An Exploration of Counseling Practicum Students' Experiences in Department-Based and Community-Based Settings

<p>Counselor educators are continually improving the quality of their training programs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate counseling students’ practicum experiences and development in community-based and department-based settings. The framework for this study was based on Stoltenberg’s integrated developmental model, which describes stages of counselor development and supervision conditions needed for a learning environment (Stoltenberg & Delworth, 1987; Stoltenberg & McNeill, 2010; Stoltenberg, McNeill, & Delworth, 1998)</p> <p>A nation-wide study was conducted utilizing counselor education practicum students enrolled in programs listed in the CACREP program directory (2008) and <em>Counselor Preparation</em>: <em>Programs, Faculty, Trends </em>(12^th ed.; Schweiger, Henderson, Clawson, Collins, & Nuckolls, 2008), and subscribed to three listserves COUNSGRAD, CESNET, and COUNSLINK. A total of 435 responses were collected electronically with a completion rate of 70% (<em>N</em> = 305). The <em>Demographic and Experience Questionnaire</em> and the <em>Supervision Level Questionnaire Revised</em> (<em>SLQ-R</em>) were used.</p> <p>The results of this study indicated that practicum students’ experiences differed in community-based versus department-based settings. Students in department-based settings reported their settings were more structured than did students in community-based settings. Students who rated their settings as more structured also reported they were more satisfied with the amount of structure. Direct supervision modalities were utilized more often in department-based settings than in community-based settings. Students in community-based settings were supervised by licensed professional counselors, licensed professional counselor – supervisors, and licensed clinical social workers. Students in department-based settings were supervised by counseling professors, licensed professional counselors, licensed professional counselor – supervisors, and counseling doctoral students. Despite the differences in structure, supervision modalities, and supervisors, practicum students reported similar experiences in client population types and client issues.</p> <p>Additionally, no differences were found in counseling practicum students’ <em>SLQ-R</em> scores in community-based versus department-based settings, and no differences in students’ <em>SLQ-R</em> scores were found in direct supervision in comparison to indirect supervision. The number of supervision modalities used in practicum settings was not related to students’ <em>SLQ-R </em>scores. Significant relationships were found in two of the sub-scales on the <em>SLQ-R</em>:<em> </em>self and others awareness and autonomy with practicum students’ number of credit hours completed.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundations

Year dc:date.available

2012

Author dc:creator

• DeLorge Minges, Corrie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Roxane Dufrene
• Dr. Barbara Herlihy
• Dr. Zarus Watson

• counselor education
• practicum counseling students
• training laboratories
• community-based clinics
• department-based clinics
• supervision
• Counseling Psychology
• Other Psychology
• Social Work
• Student Counseling and Personnel Services

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1545

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-2563