A Process Addictions Course for Counselor Training Programs

Abstract

We proposed the implementation of a course dedicated to the etiology and treatment of process addictions in counselor training programs. We described the nature of the course and results of paired-sample t-tests examining differences in 23 students' preferences, competence, importance, and understanding at the beginning and end of the semester. Specifically, student preferences for working with process addictions, competence, and understanding of process addictions significantly increased with large effect sizes at the completion of the course. We concluded with a description of implications for counselor educators and counselor training programs.

Research of Teaching in Counselor Education: A Collective Effort of Improved Rigor

“…However, even in times when assumptions are not met, researchers can discuss how they addressed the concerns. For example, violations in normality might be handled with a nonparametric statistic (Burton & Furr, 2014) or the removal of an independent variable from analysis that violated assumptions of skewness and kurtosis (Giordano et al, 2019). Additionally, there are statistical analyses that require fewer assumptions.…”

“…For example, in their implementation of a mindfulness group for students enrolled in a counseling course, the instructors did not lead the groups (Bohecker et al, 2016). Additionally, in a pre-post design in the classroom, researchers had participants create unique identifiers to maintain anonymity, but allow for comparisons (Giordano et al, 2019). Separating the instructor from the data collection is certainly an additional level of protection to participants, such as having a noninstructor research team member collect data from students.…”

“…One limitation to this replication may be risks to fidelity. In her assessment of students' competence and understanding of process addictions in a newly developed course, Giordano et al (2019) collected data from one class of students. Coordination with an instructor teaching another section of the course might increase sample size and diversity; however, it may also require the instructors to design and conduct the course in the same way -this is not an easy feat, but it is plausible.…”

“…Another common concern in research of teaching is finding an assessment with psychometric properties that measures unique aspects of teaching or content. While some address this limitation by reporting survey development protocols (Burton & Furr, 2014), others have chosen to simply list it as a limitation (Giordano et al, 2019). Finally, given the push in qualitative research for multiple data sources (see Flynn et al, 2019;Hays et al, 2016), authors who only report one data source are challenged to address this decision in their limitations.…”

Quality scholarship informing teaching, supervision and mentorship: The aim of Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

“…Specifically, Cavazos Velo, Fisk, and Ikonomopoulous (2019) explore Latina students' experiences with instructors' practices through phenomenological methods. Giordano, Malacara, and Agarwal (2019) describe a longitudinal study they conducted from the beginning of a class to the end of a class to assess changes in students' preferences, competence, importance, and understanding of process addictions after the implementation of a new course. Dice, Carlisle, and Byrd (2019) explore the experiences of undergraduate students being trained in an addictions class using qualitative methodology.…”