The goals of young people in school-based counselling and their achievement of these goals

Abstract

Background: Levels of goal agreement between therapists and adult clients have been shown to relate to therapeutic outcomes. Understanding clients' goals for therapy, therefore, is an important area of study. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic goals that young people have in school-based counselling, and the extent to which different types of goals are achieved. Method: The study is a post-hoc analysis of data collected from two pilot randomised controlled trials (RCT) using the Goal Based Outcome (GBO) tool, in which 73 participants were allocated to either a counselling group or a waitlist control group. Thematic analysis was used to identify the main types of goals young people had; with descriptive quantitative analysis to identify the prevalence of these goals, and multi-level analysis to identify whether some goals were attained to a greater extent than others. Results: The most frequent type of goals identified by young people related to increasing self-confidence and self-acceptance, followed by controlling or reducing anger, improving relationships with family, and increasing feelings of happiness. No significant relationship was found between the type of goal and the extent to which they were attained in counselling. Conclusion: Young people in counselling are particularly concerned with improving their self-confidence, and this suggests a somewhat different focus to the counselling work than that which emerges from counsellors' reports of presenting and predominant issues. This suggests that school-based counsellors should be mindful of clients' particular therapeutic goals.

Keywords:

• school counselling
• goals
• self-confidence
• young people

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Charlotte Jackson (BACP) and Duncan Law (Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) for their helpful feedback and comments on an earlier draft of this article; and all participants, school staff and counsellors for their contribution to the studies.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pooja Rupani

Pooja Rupani has recently qualified as a Counselling Psychologist from Glasgow Caledonian University/University of Strathclyde.

Mick Cooper

Mick Cooper is Professor of Counselling at the University of Strathclyde and a chartered Counselling Psychologist.

Katherine McArthur

Katherine McArthur is a PhD student investigating the impacts of school-based humanistic counselling and a steering group member of BACP's School-based Counselling Practice Research Network, SCoPReNet.

Joanne Pybis

Jo Pybis is a Research Facilitator for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Karen Cromarty

Karen Cromarty is BACP's Senior Lead Advisor with a remit to advocate and promote children and young people's counselling across the UK. Karen works with opinion formers, practitioners, politicians, academics and civil servants; and is an experienced practitioner, supervisor, trainer, and researcher.

Andy Hill

Andy Hill is head of research at BACP and a BACP-accredited Counsellor.

Ruth Levesley

Ruth Levesley is the Chief Executive of Relate Birmingham, and set up their young people's counselling service both in the centre and in schools.

Jamie Murdoch

Jamie Murdoch is currently the interim head of service development for Relate and a member of the BACP's CCYP steering group.

Nick Turner

Nick Turner is Director of the Relate Institute, based at Doncaster College.