An evaluation of a hospital-based trainee counselling psychology practitioner's service

Counselling psychology is in its infancy in the National Health Service. There is a professional need to evaluate what its practitioners do and with what outcomes. This study is of the work of a trainee counselling psychologist, in a clinical psychology department, and covers his work over 30 months from first appointment. Numerical data were accessed from historical records relating to the author's three working areas: a psychiatric hospital's outpatient department; a university's student health service; and a short-contact primary care counselling clinic. A sample of closed-case clients from the hospital outpatients and the student health service was contacted, and sent questionnaires to elicit their views on the service received. Primary care clients were excluded from this part of the study because of service dissimilarity to the other working domains and access problems. Case loads, case types, frequencies and distributions of client attendances and non-attendances were examined, compared and contrasted using tables, graphs and statistical methods. Clients’ questionnaire responses were tabulated and commented on. It was apparent that although the same general pattern of anxiety-clustered cases predominated in each working area, in other respects the service demands were different. The data have relevance for service design, staffing and management.