A major concern many counselor trainees face when preparing to see their first couple-client is that of confidence because they have had little to no experience in interacting in a professional capacity with couples. Many beginning counselors experience anxiety, which can inhibit their effectiveness with clients (Scanlon & Baille, 1994). Introducing counselor trainees to a relatively non-threatening interaction with couples might reduce the initial anxiety that characterizes the neophyte counselor venturing into new clinical territory. The interaction may also enhance feelings of warmth and closeness of the couples. John Gottman's Oral History Interview (Gottman, 1999) was the protocol used in the interaction between trainee and couple. An instrument developed for this study to measure couple counseling confidence, the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1983), and the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (Schaefer & Olson, 1981) were used to assess levels of counselor confidence, counselor anxiety, and couple intimacy, respectively. The confidence instrument and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to 37 students who were enrolled in four graduate level introductory couple counseling classes and who interviewed couples, as well as to 34 counselor-trainees who were enrolled in five graduate level counseling courses other than couple counseling and who did not interview couples. Analyses of the quantitative data revealed no statistically significant differences in confidence between trainees who interviewed a couple and trainees who did not interview a couple. Analyses of qualitative data suggested there were differences. The Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships was administered to 67 individual couple participants who were interviewed by counselor trainees, and 35 individual couple participants who were not interviewed by counselor-trainees. Analyses of the quantitative data revealed no statistically significant differences in couples who participated in the Oral History Interview and those who did not. Analyses of qualitative data suggested there were differences. Regarding both counselor confidence and couple intimacy, future research using a larger sample size and more refined quantitative methods appears warranted.

The primary purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of an intensive, in-service training program for modifying selected personality traits among para-professional counselor aides restricted to working with emotionally disturbed youth in a residential treatment center. Additionally, an attempt was made to identify the areas in which personality traits were modified, both between experimental and control groups and between males and females.

Neuroscience is increasingly part of the national dialogue regarding mental health. The field of interpersonal neurobiology may offer a framework for helping mental health professionals identify and apply the most relevant neuroscience principles to counseling. This study explored mental health professionals’ experiences learning IPNB. I conducted semi-structured interviews with participants (n = 6), all of whom were licensed mental health professionals and had completed a year-long study in the application of IPNB through Nurturing the Heart with the Brain in Mind. I analyzed the data, along with a research partner, according to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) protocol. Four super-ordinate themes emerged from the analysis: (1) learning process as dynamic and engaging, (2) deepening knowledge and understanding of self and others, (3) personal and professional growth, and (4) impact on therapeutic practice. A number of sub-ordinate themes also emerged through the analysis , including experiential learning; learning through group process; influence of the past on the present; increased understanding of the change process; increased compassion, empathy, and acceptance for self and for others; increased confidence; using IPNB to educate clients; using IPNB to conceptualize clients; and using IPNB to select interventions. Finally, I identified three higher-order constructs that appeared embedded within and across themes: learning as ongoing, person of the participant, and person of the instructor. The findings in this study suggest that participants’ learning of IPNB had a significant impact on their personal and professional development, specifically in areas related to characteristics of effective counselors. The findings also suggest that these meaningful changes occurred in a learning environment characterized by emotional engagement, experiential activities, and group process. Limitations to this research, as well as further discussion of the results are included. Implications for future research, clinical practice, and counselor education are also offered.

M.Ed. / The importance of Career Counselling in secondary schools cannot be over-emphasized. In order to achieve the stated objective, our schools will require well trained and well qualified Career Counsellors who will execute this monumental task with great insight, distinction and knowledge. Differentiated education takes into account the fact that people are not the same and therefore their uniqueness will be considered and catered for by exposing them to career counselling. Learners need to be guided in order to make informed choices. This responsibility of guiding and informing learners should be shouldered by educators who are considered to be well-informed and more knowledgeable about the world of work and different courses. There are socio-economic and political changes that are taking place within the borders of our country and globally. Our learners must be multi-skilled or be exposed in order to brace themselves for this eventuality. The traditional way of doing things is rapidly giving way to modern operational techniques. Career Counselling is important in this instance in order to narrow the gap between tradition and the ever-changing world of occupation. For the Career Counselling to be meaningful and helpful to secondary school learners, educators are expected to assist them with the selection o fa major field, self-analysis, methods of career field analysis, establishment of short range career goals, analysis of employment environments, development of long-range career goals and support the learners in the job search campaign (Charles, 1976: 61). In the South African context a distinction is made between Career Counselling outside and within formal education. It seems that Career Counselling, particularly within formal education, experiences many problems, one of which is the inadequate training of Career Counselling educators and the insufficient provision for training such educators...

