Both the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) and the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) require counselor education programs to provide experiential training to group workers (CACREP, 2009; ASGW, 2000). However, no specific models are given to counselor educators to implement the experiential component. Only two research studies have examined the overall structure and type of instructor involvement commonly used in counselor training programs (Anderson & Price, 2001; Merta, Wolfgang, & McNeil, 1993). In addition, researchers have documented ethical concerns in the use of experiential training methods (Davenport, 2004; Furr & Barret, 2000; Riva & Korinek, 2004) including the role of dual relationships, confidentiality, and competency. Student experience of the experiential training is impacted by both the structure of the experiential group and the ethical pitfalls associated with each (Goodrich, 2008). Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the current models of group work and how the structure of these models impacted student attitudes toward ethical concerns of dual relationships, confidentiality, and competency and overall student experience. Members of the American Counseling Association (ACA) who had graduated with their master's degree in the past five years were asked to respond to the Survey of Student Attitudes and Instructor Participation in Experiential Groups online survey. The findings of this study suggested that the most common group work training model is to have a full-time faculty member both instruct the group work course and facilitate the experiential group. In addition, concern over ethical issues was found to be an important component in student's comfort level and belief that the experiential group was instrumental in their development as a group counselor. These results do not support the findings of Anderson and Price (2001) which suggested a growing trend of group work instructors not being both the facilitator of the experiential group and the instructor of the course. However, the findings do support previous research which indicated that ethical concerns do negatively impact student involvement in the experiential group (Davenport, 2004; Hall, Hall, Harris, Hay, Biddulph, & Duffy, 1999).

This qualitative study sought to fill the gap in existing literature on camp counselor training through the following research questions: (1) How have different summer youth camps developed counselor training specific to youth in foster care, (2) what topics and best practices are used by the summer youth camps during their training for their summer camp counselors, and (3) how have those individuals working within the camping ministry field perceived the effectiveness of the training for summer camp counselors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten different camp professionals to answer these questions. The data showed a heavy emphasis on topics such as understanding the background of the campers, especially in the area of trauma and abuse. Camp counselors were more receptive to the training when it was taught in an experiential style, rather than a lecture style. Overall, camp professionals viewed the training they provided for their counselors as effective.

The American Counseling Association recently adopted standards of competency for counselors working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients (Logan & Barret, 2005). Concurrently, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) revised standards to require social and cultural diversity competencies, including LGB counseling competency, to be interwoven throughout counselor education curriculum (CACREP, 2009). Yet the ways that counselor educators are including these initiatives are unknown. Additionally, the factors that improve counselor competency with LGB clients are also unknown. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine counselors' self-perceived competency when counseling lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients and identify variables that are related to and predictive of LGB counseling competence. The quantitative study included 479 members of a southeastern state's professional counseling association including school counselors, community-based counselors, counselor educators, and counseling students. The assessment included an Information Questionnaire to collect data regarding personal and professional background, a Religiosity Index (Lippman et al., 2005; Statistics Canada, 2006), Spiritual Transcendence Index – Modified (adapted from Seidlitz et al., 2002), the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale - Short Form C (Reynolds, 1982), and the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (Bidell, 2005). Among results, counselors felt least competent in their skills with LGB clients, compared to knowledge and attitudes subscales. An ANOVA revealed that counselor educators perceived themselves as significantly more LGB-competent than counselors in other practice settings did. School counselors also reported significantly lower levels of LGB counseling competence than community counselors. Multiple regression analysis revealed that religiosity inversely predicted LGB competence whereas spirituality had a positive predictive relationship with LGB competence. Finally, there was a marked deficit in training experiences involving LGB issues for counselors in the sample. Implications of the findings suggest a need to increase experiential components of counselor training to strengthen counselors' skills with LGB clients, as well as improve the self-efficacy of school counselors in their work with LGB students. A unique finding to the study involved counselor spirituality as a positive predictor of LGB competence, perhaps indicating higher levels of compassion and connectedness to others despite differences; future studies should investigate this relationship further. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to compare three different approaches to the counselor practicum—-or campus practicum, an off-campus practicum, and a role-playing practicum—-with regard to the changes in attitudes, personality, and effectiveness of counseling behavior of counselor trainees produced by each type of practicum.

This study investigated the preparation, practices, and perceptions of Licensed Professional Counselors with respect to counseling children. The purpose was to determine: a) their graduate coursework, continuing education, and post-degree supervision with respect to counseling children; b) their current caseload, preferred counseling method, and professional development with respect to counseling children; and c) their perceptions regarding their formal education, application of skills, efficacy, and credentialing. The participants in this study were 300 Licensed Professional Counselors. The target population consisted of all Licensed Professional Counselors within the United States. A research-developed, on-line survey, the Counselor Training and Practice Inventory, was used to assess the preparation, practices, and perceptions of the participants in this study. In order for educational standards and training requirements to be established for counselors who counsel children, data must be collected regarding the current views and trends of practitioners, both those who counsel children and those who do not. The study may contribute to a better understanding of practitioners within the counseling profession and the population they serve. In addition, findings could be used to aid credentialing boards in determining standards for practitioners and to assess the education and training of practitioners who counsel children.

