Skills‐Based Training and Counseling Self‐Efficacy

Abstract

The authors studied the effectiveness of the skilled counselor training model (SCTM). Counseling students who completed the SCTM demonstrated greater gains in skills acquisition and counseling selfefficacy than counseling students who did not receive the training. At pretest, the counseling students in both groups, doing self-appraisals. rated their performance of counseling skills significantly higher than trained raters assessed the students' performance of counseling skills. At posttest, members of the control group continued to overestimate their skills levels when compared with the ratings given by the trained raters, whereas, in comparison, students who received SCTM training underestimated their performance.

Attitudes Regarding Career Counseling: Perceptions and Experiences of Counselors‐in‐Training

“…Participants described practical experiences as valued, necessary, and lacking. Other researchers have found that skills-based training produces greater retention than didactic instruction (Downing, Smaby, & Maddux, 2001;Urbani et al, 2002). It stands to reason that counseling program graduates are unlikely to enter professional arenas (e.g., career counseling) when they do not feel adequately prepared to do so.…”

Exploration of Counselor Self-Efficacy Across Academic Training

“…Researchers have used both instruments and have found benefits of increased counselor self-efficacy. Specifically, research suggests that as counselor self-efficacy increases so do satisfaction with the counselor role and performance of skills involved in counseling (Larson & Daniels, 1998;Larson et al, 1992;Lent, Cinamon et al, 2009;Lent et al, 2003;Urbani et al, 2002).…”

The Gatekeeping Imperative in Counselor Education Admission Protocols: The Criticality of Personal Qualities

“…While there does exist assessment measures with which to address trainee qualities, the vast majority are focused on measurement after the onset of the training program, as opposed to during the admission process, and are focused on counselor competencies, of which personal characteristics are just one component (Eriksen and McAuliffe 2003;Urbani et al 2002). While there exists theoretical approaches with which to guide admission processes, such as Swank and Smith-Adcock's (2013) presentation of a group-interview approach, there continues to be a lack of reliable and empirically-evidenced assessment tools when it comes to addressing ideal personal qualities in the counselor training admission process.…”

“…Findings gathered were based on admissions data, specifically GRE scores, and scores on two instruments that measured counseling skills and personal development -the Counseling Skills Personal Development Rating Form (CSPD-RF; Wilbur, 1991, revised by Torres-Rivera et al 2002, as cited by Smaby et al 2005) and the Skilled Counseling Scale (SCS; Urbani et al 2002). Knowledge was measured by the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE), a standard of measurement utilized near the end of most counselor education programs.…”