Kenneth Gergen’s Social Constructionist Contributions to Counsellor Education

Kenneth Gergen??s seminal contributions to social constructionist thinking have substantial implications for the practice of counselling and psychotherapy, and thus for the training of practitioners as well. This article takes up the latter point, exploring the many deviations from traditional approaches to foundational counselling skills training that arise when educators are informed by constructionist philosophy. The article is written in the form of a dialogic exchange in recognition of Gergen??s emphasis on the relational aspect of knowing, with contributions from two educators accustomed to training graduate level practitioners in basic counselling and psychotherapy practice.     

Making a difference for young people with learning disabilities: A model for inclusive counselling practice

The prevalence of mental health problems in young people with learning disabilities and the disability rights movement provide the background to this paper. The aims are to investigate the inclusivity of counselling; gain insight into inclusive practices; and put forward a model for inclusive counselling practice. Mixed methodology provides quantitative and qualitative data through a survey of counsellors (n = 396) and a series of semi‐structured interviews (n = 15). The results produce six indicators of inclusive counselling, which are used to build a model for inclusive counselling practice: proactive approach to inclusion; focus on building relationships; operationalising equal opportunities policies; inclusive initial assessments; adopting flexible and creative approaches to counselling; and training and awareness raising. The implications for research and practice are to acknowledge the exclusive nature of the profession and address the issue of inclusion through training, professional development and further research in the field. The model for inclusive counselling practice is put forward as a tool for auditing existing counselling provision and as guidance for counsellors and policy makers in increasing inclustion of young people with learning disabilities in mainstream counselling.     

Some ethical dilemmas in counselling and counselling research

This paper raises a number of dilemmas in relation to the ethical practice of counselling, counsellor training and research and evaluation of counselling which reflect the author's increasing concerns about therapeutic ethics. A number of relevant issues are explored to develop awareness and understanding of ethical matters, though this is in the spirit of exploration and inquiry rather than having definitive answers to offer. These issues include: use of training videos of therapists with real clients; informed consent; how research and evaluation changes the therapeutic process; how sensitive and ongoing consent for counselling and counselling research could be best obtained; publication of research in ways that respect the research participant; and the value and implications of the new British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy ethical framework. Finally, the concept of 'ethical mindfulness' is considered as a creative, if demanding, response to a concern to be ethical in research and practice.     

“That is just your stuff”: The potential use and abuse of congruence in counselling and psychotherapy practice and training

This piece discusses the potential use and misuse of congruence within counselling training and practice. A definition of congruence is provided, and how deliberate misuse of congruence could result from two separate emotional communications (bullying and gaslighting) is discussed. Current representations and misrepresentations of congruence in counselling and psychotherapy have been highlighted. A new term of “Intentional Congruence Misuse” was coined to explain this position (not to be confused with incongruence). “Intentional Congruence Misuse” is the deliberate bullying of another individual using terms related to congruence. A discussion has been provided to emphasise the evident implications for counselling, psychotherapy practice and training. The author acknowledges that this opinion piece will be from a biased perspective. Still, it does not aim to detract from others who have found their therapy and counselling training beneficial.     

Cultural diversity: Mapping the experiences of students on an international counsellor training programme

This research study explores one part of a diverse counselling training landscape in the shape of an international postgraduate education and training programme for counsellors. The research sample includes participants from Tanzania, the Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Iceland, Japan, Greece, Portugal, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Cultural diversity is examined in relation to the learning and development of international counselling students. Qualitative analysis of interview data is used to identify issues related to student expectations, the process of becoming a counsellor and student learning outcomes. Some issues in counsellor training appear to be shared across all international students, while other issues arise from specific cultural backgrounds of students. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Re-evaluation counselling: Personal growth through mutual aid

The extent of the Re-evaluation Counselling Communities in the USA and the UK is outlined. A brief summary of the theory of re-evaluation counselling and of the techniques and methods of co-counselling is given; the difference between re-evaluation counselling and other cathartic therapies are described; and its implications for counsellors and therapists of other schools are examined. Finally, the procedures adopted on a 20-week evening training course are summarised, together with an account of the participants' evaluation of the theory, and the provisions for continuity and follow-up.     

Financial and practical implications of counselling psychology training: A student survey

It is common knowledge that students make considerable sacrifices in order to pursue a course of study, and there is no reason to belive that counselling psychology trainees are any differnt in this regrd. The results are presented of a survey of 56 postgraduate students in the greater London area which addressed some of the practical and financial implications of counselling psychology training. While none of the respondents was registered on a BPS recognised course, the majority intended to become Chartered Counselling Psychologists. Many t rainees had considerable debts as a consequence of having to pay tution fees, for personal psychological counselling and in some cases to for the supervision of their practical work with clients. Most trainees found that they had to set up their own practice placements, which were unpaid, and had difficulty doing so. The majority of respondents devoted, on average, 30 hours per week to their studies while nearly 60% had a paid job (not related to counselling) to help them cover their expenses. Inplications are discussed for conunselling psychology training in the 1990's and beyond.     

Spiritual Experiences in Counselling

Three questions are addressed. First, what are spiritual experiences? The one-two-three-infinity theory of spirituality is questioned, and it is suggested that there are at least nine distinguishable spiritual experiences. Second, how do we use such experiences in counselling? Examples are given of how this approach is useful in counselling. and particularly in dream work. The importance of intuition is stressed, and group work is discussed. Third, what are the implications for the training of counsellors? The issues of ego inflation and psychosis are raised, and it is suggested that the training of future counsellors needs to include the coverage of such issues, as well as the more general material dealt with in this paper.     

