The use of poetry in counselor training and supervision

ABSTRACT

Using an approach rooted in phenomenology and grounded theory, this qualitative study explored the use of poetry in counselor training. The first author created and implemented a poetry curriculum over a 15-week semester with graduate counseling students enrolled in either a practicum or internship course. Participants (N = 10) described themselves as Hispanic or Mexican-American (n = 5), White or Anglo (n = 4), Black (n = 1), female (n = 8), and male (n = 2). Ages ranged from 26 to 56. Data sources consisted of participants’ journals, individual interviews, a researcher’s observation journal, and consultation with the course instructors. Auerbach and Silverstein’s [2003. Qualitative data: An introduction to coding and analysis. New York, NY: New York University] data analysis method resulted in six overarching constructs: co-constructing meaning through meeting, shifting the clinical gaze to being-in, finding unique outcomes, creating a new self-knowledge, changing dominant stories/thickening the plot, and writing the story. Additional analysis of participant-created poetry resulted in five found poems. The findings indicate that poetry use may contribute to counselor-in-training growth and development.

KEYWORDS:

• Counseling
• poetry
• supervision
• teaching
• and training

Acknowledgements

This article is based on the first author’s doctoral dissertation and is dedicated to the late Dr. Robb Jackson who first introduced the lead author to poetry therapy. Many thanks to the dissertation committee chaired by Dr. Kaye Nelson who allowed a poet’s soul to complete such a project in counselor education.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.