Group psychodynamic counselling with final-year undergraduates in clinical psychology: A clinical methodology to reinforce academic identity and psychological well-being

Educational institutions should ensure that students develop a professional identity, as well as safeguarding their well-being and activating awareness and change processes. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of group psychodynamic counselling as a means of reinforcing academic identity – considered the forerunner of professional identity – and psychological well-being in a group of final-year undergraduates studying clinical psychology. Thirty-three final-year-students of clinical psychology who participated in six group psychodynamic counselling sessions were compared with sixteen final-year students of clinical psychology who had never participated in an intervention of this kind. The results suggested that group psychodynamic counselling made students feel more capable of managing their lives and more open to new experiences as well as encouraging them to perceive their relationships as more positive and satisfying, to believe that their life is meaningful, and to achieve greater self-acceptance. The in-depth exploration also prompted students to consider their commitment to their choice of career. Group psychodynamic counselling also reinforced students’ educational choice, as the likelihood of students becoming less committed to this choice was reduced after the intervention. Thus, the study confirmed the efficacy of group psychodynamic counselling as a means of reinforcing both academic identity and promoting well-being and demonstrated that it is a tool clinical psychologists and university teachers could use to activate self-reflection and change within educational settings.     

Online counselling in secondary schools: would students seek help by this medium?

Students in secondary schools experience problems that can impact on their well-being and educational outcomes. Although face-to-face counselling is available in most Australian secondary schools, many students, particularly boys, do not seek appropriate help. Research suggests that online counselling can be effective and increase engagement. This study of 215 secondary school students sought to assess students' intention to use online counselling if it was made available in schools. The results found no gender difference in the likely intentions to seek online help though year level was significant and students experiencing psychological distress had a preference for online counselling. If students did use online counselling it was more likely they would discuss sensitive topics rather than for career issues. Implications for school counselling are discussed.     

‘The third person in the room’: Recording the counselling interview for the purpose of counsellor training – barrier to relationship building or effective tool for professional development?

Objective: Audio and videotape interview recording for training and supervision in counsellor education is commonplace within New Zealand, yet researchers have paid little attention to its value perceived by students. This study explores counselling students’ perceptions of the effects of recording counselling interviews on themselves, their clients and on the counselling process. Design: Counselling students from five tertiary educational settings in New Zealand participated in individual or focus group interviews to discuss their experiences of recording counselling interviews. Findings: All interviewees indicated that recording initially curtailed their ability to be completely present in the counselling interview. Some thought this may have negatively influenced their clients’ ability to use the counselling session effectively. Most noted their own increased confidence over time. Almost all considered recording to be extremely beneficial to the development of effective counselling skills. Conclusion: Most students considered the benefits of recording to outweigh the drawbacks. Implications for continuing the practice of recording and playing back interviews in counsellor‐education programmes are considered.     

Counselling in schools: Looking back and looking forward

The history of counselling in schools is briefly outlined. Recent educational reforms have led to a fragmented approach which represents a return to the earlier view that counselling should be provided by outside specialists. This is particularly evident in relation to the issue of student exclusion from schools. It goes against the growing emphasis on the inclusion of students and on attention to the student voice in education. Counselling has an important part to play in enhancing both learning and effective schooling. Interviews with staff and students in two schools are drawn upon. It is argued that a polarisation of the cognitive and the personal/social is false and shortsighted.     

The influence of Confucianism: a narrative study of Hong Kong teachers’ understanding and practices of school guidance and counselling

School guidance seeks to promote the whole person growth of students. It is regarded as an integral part of an educational programme. In Hong Kong secondary schools, a team of teachers are responsible for school guidance. This article examines how guidance teachers made sense of their caring work in general and specifically the counselling services they offered to students. With the use of a narrative analysis and personal experience methods, the study explores the experience of guidance teachers in counselling. Twelve in-service teachers who had enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme at the Hong Kong Institute of Education were interviewed. The influence of the Chinese philosophy of Confucianism, emerging as a theme from the data, was prominent, as its key principles were incorporated into the teachers’ personal systems of counselling. The findings illuminate the influence of Chinese culture in Hong Kong schools. Implications for the promotion of culturally responsive approaches to counselling and culturally competent practices for helping are discussed.     

The squeezing effect: the cross-cultural experience of international students

The experience of overseas students on study programmes in a higher educational setting in the UK is explored, in an attempt to identify, from the perspective of the individual, how/why the self might be affected during this 'transitional' period. The adjustment required in this period involves accommodating oneself within the frames of reference of the host culture, entailing an apparent tendency to attempt to squeeze one's identity within pre-established conventions. Language restrictions and other affective and situational factors are seen as being detrimental to academic performance, having a knock-on effect on the 'self-concept', and on the overall educational experience, respectively. This issue should be addressed in the context of guidance and counselling, and academic and personal support, for international students.     

