Examining the Experiences of Counselor Trainees towards Practices in Individual Counseling Practicum Course

The aim of this study is to examine the experiences of the counseling trainees regarding the first practices they have carried out within the scope of Individual Counseling Practicum course. In the current study, phenomenological method based on qualitative approach was used. The sample group of the research consists of 20 participants who are senior students of the Counseling and Guidance undergraduate program and have completed their counseling practices. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed by inductive thematic analysis method. The experiences of the trainees were classified under 6 categories as a) the problems faced by trainees, b) the resources they use to solve their problems, c) their perceptions and experiences of their client's culture, d) contributions of the practices to them, e) their preferences for clients and f) the use of Culturally Sensitive Counseling course contents in counseling practices. The findings of the present study concluded that while the trainees were anxious due to the problems which they encountered during the practicum; they enjoyed many contributions of experiencing counseling. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made.

The Assessment of School Counseling Competencies as a Tool to Support School Counseling Students, Supervisors, and Training Programs

The Assessment of School Counseling Competencies (ASCC) is a measure designed to assess school counseling trainees’ student learning outcomes in four domains: (a) school counseling program development; (b) academic, career, and social/emotional student services; (c) evaluation and assessment; and (d) professional dispositions and behaviors. The ASCC aligns with standards from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs and the American School Counselor Association, supporting sound evaluation processes and continuous programmatic improvement. This article (a) reviews the developmental needs of school counselors in training and the importance of sound evaluation measures; (b) introduces the ASCC as a tool to promote the development of reflective, ethical, and effective school counseling professionals; and (c) offers implications of the ASCC for quality program evaluation and research.

Mindfulness Practices in Supervision: Training Counselors’ Experiences

The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a descriptive understanding of couple and family counseling trainees’ experiences of using mindfulness techniques in their group supervision course. Counselor educators have called for additional research on the topic of mindfulness in counseling training programs because the current literature shows differing outcomes. The six trainees who participated in this study had completed between 1 and 2 years of coursework at the graduate level and were beginning their practicum requirements through the University’s counseling center. The counseling trainees participated in a focused mindfulness activity as a way to transition from their busy everyday routines to discussing and reflecting on their client’s progress, as well as their own experience within the therapy setting. Themes from the trainee’s responses highlighted a positive experience to learning mindfulness. Some trainees, however, expressed concern with using mindfulness in the therapy room until they felt more practiced in the techniques. Overall, our findings indicate that the use of mindfulness as a supervisory tool produced many benefits in the course of training. Implications for both training practices and future research on mindfulness with trainees are discussed.

The Journey of Service Delivery Competence in Applied Sport Psychology: The Arc of Development for New Professionals

A fundamental issue in applied sport psychology is the development of competent professionals who can provide effective and ethical services to clients. The current study uses a qualitative longitudinal design to track the development of five novice sport psychology practitioners in their first year of practice. The research team analyzed and integrated data from surveys, interviews, and journals to understand the participants’ experiences and compare them to previous literature on practitioner development. Participants reported increased confidence and flexibility over time, and reduced their perceived anxiety and dependence on supervision. These changes were similar in nature to what has been reported for counseling trainees, but seemed to happen more quickly. These findings highlight important developmental characteristics of first year sport psychology practitioners, which can help graduate programs to tailor their supervision and training to their students’ needs.