Counsellors' attitudes towards Disability Equality Training (DET)

This paper explores the attitudes and conceptions held by trainee and practising counsellors towards people with disabilities. Awareness of counsellors' own views of disability and impairment can complicate the counsellor-client relationship when the latter is seen primarily from a deficiency model perspective or self-defined model of disability, rather than a person in their own right. DET was introduced to 25 counsellors on a postgraduate training programme. Participants indicated that coverage of disability awareness and equality issues was vital if they were to reflect the principles of open access to counselling services for all, as set out in the Disability Discrimination Act Part III (1996, 1999). Benefits and implications of inclusion of this subject area in counsellor training and suggestions for content are considered in the light of the author's own experience of counselling as a disabled person.     

Career development of counsellors

Unlike nursing or social work, counselling is not yet a statutory profession and there is no obvious career progression route. To explore the ways in which graduates of a counselling programme use their training a questionnaire was sent to 143 counselling students who had completed a minimum of Diploma level training. The questionnaires were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The key findings are that students embark on counselling training for both professional and personal development. The majority find some paid work. Many are engaged in unpaid counselling work, either solely or as well as paid work. Counsellor training is seen as providing good preparation for work but inadequate preparation for the job market. Some recommendations are made for training courses.     

Barriers and challenges in the practice of multicultural counselling in Malaysia: A qualitative interview study

Counsellors face a lot of problems and stressors in their daily lives. As a person, counsellors may face challenges to deal with their personal expectations and responsibilities in life, work, family and community. As a professional, counsellors may face difficulties in dealing with professional issues and ethical dilemmas in their professional practice such as countertransference and value conflicts. These raise issues concerning their perceived multicultural competence and the adequacy of their training. Informed by a multicultural counselling perspective and drawing on semi-structured interviews with 12 professional counsellors in Malaysia, this study discusses the types of barriers and challenges faced by Malaysian counsellors and how these challenges were manifested and addressed in the cross-cultural counselling sessions. Results revealed five emerging themes based on participant counsellors’ responses on the barriers and challenges encountered in their practice of multicultural counselling in Malaysia. These were challenges related to counsellors’, clients’, presenting issues’, third-party and specific contexts’ characteristics. Research implications for the education and training of counsellors in the specific Malaysian socio-political context are also discussed.     

Client perspectives on counselling: Before,during and after

This four‐year study investigated the under‐researched area of first‐time users’ perceptions of counselling and how these evolved over time. Research participants were drawn from six settings within university counselling services, the voluntary sector and primary care. Using an interpretive hermeneutic framework based on thematic analysis, 30 interviews were carried out. Results revealed that before counselling, participants were uncertain about the nature of counselling and what to expect, described stigma associated with peer influence and varying levels of confusion about specialist language. During counselling, participants experienced some level of positive change. At the same time, divergences of counsellor and client perception highlighted theoretical issues concerning counsellor approach and the exploration of emotions. Post‐counselling interviews revealed further positive change, and practical issues with implications for counsellor training and practice in terms of client assessment, preparation for counselling and the influence of cultural assumptions on theory and practice.     

Towards community self-help in higher education

The development of a peer counselling programme by students at the University of Birmingham and by counsellors in training at the nearby University of Aston is described. The growth and development of the programme in terms of content, structure and rationale over the past two years are outlined, as are the results and implications of the development of new communication channels that it has facilitated on campus. The project's emphasis has shifted from providing services for others to concern for self development, and the implications both of this and of the programme's contribution to community development within the campus are discussed.     

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.     

Psychodynamic counsellor training integrating difference

Abstract

Psychodynamic counselling has been criticized for being inflexible, authoritarian, antiquated and unresponsive to the issues of modern-day society. Psychodynamic counsellor training is sometimes seen as a poor relation of ‘proper’ psychotherapy therapy training. This article is written by two psychodynamic counselling course trainers who have wresded with the above criticisms and who have striven to deliver a training course that is coherent in its adherence to a psychodynamic counselling model but which embraces equal opportunities issues and takes account of a diverse society. The article focuses on ways in which sexual identity, race and culture are integrated into the course curriculum and indeed into the course philosophy and community. Traditional psychoanalytic interpretations of homosexuality are challenged and multicultural counselling ideas are merged with psychodynamic counselling theory and skills.     

Theory and Practice: Ernest Becker: a vital resource for counselling psychology

In this article we highlight the work of Ernest Becker for counselling psychology professionals and provide a brief overview of Becker's contributions. Several important themes from his writings relevant to counselling psychology are reviewed, including: the uniqueness of man, socialization and self-esteem, culture and heroism, the relativity of heroism, the fear of death, and the dynamics of evil. We also discuss some of the implications of Becker's work for counselling psychology and counselling psychology professionals, including: providing an integrative perspective on human behaviour and development, implications for multicultural counselling, understanding the hero system, the centrality of death in life, and helping people make meaning. We consider Ernest Becker's work a vital resource for counselling psychology.     

Experiences of lecturers helping distressed students in higher education

Lecturers in higher education frequently attempt to support distressed students, yet most lecturers have no training in counselling. In order to gauge the extent to which lecturers are called upon to help distressed students, a survey was conducted of the experiences and opinions of lecturers in a British higher education institution. The incidence of helping students in distress appeared to be very high, almost all respondents (97%) having advised one or more distressed students during the twelve-month period preceding the survey. Further findings and implications of the survey are discussed.     

Globalising counselling: humanistic counselling in Kenya

This paper explores the application of a Western, psychologically-based model of counselling and counselling training in contexts where the social and cultural conditions differ from mainstream Western societies. A group of Kenyan trainee counsellors following such a course are interviewed about their experience of training. The interview data are analysed to provide a tentative answer to the question of the appropriateness in a Kenyan cultural milieu of a humanistic counselling training model developed in the UK. It is concluded that such application is possible and desirable, if it is undertaken as shared and respectful learning between trainers and trainees.