More than expected? Psychological outcomes from first-stage training in counselling

Abstract

This study considers psychological outcomes of first-stage counselling training for nine annual student cohorts. A self-report questionnaire, with both open-ended and closed questions, was employed to investigate initial course expectations, what had been learned about self, and any perceived changes in attributes and skills and in relationships with family, friends and others. Eighty-six out of a total of 148 students returned questionnaires, a response rate of 58%. Students reported having learned more about counselling theories and skills, as they had expected initially, but results show that other important outcomes had been largely unanticipated. Many, for example, felt that, as a consequence of course participation, they had a deeper understanding, and greater acceptance, of self and that a range of attributes and skills, such as sensitivity to others and communication skills, had been enhanced. For many, these outcomes had led to improved relationships with family and friends, and also, for some, with work colleagues. It is concluded that, in this example of introductory counselling training, the course experience had led students to discover more about self and had also impacted on different facets of their lives.

Keywords:

• Counselling
• training
• psychological outcomes

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the contribution of Jan Davis, who co-designed the survey questionnaire and who was involved in the implementation of the initial stages of the project. We wish to express our appreciation to Fiona McQuillan for her work as Research Assistant in the second phase of the research. Finally, we thank Brian Magee, Chief Executive, COSCA, for his advice and support. The research study was approved by the Research Committee, Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow.