A narrative inquiry into counsellor trainees’ experiences of working with trauma

ABSTRACT

Within the last 30 years, a narrative of risk emerged around the negative effects of trauma work on counsellors. This singular narrative has not allowed for an interrogation of a view of trauma work as risky practice. Questioning the dominance of this singular narrative framed this research puzzle. Using narrative inquiry, Author 1 inquired into the experiences of three counsellor trainees enrolled in a Canadian doctoral program. The research intention was to understand how their experiences, both within and outside, as well as before and after, their counselling programs, shaped their views of trauma work. Author 1 engaged in four one-on-one conversations with each participant. Four resonant narrative threads emerged across participants’ experiences: (1) Different experiential ways of coming to understand trauma; (2) Using the trauma lens to reflect on our own lives; (3) Storying trauma into our personal and professional lives; and (4) Making sense of trauma and vicarious trauma in the silences. These threads drew attention to the importance of reflective practice in training and supervision, including implications for instruction on trauma and supporting counsellor trainees within counsellor education programs.

KEYWORDS:

• Counsellor education
• counsellor trainees
• narrative inquiry
• trauma

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Helena Dayal

Helena Dayal, completed her PhD in Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on the mental health and wellness of counselling students, including how we can improve counsellor education. Her Masters’ research was published into an article entitled, ‘From shame to shame resilience: Narratives of counselor trainees with eating issues.’ She currently works as a registered psychologist at Wellness and Psychological Services at MacEwan University, where she provides therapy to university students.

George Buck

George Buck, George Buck is Professor and presently Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta. An educator for 40 years, Buck’s experience began in public schools. He is interested in all aspects of learning and learning environments, especially the improvement of student learning. He is also interested in the use of newer research methods, such as narrative inquiry.

D. Jean Clandinin

D. Jean Clandinin, is Professor Emerita and Founding Director of the Centre for Research for Teacher Education and Development at the University of Alberta. A former teacher, counsellor, and psychologist, she is author or co-author of 17 books and many articles and book chapters. Her last book with Michael Connelly, Narrative Inquiry, was published in 2000. She edited the Handbook of Narrative Inquiry: Mapping a methodology (Sage, 2007) and the Handbook of Research on Teacher Education (Sage, 2017). She has just completed three books with Left Coast Press/Routledge; Engaging in Narrative Inquiry (2013), Engaging in Narrative Inquiry with Children and Youth (2016) and Relational Ethics in Narrative Inquiry (2018).