The ‘tyranny of time’: getting to the heart of the impact of educational cuts on the provision of guidance counselling in Ireland

The Irish Education Act (Government of Ireland 1998) stipulates that each young person in secondary school in Ireland is entitled to access ‘appropriate’ guidance. It has been argued that this very right has been eroded since Budget 2012, where resource re-allocations in guidance counselling are obstructing the requirement for schools to implement this section of the Act. This qualitative study explored the effects of ‘educational cutbacks’ from the perspective of guidance counsellors. Findings from interviews with guidance counsellors, suggest that the effects of such cutbacks in guidance counselling are far-reaching and ultimately students are the one’s losing out. The paper proposes that there is a need to reinstate guidance counselling hours to allow guidance counsellors provide a comprehensive service to young people – which they are entitled to.     

Counselling foreign students: A review of strategies

This article focuses on the unique counselling needs of foreign students as reflected from a review of the literature. As more and more students from developing countries opt to further their education in the West, knowledge about counselling foreign students is of increasing interest. Distinctive aspects of foreign student clients and the typical problems faced by them are described. The issues which need to be addressed and the competencies which need to be developed in order to effectively counsel foreign students are discussed. Finally, specific strategies for counselling foreign students are suggested in the context of general guidelines for cross-cultural counselling.     

Introducing counselling in secondary schools: A case study with reference to frame issues

Abstract

I am a deputy headteacher in a comprehensive school. I believe that the widespread re-introduction of counselling into secondary schools offers possibilities for great benefit, both in terms of the personal well-being and emotional health of students, and also in terms of academic results and other educational indicators. It is my view that, currently, this may particularly be true for boys.

This paper is a double case study: first, of the failure of a student to cope with ordinary schooling because of his emotional difficulties; and, second, of the establishment of a counselling service which resulted from his permanent exclusion from the school.

I allude to some of the theoretical issues which meshed with the practical details of establishing the counselling service, and offer some tentative conclusions about the rationale for counselling in secondary schools and the kind of model which seems most likely to be beneficial.     

Les compétences des enseignants du technique au lycée professionnel

Vocational school teachers face a problem of acceptance. On arrival in a school, they find themselves put under pressure by families, students, the educational establishment and businesses. This paper deals with the gaps and ambiguities that exist between the educational, vocational and professional areas of teaching. In particular, it shows how, during training, teachers refer to their professional experience in order to connect the two areas, and to centre their activities on student training. The gap between professional experience and the pedagogic framework acts as a motor for training and can be seen as an attempt to gain acceptance. It brings into question the views of training and vocationnal psychologist counsellors (COP) in an analysis of vocational counselling related to whether students complete their diploma course or drop out of school.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of counselling intervention with final year undergraduates

This study explores the effectiveness of a short-term counselling intervention model, with final year students, in reducing psychological distress and increasing students' ability to complete their degree programmes successfully. A clinical sample (final year students who consulted he counselling Service) was monitored before and after intervention using the psychometric instrument Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) (Derogatis, 1977). A significant reduction in levels of psychological distress was demonstrated with this sample. In contrast a parallel control sample (final year students who did not consult the Counselling Service but whose initial SCL scores were in the same range) showed no significant change in levels of psychological distress over the same time period. The clinical and educational implications of these findings are discussed.     

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.     

Preparing our future counselling professionals: Gatekeeping and the implications for research

Social science research specific to the identification and prevalence of unsuitable students within counselling, psychology, and social work training programmes is briefly reviewed in this article. This area of enquiry relates to the gatekeeping responsibilities of professional educational programmes, to ensure that their graduates are competent to provide ethical and effective practice to the public. Key issues which impede the usefulness of this gatekeeping literature to counselling educators are raised. These include: methodological inconsistencies which limit the comparison of findings and hence the drawing of sound conclusions; the lack of definitional clarity relating to the construct of gatekeeping; and the confusing array of nomenclature used to represent students’ failure to meet acceptable professional standards. It is apparent from this overview that there are common factors irrespective of nomenclature that are associated with students at risk of not becoming competent entry‐level practitioners. This suggests that a structured approach to terminology is appropriate. There is also evidence to suggest that encountering such students is a regular occurrence for faculty, with students indicating higher numbers of impaired students than educators. A working definition of gatekeeping is provided and nomenclature suggested.     

