From 2011 to 2012, 1.1 million workers were impacted by work related stress, lack of professional support and bullying (Health and Safety Executive, 2013). "Burnout" is not easily defined but it can be described as a phenomenon that affects both the personal and professional dimensions of an individual's life. This study investigates counselling psychologists' experience and management of "burnout" using the qualitative method of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Six qualified counselling psychologists from the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States of America were interviewed via telephone. The three main themes that were found are: (1) "batteries run out" which includes the physical and emotional effects, as well as the disillusionment of the reality of the profession, (2) "Prisoner of an eroding system" describes the professional dimension of the experience such as locus of control, effect on client work, boundaries and values, and (3) "Recharging the batteries" which gives an insight into how the participants managed their experience, such as their personal view of "burnout", the issue of reclaiming their space and time, as well as the role of support. Overall, there was an underlying sense that the participants wanted to be taken care of by others but were unable to ask for help. The relevance of this study to the field of Counselling Psychology is discussed in relation to theory and professional practise. The limitations and shortcomings of this investigation are highlighted and suggestions for future research are made.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-98).

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.92-111).

Initiation as a rite of passage is strongly linked to the history and practice of psychotherapy and counselling psychology. The absence of recent studies on this topic encourages research in this area. This research investigates the initiation experiences of seven female participants as they became qualified as psychotherapists and counselling psychologists, i.e. in their ‘becoming a therapist’. Data were collected through open-ended interviews, and narratives analysed using the interpretive-constructivist version of grounded theory developed by Charmaz. The emerged grounded theory (considered a preliminary theory due to the limited number of participants) highlights the interplay between two fundamental agencies of the self: Being and Doing. Their interaction allows female therapists to engage in several inner and outer tasks affecting the shaping of their sense of self. The theory highlights a dynamic and non-linear process of identity transformation and shows how female therapists relate to transitions and changes on a personal and professional level. The emerged theory is relevant and informative for the current practice of counselling psychology, as it emphasises the importance of female therapists' personal and professional development. By considering the psychological impact and influence of initiation, it highlights how the process of female therapists' becoming unfolds and shows how this can serve their clinical practice.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of STIPS case note documentation and SOAP case note documentation on counseling trainees' perceived case conceptualization abilities. By training master's level counseling students in the use of case note writing and then asking them to rate their perceived conceptualization this study looked at an area of training that has received little attention in the past. This study attempted to begin the process of understanding if case note documentation could be an area that could help counseling students develop their case conceptualization skills.Quantitative and qualitative data analysis was utilized due to the exploratory nature of this study. The quantitative portion examined how the case note documentation affected trainees' perceived case conceptualization abilities while the qualitative portion examined patterns in the responses of participants to open-ended questions about case note documentation.The quantitative results showed that there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of their perceived case conceptualization. The qualitative results indicated that there are benefits and drawbacks to both the STIPS and the SOAP case note formats. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-136).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-116).

M.A. / Career counselling is an activity that influences a wide range of people, from primary school age, to adults in their fifties and sixties. Current writers on the subject, for example Hansen (1997), and Gysbers (1998) are increasingly bringing out the view that career development is a life span issue, and that it affects other life roles. This view should also be seen in conjunction with post-modern approaches to careers and work. These approaches emphasise the rapid technological changes of the 1990's, and the increasing unpredictability and uncertainty in careers. These factors create new and demanding roles for career counsellors, who will have to increase their range of skills. The above factors illustrate the importance of career counselling, and the purpose of this study is to attempt to fill a perceived gap in the literature, and provide more information on the status and standing of career counselling in South Africa as practised by registered psychologists. Questionnaires were issued by mail to a sample of registered psychologists, and their responses form the data for this study. Aspects to be investigated include the training of career counsellors, how long they have been in practice, what tests they use, which counselling methods they follow, and what their opinions are concerning the practice of career counselling in South Africa. A theoretical overview of career counselling models is presented, and an examination of recent trends in career counselling is set forth. A quantitative analysis will provide a more detailed breakdown of the responses of the members of the sample, while a qualitative analysis will list the main themes detailed by the respondents. Projections are undertaken to illustrate possible scenarios concerning the amount of time available for psychologists to provide career counselling for students. The recommendations arising from the study may be summarised as follows. Ensure that career guidance programs be installed in as many schools as possible. Increase the amount of training that career counsellors receive, and examine the possibility of specialisation in career counselling. Attempt to increase the role that businesses play in the career counselling process at schools. Ensure that the needs of minority and disadvantaged groups are met. Implement further research to examine which other groups besides registered psychologists are performing career counselling.

The journey towards becoming a counselling psychologist, in South Africa, includes the completion a 12 month internship. The internship year holds many challenges and demands for novice professionals and aims to assist them in making the transition from student to professional. This study aims to explore the subjective experiences of intern counselling psychologists and the critical incidents which assist them in making this transition. In addition, it aims to identify experiences impacting on the interns’ professional development and professional identity. Three registered counselling psychologists, who completed their internship at a South African university counselling centre within the last year, were recruited and participated in individual interviews. These interviews were semi-structured and followed the Critical Incident Technique method. Each interview was voice recorded and transcribed. The data collected was analysed using thematic content analysis. As the research design is qualitative, using a phenomenological approach, the focus is on presenting information-rich and detailed descriptions of participants “lived” experiences of their internship year. It attempts to understand significant incidents or events which influenced the participants’ professional and personal development as they navigate through this ambiguous period to become independent and ethical practitioners. Four predominant themes emerged from the data collected, which include a discussion pertaining to professional boundaries and limitations, learning within the internship environment, the effects of professional and personal support and, lastly, the transition from dependent to independent professional functioning.

Teaching is a central role of counselor educators. However, teaching in counselor education lacks guiding standards or best practice recommendations. Existing scholarly dialogue predominantly features the perspectives of educators and addresses content knowledge, techniques, activities, and assignments for courses across the curriculum with relatively less emphasis on foundations of teaching. The purpose of this study was to develop greater understanding of counselor educator dispositions, orientations, and behaviors that students perceive as important to their learning. Q methodology was utilized to gather and distill counselor education students’ (N = 48) preferences for characteristics identified via focus groups and a comprehensive literature review. Factor analysis revealed four distinct factors, upon which 45 participants’ sorts loaded and which accounted for 41% of total variance. The findings of this study support the importance of the person of the counselor educator in the teaching and learning process in addition to behavioral characteristics. Moreover, these findings support the use of student learning style assessments and customization of course facilitation to fit students’ unique preferences and values.