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of motivational interviewing (MI) counselor training in a public vocational rehabilitation (VR) setting. Data were collected from a total of 347 participants (67 counselors and 280 clients) in the experimental and comparison groups, during the pre-and-posttests. The counselors in the experimental group received a 4-hour standardized MI training and a 4-week follow up coaching sessions. Results of this study indicated that counselors in the experimental group demonstrated significant gains in their MI competence scores compared to the comparison group. The clients of the experimental group’s counselors significantly improved their engagement in VR services and working alliance with their counselors. Also, counselors’ education level and CRC status showed strong correlation with the posttest MI competence total scores. Finally, working alliance was found to be a significant predictor of client engagement. This study established the preparatory knowledge for the relationship between MI counselor training, client engagement, and counselor-client working alliance in a public rehabilitation setting. The results of this study contribute to the rehabilitation literature by providing evidence-based knowledge and tools designed to improve the quality of VR service outcomes, such as employment, for people with disabilities. With the findings of this research, there is evidence available to provide rehabilitation administrators to justify investing time and other resources into training rehabilitation counselors on the use of MI intervention. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The debate on the quality of services has continued since the establishment of related legislation, and more recently, the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA; Sect. 412, 2014). Prior studies revealed that rehabilitation counselors with a master’s degrees achieve significantly better outcomes than their counterparts with bachelor’s degrees and unrelated master’s degrees (Sherman, Eischens, Leierer, Meola, & Scroggs, 2017; Szymanski, 1991; Szymanski & Parker, 1989) and tend to have higher competitive closure rates for severe disabled consumers (Cook & Bolton, 1992; Szymanski & Danek, 1992; Van Houtte, 2013). Additionally, knowledge domains central to effective rehabilitation practices of professionals in state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) agencies and cluster of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs (Chan et al., 2003; Saunders & Leahy, 2010) continue to be of interest. Empirical studies recognized the importance of data-driven research in all states and have suggested that future research in this area should include participants from each state VR (Beveridge, Leconte, Shain, Del Toro & Penrod, 2015; Froehlich & Linkowski, 2002). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between successful employment outcomes for Florida (a) significantly, (b) severe, and (c) non-severe disabled consumers. Furthermore, the rehabilitation counselors’ (VRC) perceived importance of rehabilitation knowledge as measured by the Knowledge Validation Inventory-Revised (KVI-R; CRCC, 2016), and the VRC’s educational level. Fifty-eight (N = 58) rehabilitation counselors employed within Florida DVR agencies volunteered to participate in this study. The diverse participants reported having earned a bachelor’s (n = 12, 20.7%), master’s (n = 44, 75.9%), and doctoral (n = 2, 3.4%) degrees. The majority of the counselors obtained their degree in rehabilitation counseling (n = 22, 37.9%), followed by degrees in psychology or other fields (n = 13, 22.4% each), social work (n = 5, 8.6%), education (n = 3, 5.2%), and sociology (n = 2, 3.4%). This was the first study in the state of Florida to explore the correlation between the VRC education and employment outcomes in DVR. Non-statistically significant correlations resulted between the criterion and predictor variables. The relationship between the VRCs education, client outcomes, and perceived importance of rehabilitation knowledge was measured using bivariate regression analysis. The implications of the findings, study limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

School counselors have potential to make significant gains in closing the achievement gap for all students as advocated for by the American School Counseling Association. School counseling is moving away from the no-model model of services delivery that places counselors at the whim of principals, parents and teachers who traditionally define counseling duties according to their needs. Instead, it is moving toward a school counseling framework advocated for by national and state organizations. A core concept of these frameworks is the use of evidence-based practices to meet the needs of all learners. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counseling practice developed to assist with resolution of ambivalence and behavior change. Researched throughout the world in a variety of settings from the health professions to prisons, the results show promise in MI for assisting with behavior change in both adult and adolescent populations. MI training is currently available to school counselors at conferences, school district trainings and through self-study. There is little research on the efficacy of MI and school counseling training and implementation. The purpose of this dissertation is to produce two manuscripts related to school counseling and MI. Using a concurrent multiple baseline design, this study focused on the impact of MI feedback and coaching supervision of school counseling graduate students (N=3) with previous beginning MI training in a two day workshop. The hypothesis stated that subsequent feedback and coaching supervision improved school counseling graduate the percentage of MI adherent behavior on the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI 3.1). The global rating scores increased with feedback and coaching supervision and the participants moved from levels of beginning MI competency to proficiency in their mean scores. Participants did not, however, increase the percentage of MI adherent behavior. These score began high and remained high throughout the 10 week duration of the research. Implications for this study include highlighting the importance of feedback and coaching supervision for school counseling graduate students wanting to increase beginning MI skills, and it marks the beginning of research on training and implementing MI in school counseling programs. / Graduation date: 2013

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The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of British Columbia elementary school counsellors, in terms of the following primary research questions: (a) What counsellor competencies were included as part of each elementary counsellor's specialized educational or graduate program, (b) how effective was the educational content and experience in these competency areas, (c) how important is the educational content and experience in these competency areas with respect to their current role as elementary school counsellors, (d) what counsellor competencies are perceived as strengths and weaknesses of elementary counsellor education programs, and (e) what areas should be included in elementary graduate training programs to make them more effective? A list of B.C. elementary school counsellors was developed and 219 elementary school counsellors (67%) completed and returned the questionnaire. Respondents indicated that preparation related to the context of the elementary school was of primary importance to them. Theories were highly emphasized and well taught by counsellor education programs, but were viewed as less important than specific counselling skills and interventions. Implications of this study are discussed with respect to (a) contributing to existing literature in elementary counsellor role description, (b) assisting practicing elementary counsellors by outlining their challenges, recommendations and concerns, and (c) contributing to the development and relevance of elementary counsellor education programs.