The future of Canadian counselling psychology: Doctoral students

Little is known about the overall characteristics and beliefs of Canadian counselling psychology doctoral students. An online survey was administered to 43 doctoral students across all Canadian counselling psychology programmes, representing an approximate 26% response rate. Results indicated that the average age of doctoral students in the sample was about 32 years and that the majority were women (about 77% in the sample). Additionally, findings can be taken to suggest that participants were satisfied with their choice of counselling psychology as a career. The doctoral students sampled primarily practised from an integrationist theoretical standpoint and spent very little of their practice time providing formal psychological assessment services or career counselling. Participants generally intervened through individual counselling or psychotherapy and were focused on disorder treatment rather than preventative or developmental services. Curriculum changes that should be considered from the results of this study pertain to the topics of assessment, career counselling, advocacy/media skills, professional identity development and prevention/developmental interventions. The results of this study can also be taken to predict characteristics of the next generation of Canadian counselling psychologists and the future practice of counselling psychology in Canada.     

Characteristics of students receiving counselling services at the University of Cape Town, South Africa

The aim of the study was to document the correlates of receiving counselling services at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. The 932 students who received counselling over a 3-year period were compared with the other 23,158 students registered at the university. Data were obtained from the university computerised record system. Women, Black people and 20-24-year-olds were significantly more likely to receive counselling services. When adjusting for these demographic variables, non-English speakers, humanities students, undergraduates, first-year students, students who were eligible to receive financial assistance, and students from outside Cape Town were significantly more likely to receive counselling. New research is required to determine the reasons for these findings.     

Brief psychodynamic counselling with young adults

Short-term counselling is frequently employed within university counselling services in which there can often be an inherent institutional objective of returning students to the academic treadmill as soon as possible (Coren, 1996). On the other hand, this is perhaps tempered by the availability of counselling throughout the student's academic career, affording them the opportunity to return for further intensive short-term work (or longer-term if indicated or required). However, research into the effectiveness of short-term counselling suggests that interventions of less than eight sessions are as effective as those lasting significantly longer (Barkham, 1989). This may be particularly true in the case of students experiencing transitory problems relating to their life at university. This paper uses a case illustration to examine the value of short-term psychodynamic counselling in a university situation.     

Factors that enhance academic learning and study behaviours: A qualitative study

This exploratory study examined students’ conceptions of factors that enhance the use and application of academic learning and study strategies (LSS). A qualitative approach was used to explore the conceptions of 23 first-year university students (female = 14; age range = 18–24 years). Data were collected using unstructured interviews and narrative sketches. Thematic analysis revealed three themes; namely clarity, emotional intelligence, and life circumstances. LSS clarity showed that knowledge of the self as a learner and well-defined educational goals can enhance engagement in the academic study process. Emotional intelligence as LSS referred to the importance of self-management and emotional regulation; while life circumstances in LSS emphasised the impact of real world challenges that affect the learning process. Student development counselling for LSS should consider the extent to which students have a sense of clarity, emotional intelligence, and life orientation important for their education success.     

Willingness to seek counselling, and factors that facilitate and inhibit the seeking of counselling in Indonesian undergraduate students

This paper describes a study designed to investigate Indonesian undergraduates' attitudes to counselling. It focuses on the results derived from data analyses of a questionnaire measuring the level of willingness to seek counselling, factors inhibiting and facilitating the seeking of counselling in Indonesian students. The exploration was differentiated into professional counselling outside the university and the university counselling services. The self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 1,279 students. The results indicated that the level of willingness to seek counselling was low. The use of social networks was the most important discouraging factor. Wide dissemination of information about counselling services, efforts to enhance confidentiality in counselling and counsellors' understanding of students' world and ways of thinking were strongly suggested to encourage students to seek counselling.     

At the border: reflections on psychoanalytically oriented counselling in an Italian university setting

This paper analyses the ‘border’ position of counselling services in Italian universities. The concept of ‘border’ has great relevance in the work of psychoanalytically oriented university students’ counsellors. Counselling is part of a continuum of interventions, from befriending to psychotherapy. This closeness encompasses the need for identifying specificities and differences among interventions. Moreover, a university counselling service occupies a ‘marginal’ position, continuously confronted with the risks of rejection and/or assimilation. The concept of ‘border’ is also useful to define the developmental phase of university students, crossing the border between late adolescence and young adulthood, as represented by Conrad's novel The shadow line (1917/1999), recently analysed by Green (2008) as the metaphoric demarcation line between youth and adulthood. Finally, most of the students referring to our counselling service come from families that for the first time crossed the border of university education.     

Counselling, counselling skills and encouraging pupils to talk: Clarifying and addressing confusion

The context in which counselling approaches operate in schools is outlined. The issues that arise from the location of counselling skills and the practice of counselling in the framework of pastoral care and of personal and social education are discussed both from a historical perspective and in terms of the current educational climate. Ways in which counselling and counselling skills might be more appropriately and effectively used in schools are considered.