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Please join this experiential session which will provide an opportunity for meditative reflection on your conference learning and experiences. For those unfamiliar with mandala, brief introductory background will be provided before inviting attendees to create a personal mandala. Group discussion, including ideas for instructional uses of mandala creation, will conclude our time together. Added benefits of mandala creation include reduced anxiety, and increased relaxation and positive emotions

The purpose of this study was to discover the impact of counselors' note-taking on their interview recall, clinical judgment, and general judgment of clients. The notes taken by the subjects were analyzed to discover the role that notes play in the counseling process. Thirteen master's students in the Rehabilitation Counseling program were recruited as participants. The results indicate that counselors' note-taking does not enhance their ability to recall but reviewing complete notes does. In addition, counselors' capability of clinical judgment is not different whether they take notes and review, take notes but do not review, do not take notes, or review complete notes. There is no evidence showing that note-taking helps or impedes counselors from making accurate clinical judgment. The qualitative analysis of the notes indicates that subjects do not take notes with observable organization and enough content. Thus, the result suggests that counselors do not spend much cognitive effort on taking notes and do not utilize note-taking as a strategy to manage information. Moreover, when subjects refrain from taking notes, they can perform on recall and clinical judgment as well as when they take notes in the session and when they review complete notes. Thus, it is suggested that novice counselors would be better off not taking notes if they cannot take complete notes. However, there is also some evidence suggesting that counselors may perceive the client differently when they do not take notes in the session. The results suggest that counselor educators can develop strategies for counselors-in-training to create complete notes. Future research can recruit experienced counselors as participants for comparison.

Counselors and counselors-in-training are expected to provide affirmative and competent counseling services to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients. Counseling self-efficacy, a construct based on the tenets of social cognitive theory, is a useful framework to assess counselors’ perceptions regarding their competencies in providing such services. To date, little is known about factors that may either enhance or inhibit counselors’ LGB counseling self-efficacy beliefs. In the present investigation, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test two conceptually derived models consisting of predictors of counselor trainees’ LGB counseling self-efficacy beliefs. For the first model, trainees’ LGB focused personal, clinical, and training experiences, sexual identity exploration and commitment, attitudes towards LGB persons, and levels of lesbian and gay (LG) threat were examined in order to determine their levels of influence on counselor trainees’ LGB counseling self-efficacy. The second model was a mimic model that tested whether counselor trainees’ sexual orientation identities moderated the other variables’ influences on LGB counseling self-efficacy. The second model also examined differences in self-efficacy beliefs between heterosexual and non-heterosexual participants. These models were tested on 406 counselors-in-training who were recruited via the Internet. Using Structural Equation Modeling analyses it was found that LGB attitudes and LG threat both significantly and partially mediated the relationship between counselor trainees’ experiences and LGB counseling self-efficacy such that, for trainees’ with positive attitudes and lower LG threat, more experiences predicted higher LGB counseling self-efficacy. Sexual identity exploration and commitment, however, did not predict LGB counseling self-efficacy. The mimic model indicated that counselor trainees’ sexual orientation identities were a significant predictor of LGB counseling self-efficacy. It was also discovered that trainees’ experiences and LG threat remained significant predictors of self-efficacy while LGB attitudes did not. Finally, it was found that non-heterosexual trainees endorsed higher efficacy as compared to heterosexual trainees. A post-hoc analysis was conducted to determine whether sexual identity exploration and sexual identity commitment differentially impacted LGB counseling self-efficacy. Results suggested that sexual identity exploration fully mediated the relationship between counselor trainees’ experiences and self-efficacy. Yet, sexual identity commitment did not significantly impact self-efficacy. The findings from this investigation reveal the importance of counselor training and clinical experience on LGB counseling self-efficacy, as well as the importance of exploring barriers on LGB counseling self-efficacy. This study’s strengths, limitations, contribution to research, training, and practice are discussed, as are suggestions for future research. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

This study investigated predictor variables of the Counselor Rating Form dimensions of expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness using the predicted variable of therapy outcome, measured by Goal Attainment Scaling and postcounseling scores on the Counselor Rating Form. One hundred-fifteen mental health center outpatients agreed to participate. Forty subjects (25 females and 15 males) met all criteria and were labeled "completors." An additional 30 subjects, labeled "dropouts," enrolled but did not meet criteria. These subjects' data were considered in a separate analysis for prediction of treatment continuation. All subjects rated their own need for therapy before their initial interview. After the initial and final interviews, both the subject and the counselor completed the Counselor Rating Form, rating their perceptions of the counselor1s behavior during that session. The Goal Attainment Scaling was used to generate both pre- and postcounseling outcome scores on each subject's individual, personalized goals.

