Teaching Counselling Amid the Evolving Evidentiary Landscape

Historically, professional counselling has been mired by “theory wars” involving proponents going to great lengths to prove (either through research or through rhetoric) that their approach was superior to others. This, not surprisingly, led to rancour and division within professional counselling and a form of camp mentality among model adherents. This paper offers an innovative approach to teaching models of counselling that counters such tendencies. The impetus for this approach stems from a robust and growing body of research indicating that counselling models, although often revered among model adherents and assumed to be the sine qua non of effective counselling, now appear to play a smaller role within the therapeutic enterprise. While few (including the present authors) would argue that counselling models are unnecessary, the various lines of research outlined in this paper compel counsellor educators to rethink how counselling models ought to be taught to graduate-level counselling students.

Reflection and Readiness: Shared Benefits of Using an Oral Final Evaluation to Assess Counselor Competency

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted educational systems worldwide, shifting everything from pedagogy to learning environments. The emerging needs and complexities presented during this time has challenged long-standing practices, requiring creativity and innovation to adapt in the midst of uncertainty and accelerated change. This has been the reality within graduate counselling programs where coursework and internships were interrupted, and the counselling environment altered. In the face of such changes, the critical assessment and evaluation of pre-service counsellor competence remains a high priority of counsellor educators. This article outlines the practice of adopting an Oral Final Evaluation (OFE) of post-practicum graduate counselling students as a means of addressing the need to accurately assess counsellor competence in the changed landscape of the current pandemic. This article provides a rationale for integrating an OFE and space for reflection on its implementation, along with feedback from participating students, faculty, and site-supervisors.

A comparison of counselling self-efficacy among international and domestic counselling students

This study examined counselling self-efficacy (CSE) between international counselling students and domestic counselling students. Data were collected from 179 participants. Analysis of the data suggested similar levels of CSE scores between domestic and international counselling students, and between school counselling students and other master’s-level counselling students. However, a significant difference was detected between master’s- and doctoral-level counselling students in terms of their CSE scores. Implications for counsellor educators, counselling supervisors and the counselling profession are provided.

Paradigmatic Challenges in School Counselling: Correlates and Reflections on Practice

We examined the paradigmatic position of school counsellors as it relates to their practice. A survey and interviews were conducted with counsellors, counsellor educators, and teachers. Findings demonstrated that counsellors lacked skills regarding theoretical orientation and applications, counselling practices remained arbitrary and less effective due to the confusion experienced in the adaptation and application of counselling approaches, and the confusion in paradigms stemmed from problems in the identification of local needs, direct transfer of Eurocentric paradigms, training, and professional roles.

A One-Size Relationship Stance Does Not Fit All: Customisation of the Counselling Relationship

Many counsellor education programs require students to undergo intensive training in basic interpersonal skills, such as reflection and summarisation. Not only has research failed to demonstrate the value of such skills in improving client outcomes, but the nondirective counselling philosophy upon which many of the programs are based may be incompatible with the needs and expectations of many clients. This article reviews the research evidence underlying these training programs and then provides both counsellors and counsellor educators with alternative ideas about developing productive relationships with a diverse clientele.