Do Counselor Education Programs Promote Wellness in Their Students?

Abstract

It is widely accepted that counselor impairment presents a problem in the counseling profession (M. E. Young & G. W. Lambie, 2007). Wellness as a unifying philosophy in counselor education may be a way to prevent impairment and burnout in students and professionals. Although counselor educators strive to promote a wellness philosophy in students, their efforts may be largely unsuccessful. This study examines the influence of counselor education programs on counselor wellness by investigating broad trends in levels of wellness among students at 3 points in their training and offers insights into the influence of wellness in the training of today's counselors.

Voices from the Desks: Exploring Student Experiences in Counselor Education

“…For counselors, self-awareness is particularly important for practice (Williams, Hayes, & Fauth, 2008). Similar to some of the participants in this study, personal counseling and other wellness strategies appeared to be beneficial for overall functioning and self-efficacy (Hermon & Hazler, 1999;Prosek, Holm, & Daly, 2013;Roach & Young, 2007). This is consistent with a study by Ruggerio, Rabino, Richards, and Martin (2013) who found that students who experienced increased self-knowledge and compassion also had increased levels of counseling self-efficacy.…”

“…Graduate student persistence was reported to be higher in students with supportive partners, children, and parents (Cohen & Greenberg, 2011). The strength of the relationships with family is significant to counseling students as it can reduce stress (Mallinckrodt & Leong, 1992;Roach & Young, 2007) and promote stamina in practice post-graduation (Freadling & Foss-Kelly, 2014 (Roach & Young, 2007). For example, activities like meditation have been found to help clinicians self-nurture, manage stress, and maintain social connectedness (Boellinghaus, Jones, & Hutton, 2013).…”

“…Self-Care practices have been widely cited as an important part of the developing counselor's skill set (Coll et al, 2013;Roach & Young, 2007). Self-care reduces compassion fatigue, improves stamina, and supports ethical practice (Simpson & Falkner, 2013).…”

“…Counselor educators or advanced counseling students (i.e., doctoral students) can provide workshops, resources or referrals related to making healthier life choices, effectively managing time, increasing professional stamina, and advocating for oneself (Roach & Young, 2007). To help address work-life balance, counselor educators can help students or advisees clarify values and prioritize life roles (Newgent & Fender-Scarr, 1999).…”

Exploring Internship Experiences of Counselors-in-Training through Pinterest: A Consensual Analysis

“…The clients get to do whatever they want…" Other participants faced stressors related to learning the site processes and procedures. Graduate students often have a complicated balance of family, work, and academic pressures to navigate (Hyun, Quinn, Madon, & Lustig, 2006;Lenz, Sangganjanavanich, Balkin, Oliver, & Smith, 2012;Roach & Young, 2007;Smith, Robinson, & Young, 2007). Reaching the field placement milestone in a counselor education program brings excitement, uncertainty, and apprehension.…”