Researchers have supported the use of cotherapy in both training and application for couple and family counseling as a clinical practice. However, there is not enough evidence to determine whether cotherapy can meet the learning needs of counselors-in-training more comprehensively than other forms of live supervision. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the training experiences of postgraduate couple and family counselors who participated in cotherapy with a clinical supervisor. These experiences were examined using social and experiential learning theories. A modification of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method served as the procedural guide for the analysis. Hand-coded interview data from 7 licensed marriage, couple, and family counselors (MCFC) and MCFC interns revealed that individual factors such as anxiety and expectations, relational factors such as trust and support, and procedural elements of the cotherapy practice contributed to a perception of efficacy in the cotherapy process. Trainees believed these factors positively influenced their self-efficacy and clinical competency. The results of this study can offer insight into how counselor educators might better prepare trainees for specialized work with couples and families by using cotherapy effectively as a systems-congruent approach to their supervision plans. Such information may contribute to improved quality of care to client systems and better protection of consumers.

This study investigated the impact of counselor smoking behavior upon nonsmoking clients' perceptions of therapists both during and at the conclusion of treatment. Clients' impressions when counselor smoking behavior was consistent across sessions and when counselors smoked in only the first or only the second interview were examined. In addition, the effect of therapists' smoking behavior on the outcome of counseling was assessed in two ways: changes in clients' career decisiveness and counselors' ability to influence client behavior. Eighty-two female undergraduates met with a vocational counselor for two sessions during which the counselor either smoked or refrained from smoking. Prior to the first interview, subjects completed the Behavioral Indecision Scale. Subjects then met and discussed their vocational concerns with a counselor. Following the interview, subjects completed the Counselor Rating Form and the California Occupational Preference System. The latter instrument, an interest inventory, was interpreted by the counselor during the second interview. The Counselor Rating Form and the Behavioral Indecision Scale were again administered following the conclusion of treatment. Data were analyzed by 2 (counselors) X 2 (conditions) X 2 (interviews) multivariate analyses with repeated measures on the third factor. No significant differences emerged for clients' perceptions when the counselors' indulgence in or restraining from smoking was constant from the first to the second sessions. Similarly, clients' impressions did not differ in relation to the inconsistency of counselors' smoking behavior from the first to the second interviews. In addition, subjects' compliance to a counselor initiated behavioral task and reported certainty of career choice were not differentially affected by counselors' smoking behavior. In conclusion, this study suggests that it makes no difference in nonsmoking clients' impressions of therapists and in counseling outcome if the latter smoke during treatment. Suggested variables to further explore include the effects of counselors' smoking in brief and extended psychotherapy, the impact of therapists' smoking implements other than cigarettes, and smoking clients' perceptions of smoking therapists.

This study explored the effects of counselor dress style and counselor and subject gender on clients' expectations about counseling. Two hundred fifty undergraduate students were given Tinsley's Expectations About Counseling questionnaire. Dress style was shown to have no effect on the expectations measured. Significant main effects were found for client gender, counselor gender and their two way interaction on the measures of responsibility, acceptance, confrontation, empathy, genuineness, tolerance, trustworthiness, concreteness, and immediacy. Post hoc analysis revealed that both male and female participants had higher expectations of female counselors than male counselors. Participants of both genders also expected female counselors to be more confrontive, genuine, trustworthy, concrete, and accepting than male counselors. They also had a higher expectation that counseling would address their immediate concerns.

