emerging themes and to consider how the discipline of therapeutic counselling might inform guidance practice.     

Exploring counsellor perceptions of the impact of counselling supervision on clients

This qualitative study explores counsellors’ experiences and perceptions of how counselling supervision impacts upon their clients. Data collection combined open‐ended questionnaires (n = 13) and semi‐structured interviews (n = 6). The findings indicate that supervision impacts client work both helpfully and unhelpfully. Areas that emerged as having the most direct impact on client work were the counselling relationship dynamics and self‐awareness, professional development, emotional support, clients not discussed in supervision and the quality of the supervisory relationship. Congruence and confidence were the most direct link between supervision and client work.     

Making use of the vignette technique to examine methods of bereavement counselling: An exploratory study

Aim: The principal objective of this small‐scale study was to examine methods of bereavement counselling because of their lack of clarity. Method: The study made use of the vignette technique along with six semi‐structured interviews analysed by means of thematic analysis. Findings: Results showed that bereavement counsellors are using a multitude of different and diverse methods of counselling, characteristic of postmodernism. Advantages of these postmodern methods are that bereavement counselling methods are rich, creative, supportive, pluralistic and attentive to otherness. However, disadvantages of these postmodern methods have led to a lack of consensus amongst experts, unclear methods and an anti‐methodological way of working by counsellors. Implications for practice: Postmodernism is inherent in bereavement counselling. As a result no two counsellors work in exactly the same way because of the difference in their background and experience similarly it can be said that no one counselling method has exclusivity due to the diverse nature of postmodernism.     

Marriage Counsellors’ Reflections on the Counselling Process in Family Courts in India

Family courts in India were established to facilitate speedy redressal of family disputes, particularly matrimonial issues. Marriage counsellors facilitated dispute resolution based on alternative dispute resolution practices. Counselling was mandated for all couples approaching family courts due to marital discord. At present, there is a lack of literature on the process of counselling followed by marriage counsellors in the family courts. The present study used an exploratory research design to understand marriage counsellors’ perspectives on the process of counselling in family courts. Fifty-six marriage counsellors completed open-ended questionnaires on counselling assessment, goals, interventions and the influence of the presence of children on the couple counselling process. Thematic text analysis of the responses revealed a range of areas that counsellors explored, individual and relational goals that they focused on, as well as the interventions used by marriage counsellors in their work with couples. Findings suggested that there was a lack of uniformity in the counselling approaches used by marriage counsellors. Additionally, marriage counsellors reported not being equipped to address some intrapersonal and interpersonal concerns that emerged in the counselling process, despite identifying them. Based on the findings, the paper recommends the need for a unifying framework for training and practice for marriage counsellors working with couples in family courts to conceptualise couples’ concerns as well as guide their goals and interventions. The paper underscores the need for acknowledging sociocultural influences, reflective practice and client feedback in the process of counselling.     

Supervision-competence, confidence, accountability

The need for a shared understanding of the tasks and purposes of supervision for the emerging professions of counselling and psychotherapy is presented Progress to date is reviewed, including a brief account of the initiatives taken by the British Association for Counselling. Taking one definition of the supervision task, its implications are explored and contrasted to other possible definitions. It is suggested that working with trainee counsellors calls for some agreed skills which may not be within the accustomed repertoire of all 'schools of counselling', and a plea is made for group supervision which actively engages all participants. The implications of the ideas in the article for supervisor development and counsellor training are examined.     

An exploration of the experience of Christian counsellors in their work with both Christian and non‐Christian clients,with particular reference to aspects of cultural transition

Aim: This study explores the experience of Christian counsellors working in both Christian and secular settings, paying particular attention to the possibility of regarding their development as a form of cultural transition. Method: Heuristic methodology was used, interviewing 22 counsellors with varying churchmanship (i.e. Christian tradition/denomination) and counselling training. Findings/Discussion: A spectrum of experiences with both Christian and non‐Christian clients emerged. The level of overtness of the counsellors’ faith with these clients varied considerably. Parallels with the experience of these counsellors and that of immigrants in terms of cultural transition are discussed. Conclusions: The experience of Christian counsellors differs with respect to the level of Christian influence (i.e. Christian or secular input) in training, supervision and work context. Those with higher secular influence have less difficulty working with clients with different belief systems and values. Implications: Christian counsellors need to be more reflexive with respect to the effect of their own value systems when working with clients, particularly if they work mostly in a Christian context. Trainers need to be aware of cultural transition aspects in the development of counsellors who have a Christian faith.     

Moving beyond counselling and psychotherapy as it currently is – taking therapy outside

Research was undertaken by the author in order to describe, interpret and explain what happens when counsellors and psychotherapists who have been trained to work indoors with their therapy clients take their therapy practice into outdoor natural spaces. A central research question addressed ‘What happens when counsellors and psychotherapists, who have been trained to work indoors with their therapy clients, take their therapy practice in to outdoor natural spaces?’ Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with therapists who practised outdoors. Three dominant themes emerged critiquing aspects of current counselling and psychotherapy practice. These were related to the unfolding ecological crisis, the context of the work and moving beyond current conceptions of distress and the role of therapy in addressing this.