Therapeutic change processes in school-based counselling: the perspectives of students and counsellors in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

School-based counselling is an effective intervention for psychological distress in adolescents, but little is known about the processes leading to a therapeutic change in a Chinese sociocultural context. Twenty-five Chinese senior secondary school students and eight school counsellors in Hong Kong were interviewed, and the data were analysed thematically within a critical realist paradigm. Three change processes were developed: new ways of thinking, developing better relationships and experiencing positive emotions. The study's findings were broadly consistent with previous research into school-based counselling in Western contexts but not consistent with previous studies carried out with adult Chinese clients. Counselling in schools has the potential to deliver significant benefits to adolescents in Hong Kong.

KEYWORDS:

• Change processes
• school-based counselling
• thematic analysis
• critical realism
• psychological distress

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mark Gregory Harrison

Dr Mark G. Harrison has worked as a teacher in the UK and Hong Kong, and as a school leader in Hong Kong for the last 14 years. His current research interests are school-based counselling in a Chinese context and school-based mentoring programmes.