PERCEPTIONS, EMOTIONS, AND APPRAISALS OF GRADUATE LEVEL COUNSELOR TRAINEES WORKING WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN AND CAUCASIAN FEMALE CLIENTS WITH HIV/AIDS by Pamela McMichen Wright Many people with HIV/AIDS are experiencing increased life expectancy along with a better quality of life due to the advances of HIV/AIDS medications such as highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART). Individuals in this growing population often experience psychological and psychosocial concerns that require the assistance of mental health counselors. Counseling interventions represent one of the most effective ways to address the psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this study is to investigate counselor trainees’ attitudes and perceptions about HIV/AIDS disease and individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Participants are masters and specialists level counseling students enrolled in a large southeastern university that is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The present study will qualitatively and quantitatively measure counselor trainees’ attitudes toward women clients with HIV and women clients without HIV. The study will also quantitatively measure counselor trainees’ potential biases toward black female clients. Several hypotheses will be tested in this study. One hypothesis is that counseling students in the masters and specialists degree programs will express more negative emotions and perceptions about female clients with HIV than about female clients without HIV. The second hypothesis is that these counseling students will express relatively more negative emotions and perceptions toward the African American female clients, particularly the African American client with HIV. Four separate case vignettes will be used in the study. Each vignette is worded identically with the exception of four separate demographic characteristics. One vignette will feature an African American female who is not HIV positive. Another vignette will feature an African American female who is HIV positive. The same pattern will be followed for the other two vignettes, except a Caucasian female will be featured instead of an African American female. The Roseman et al. (1996) cognitive appraisal model will be used to obtain emotional responses about how a client is perceived. A questionnaire will be used to elicit demographic information and counselor training experiences.

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2009) defines a counseling student’s internship as the “capstone” experience in his or her training (p. 60), and the importance and value of the counseling internship experience has been established in the literature (Bernard & Goodyear, 2004; Gibson et al., 2010; Gnilka et al., 2012). However, despite all of its benefits, the masters-level internship process itself can pose several stressful challenges for the counseling intern, specifically “peripheral stressors”. Peripheral stressors refer to those stressful challenges or issues that counseling students face outside of counseling sessions and beyond client work. The purpose of this study was to assess counseling interns’ perceived peripheral stressors when completing their masters-level internship. Research questions included: What are the student-perceived peripheral stressors when completing a masters-level counseling internship? How stressful are these challenges to counseling interns, if at all? Do students in CACREP recommended internship structures experience various stressors differently than students in longer internship structures? Is there a difference in the effect of stressors among demographic groups? A survey was developed and distributed in Qualtrics survey software. The survey was used to identify counseling interns’ perceived peripheral stressors as they relate to the counseling internship, and determine how stressful these challenges are to interns, if at all. The results indicated that some peripheral stressors experienced by interns could be considered “a concern” or “problematic.” Further, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted, resulting in the peripheral stressors being appropriately grouped into six common or underlying dimensions: Deficient Training Experience at Internship Site, Struggles with University Supervisor, Internship Site Selection Process, Personal Wellness and Financial Strain, Meeting CACREP Requirements, and Issues with Internship Site Personnel. The factor scores were then used to compare peripheral stressors in internship across internship structures and other demographic groups through analysis of variance and t-tests. Certain groups of students, including but not limited those employed outside of their counseling internship and those that must find and secure their own internship site, perceived more stress in some of the peripheral stressor factors than other counseling interns.

This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of large group supervision, small group supervision, and combined group and individual supervision on counselor trainees. Specifically, instruments were used to measure the progress in counselor efficacy and counselor development. Analyses of Covariance revealed that all supervision formats produced similar progress in counselor effectiveness and counselor development. Large group supervision, small group supervision, and combined group and individual supervision appear to be equivalent in their effectiveness.

The school counseling field has evolved over the years and increasingly clarified school counselors' job roles and activities (Burnham & Jackson, 2000; Cervoni & DeLucia-Waack, 2011; Shillingford & Lambie, 2010; Trolley, 2011); however, school counselors\' job roles and activities remain inconsistently understood and practiced (Burnham & Jackson; Cervoni & DeLucia-Waack; Gysbers & Henderson, 2012; Hatch & Chen-Hayes, 2008; Herr & Erford, 2011; Lambie & Williamson, 2004; Perera-Diltz & Mason, 2008; Rayle & Adams, 2008; Scarborough & Culbreth, 2008; Shillingford & Lambie; Studer, Diambra, Breckner & Heidel, 2011; Trolley).  School counselors are highly trained in academic preparation programs to perform school counseling job activities in schools (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2008).  At the same time, the job expectations taught in academic preparation programs can differ from the actual school counseling job (Allen et al., 2002; Bodenhorn, 2006; Brott & Myers, 1999; Chambers, Zyromski, Asner-Self, and Kimemia, 2010; Culbreth, Scarborough, Banks-Johnson, & Solomon, 2005; Holcomb-McCoy, 2001; Kolodinsky, Draves, Schroder, Lindsey, & Zlatev, 2009; Milsom, 2002; Mustaine, Pappalardo & Wyrick, 1996; National Office for School Counselor Advocacy [NOSCA], 2011, 2012a; Pérusse & Goodnough, 2005; Sisson & Bullis, 1992; Steen, Bauman, & Smith, 2008; Trolley). As a result, several researchers recommended collecting data on school counselors' perceptions of the effectiveness of academic preparation to perform work related practices (Kolodinsky et al.; Pérusse & Goodnough; Pérusse, Goodnough, & Noël, 2001; Sisson & Bullis; Trolley).   In this dissertation study the author gathered information on and examined discrepancies between school counselors\' reported academic preparation and actual job activities.  The author will describe an overview of the problem in Chapter One, an in-depth literature review will be conducted in Chapter Two, the methodology will be described in Chapter Three, the results of the study will be outlined in Chapter Four, and lastly, Chapter Five will include a discussion of the results of the study, including implications and recommendations. / Ph. D.

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.