Understanding the first year of novice school counsellors

Abstract

Previous research shows that the first year of a school counsellor’s career is one of the most critical stages. However, despite this importance, there is a limited number of studies that examine what novice school counsellors experience during their first year. The primary purpose of this qualitative study is to examine in detail the common experiences of novice school counsellors who have worked the first year of their professional career and to explore comprehensive themes regarding these experiences. Following a purposive sampling strategy, 33 school counsellors who started their profession in 19 different cities of Turkey were interviewed. As a result of the thematic analysis, five major themes emerged describing the first-year experiences of school counsellors: ‘Introduction’, ‘Fighting against Prejudices’, ‘Organising Counselling Service Room’, ‘Incongruence between Training and Work Definitions’, and ‘Longing for College Years’.

Examining the relationship between perceived worry and self-efficacy in NSW department of education school counsellors

“…Campbell (2020) suggests beginning school counsellors experience dissonance between their university informed expectations, and their actual day-to-day responsibilities, perhaps increasing their apprehension. Atli (2020) states that the beginning school counsellor is more vulnerable to difficulties when compared with their more experienced colleagues. According to Hill et al (2008), when counsellors in training encounter more challenging situations, their confidence reduces.…”

Exploring novice Indian school counsellors’ experiences collaborating with teachers and administrators

“…Studies have shown that teachers’ perceptions of a counsellor’s role influence the overall success of the counselling services (Jackson et al, 2002; Low, 2015). A recent study by Atli (2020) highlights how novice school counsellors have to fight the misconceptions and some prejudices that teachers hold about their role. Despite the ASCA clearly defining school counsellors’ roles and responsibilities in Western countries, there is still a mismatch in perceptions.…”

“…When counsellors share a positive relationship with teachers, they can access more students through teacher referrals and suggest classroom strategies that the teachers can implement to support the students. Past studies mention how being more visible and available helps novice school counsellors form relationships and establish their place in the school (Atli, 2020; