Understanding, valuing, and teaching reflection in counselor education: a phenomenological inquiry

Abstract

Considering the complexities inherent in mental health practice, developing student reflective capacities may be the most important part of preparing future counselors for success in the field (Griffith & Frieden, 2000). While the critical nature of this educational objective has been recognized in the literature, a deeper understanding of how reflection is defined, the intricacies of the reflective process, and the means by which reflection is promoted within counselor education is absent. Through the personal voices of counselors in training and counselor education professors, this phenomenological inquiry explicates the nature and the value of reflection in addition to how reflective practice is best taught and learned. Findings link to the literature and suggest the explicit inclusion of deliberate types of reflective pedagogy within counselor education.

Keywords:

• reflection
• reflective practice
• counselor education
• pedagogy
• professional development
• personal development
• phenomenology