Young clients' narratives of the purpose and outcome of counselling

Abstract

This study explores how adolescent clients construct the purpose and outcome of counselling. A narrative analysis was performed on interviews with 22 clients (aged 16–18) who had used a school-based counselling service. The aim was to identify the purpose and outcomes that participants attributed to their counselling experience. The analysis identified four narrative forms that young clients used to describe counselling. These included ‘transformative’, ‘supportive’, ‘pragmatic’ and ‘disappointed’ narratives. Each narrative form constructed a different purpose and outcome for counselling. Engaging with clients' narratives about the purpose and intended outcome of counselling may allow counsellors to better match their expectations and approach to fit with their young client or to work with them to co-construct more flexible narratives that support helpful outcomes.

Keywords:

• adolescence
• counselling
• client factors
• narrative research
• school counselling

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Auckland, Faculty Research Development Fund [grant number 3700347].

Notes on contributors

Dr Kerry Gibson is a senior lecturer in tin clinical psychology. She is a qualitative researcher who focuses on clients' experiences of psychological services and is a clinical psychologist with many years of experience of working with children and young people.

Dr Claire Cartwright is a senior lecturer in clinical psychology who uses qualitative methods to investigate issues relevant to therapy processes. She also works as a clinical psychologist.

Additional information

Funding

Funding: This work was supported by the University of Auckland, Faculty Research Development Fund [grant number 3700347].