Recruiting Undergraduate Students: Creating a Path to the Counseling Profession

Counselor educators must find ways to encourage undergraduate students to choose to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. Related helping professions (e.g., psychology, social work) may have a recruitment advantage. Faculty in disciplines with both undergraduate and graduate programs can encourage high achieving undergraduate students to continue into graduate programs within their discipline. Due to the lack of a discipline specific academic pathway and an undergraduate advising system directing students into counseling graduate programs, counselor educators must find innovative ways to recruit undergraduate students. The authors will discuss the issues involved in recruiting undergraduate students, present a framework for sharing information about the counseling profession, and provide strategies for recruiting undergraduate students into counseling graduate programs

Voices from the Desks: Exploring Student Experiences in Counselor Education

The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the themes that counselor education master’s students perceived as impacting their experience within a counseling program. Counselor education master’s students provided their perceptions of what they attributed to helping or hindering their progress. Themes identified as impacting their experiences were academic environment, finances, job preparation, self-care, life role balance, support, mentoring and advising, and personal growth. Recommendations are provided for counselor educators to consider when structuring programs and interacting with master’s students

Pre-tenured Counselor Educators Engagement in Direct Counseling Service: Results of a National Survey

One hundred and fifty pre-tenured counselor education assistant professors participated in a survey regarding their engagement of direct counseling service (DCS). Both quantitative and qualitative data was analyzed. Participants reported significant restrictions on time and a lack of departmental support for DCS and a perception that DCS will not be valued within the tenure processes. However, the majority of pre-tenured faculty desired to engage in more DCS to maintain skills and enhance their teaching and scholarship. Data regarding the participation of DCS by pre-tenured faculty, and implications for counselor educators are shared

The Perceived Value of Counselor Preparation for Student Affairs Professionals

Student affairs programs share a common goal of developing master’s level professionals for employment in higher education. Approximately one-third of student affairs training programs are counseling-based and half of those programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). However, there is a lack of literature regarding the preparation of student affairs professionals trained in counseling programs and the importance of counselor training to the student affairs profession. Based upon a review of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education Professional Standards, CACREP standards, and other related research, this article will discuss the perceived value of counselor preparation to the functional areas within student affairs and categorize the specific student affairs functional areas based upon the perceived value of counselor training

Invisible outsiders: Developing a working alliance with Appalachian clients

Appalachian clients are often ‘invisible’ within the majority culture and possess characteristics unique to the region that must be considered within the counseling relationship (Tang & Russ, 2007). Individuals in Appalachia have higher incidences of certain mental health disorders and substance use as compared to the national average (Appalachian Regional Commission [ARC], 2008). Although the need for mental health services is evident, limited research exists to inform mental health professionals how to deliver culturally competent interventions to build a working alliance with Appalachian clients. The authors will discuss a framework for mental health professionals to develop a strong working alliance through a review of the cultural distinctions of Appalachian individuals, culturally appropriate counseling interventions, and a case illustration

Letters From the Future: Suggestions for Using Letter Writing as a School Counselling Intervention

This article presents a school counselling intervention that utilises letters written from the future. Few peer-reviewed articles have addressed the use of letter writing in a school counselling context, and none have focused on the use of letters from the future as a means of school counsellor intervention. The authors present a theoretical framework and specific guidelines for using letters written from the future in school settings. Case examples of letters written from the future are provided

Letters From the Future: Suggestions for Using Letter Writing as a School Counselling Intervention

This article presents a school counselling intervention that utilises letters written from the future. Few peer-reviewed articles have addressed the use of letter writing in a school counselling context, and none have focused on the use of letters from the future as a means of school counsellor intervention. The authors present a theoretical framework and specific guidelines for using letters written from the future in school settings. Case examples of letters written from the future are provided

Preparing mental health first responders: College counselors supporting residence life professionals

Mental health issues are on the rise on college campuses (Gallagher & American College Counseling Association, [ACCA], 2014). Residence life professionals are often first responders to these issues. College counselors are in a unique position to support these professionals by (a) preparing the residence environment, (b) planning and providing programming on mental health issues, (c) using basic crisis skills, and (d) making referrals. This paper will provide college counselors with the rationale, benefits, and processes for supporting residence life professionals to be mental health first responder

The Perceived Value of Counselor Preparation for Student Affairs Professionals

Student affairs programs share a common goal of developing master’s level professionals for employment in higher education. Approximately one-third of student affairs training programs are counseling-based and half of those programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). However, there is a lack of literature regarding the preparation of student affairs professionals trained in counseling programs and the importance of counselor training to the student affairs profession. Based upon a review of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education Professional Standards, CACREP standards, and other related research, this article will discuss the perceived value of counselor preparation to the functional areas within student affairs and categorize the specific student affairs functional areas based upon the perceived value of counselor training

Supervisors’ Suggestions for Enhancing Counseling Regulatory Boards’ Sanctioned Supervision Practices

Regulatory board-sanctioned supervision is intended to enhance the practice of disciplined counselor licensees and to protect the public. A qualitative research design was used to assess the perceptions of four supervisors who provided board-sanctioned supervision. The themes greater board-generated communication and ethics-related considerations were identified. Suggestions for state counseling regulatory boards are discussed