A Phenomenological Study: The Experience of Live Supervision during a Pre-practicum Counseling Techniques Course

The experiences of live supervision for three, master’s level, pre-practicum counseling students were explored using a phenomenological methodology. Using semi-structured interviews, this study resulted in a thick description of the experience of live supervision capturing participants’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Data revealed that live supervision during pre-practicum is a multifaceted experience comprised of numerous roles that not only contribute to counselor skill development, but counselor identity development. Participants’ stories reflected the benefit and impact that live supervision provides in the educational context

Given that these skills are considered the foundation of counseling

The experiences of live supervision for three, master 's level, prepracticum A primary task when obtaining a master's degree in counselor education is learning the basic skills of counseling; yet, research is lacking that could potentially inform the work of counselor educators with regard to the best educational format in which to teach these skills. Woodard and Lin (1999) described the pre-practicum class as integral to bridging the gap between course work and clinical work (practicum and internship), so it seems important to explore the various venues through which the skills are taught. They also contended that pre-practicum introduces students to counselor identity as well as aids in the successful transition between course work and clinical work given the focus on basic counseling skill

A Phenomenological Exploration of Beginning Counselor Educators’ Experiences Developing a Research Agenda

Hermeneutic, phenomenological methodology was used to explore experiences developing a research agenda for five beginning counselor educators. Through in-depth, open-ended interviews, experiences included (a) balance, (b) isolation, and (c) evaluation while references to trusting relationships were manifest across all themes. Recommendations for counselor educators spanning the profession are provided