Counselors as Advocates: Effects of a Pilot Project Designed to Develop Advocacy Knowledge and Confidence in Trainees

While there has been increased attention to advocacy within counseling and counseling psychology, it has been noted that trainees generally feel unprepared to engage in advocacy and do not participant e in this type of work to a large extent, even with increased age or professional experience). The qualitative study summarizes the findings of a project within a graduate multicultural counseling course designed to increase trainee knowledge and confidence related to advocacy. This project required students (N = 19) to complete individual advocacy projects in the community, with opportunities for self-reflection and evaluation of their progress throughout the semester. Student reflection responses about the effects of this project were analyzed using methods from Grounded Theory by a collaborative research team. This process resulted in a core category of responses that included expanded definitions of advocacy, increased self-confidence regarding advocacy work, obstacles encountered, and reactions to the course assignment. Implications and future directions are discussed

Conceptualizing Group Dynamics from Our Clients’ Perspective: Development of the Conceptualization of Group Dynamics Inventory

There is a clear call in group counseling practice and training for evidence-based practice (ACA, 2005; ASGW, 2008; CACREP, 2009). At the same time, group counselors also are asked to keep clients\u27 experience at the center of their work (ASGW, 2012). This article outlines the authors\u27 effort to develop and study an instrument designed to measure group counselors\u27 conceptualization skill using group members\u27 subjective perceptions as a foundation. Descriptions of the instrument\u27s internal reliability, construct validity, and generalizability will be presented, as well as suggestions for conducting research on this instrument in future studies