Altruism is loosely defined as a desire to help others as well as acts and behaviors towards that end, particularly when no expectation of personal gain or reward exists (Batson, Fultz, Schoenrade & Paduano, 1987). It seems likely that individuals who choose to pursue acareer in counseling might be doing so out of some altruistic interest; in other words a desire to come to the aid of others in distress. It has been noted as well that some individuals may enter the counseling profession based more on self-interest; for example, as "wounded healers" hoping to work on personal issues (Wheeler, 2002). Some researchers (Shapiro &Gabbard, 1996) hypothesize that overstated altruism may lead to burn-out and fatigue among some counselors whereas those who have limited altruism may have difficulties empathizing with clients. Despite the apparent relevance of altruism to counseling as a profession, very few studies have investigated the level of altruism among those in the field. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between altruism and personality variables in beginning counseling students. It is currently unclear to what extent altruism is a state (situational) vs. a trait (inherent). Grasping a greater sense of what constitutes altruistic behavior among beginning counseling students may benefit researchers in understanding the potential difficulties Shapiro & Gabbard (1996) suggest; i.e., burn-out, limited empathy or even self-gratification. The population in this study was 87 students entering a Master's degree in Counselor Education at a large, public institution in the Southeastern Unites States. The subjects completed the following assessments at orientation to their program: The Robinson-Heintzelman Inventory (an instrument designed to study altruism vs. self-interest in counselor education students), the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B). It was hypothesized that higher scores on altruism would correlate with the intuitive and feeling dimensions of the MBTI and low scores on wanted inclusion, wanted affection and expressed control on the FIRO-B. The hypotheses were not supported in this study; the only finding of statistical significance was the correlation between the thinking dimension of the MBTI and the total score on the RHI. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Counselor educators are charged with facilitating the development of counseling students towards becoming ethical and competent counselors (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2005; Council for Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2009). In addition, counselor educators serve as gatekeepers for the profession and deny entry to counseling students who demonstrate deficiency of necessary competencies (ACA, 2005; Association for Counselor Education and Supervision [ACES], 1993; CACREP, 2009). Numerous assessment tools utilized for the evaluation of counseling competencies have been developed, yet none has gained universal acceptance in the field of counselor education. The Counseling Competencies Scale© (CCS, UCF Counselor Education Faculty, 2009) is a 32 item counseling-student assessment tool developed to measure counselors-in-training counselor competencies (counseling skills, professional dispositions, and behaviors). The psychometric properties of the CCS have been investigated (Swank, 2010); however, questions related to perceptions, purposes, and uses of the CCS remained. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive, exploratory phenomenology was to understand counseling students‘ and practicum supervisors‘ lived experiences with the CCS. The sample included counseling practicum students (N = 23 [individual student interviews only, n = 11; student focus group interviews only, n = 4, individual student interviews and student focus group participants, n = 8]) and practicum supervisors (N = 6) from a CACREP accredited counselor education program in the Southeastern United States. The data was collected through individual interviews and focus groups with practicum students and individual interviews with practicum supervisors. All data was recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes (Creswell, 2007; Moustakas, 1994). The data analyses utilized a research key iv comprised of 34 meaning units (Devenish, 2002; Moustakas, 1994) and identified five themes within the data: (a) Cognitive understanding, (b) Emotional Understanding, (c) Feedback, (d) Trustworthiness, and (e) Gatekeeping. A visual metaphor was developed to illustrate the interaction of the five themes. Trustworthiness measures employed throughout the research included the use of (a) descriptions of researcher positionality, (b) a self-reflective field journal, (c) triangulation (student and supervisor individual interviews, student focus group interviews, and examination of the CCS document), (d) member checking, (e) peer debriefers, (f) an external auditor, (g) an extensive description of previous literature, and (h) an openness to disconfirming evidence (Creswell, 2007; Marshall & Rossman, 2006; Moustakas, 1994). The results supported that counseling students and their clinical supervisors identified the CCS as an appropriate and comprehensive supervisory tool; however, they acknowledged CCSrelated limitations including inconsistent application, problematic scoring system, pass/fail structure, and delivery by instructors and practicum supervisors who demonstrated minimal investment of time and effort. Implications for counselor educators include the importance of program and faculty members‘ engagement and consistency regarding the use of (a) evaluation and feedback tools, (b) remediation and gatekeeping processes, and (c) counseling student performance expectations. Replication of this study at diverse institutions is suggested. In addition, quantitative and qualitative investigations examining counseling student competencies and development (e.g., CCS) would contribute to the counselor education, counseling-student development, and counseling supervision literature. A discussion of the investigation‘s limitations is included.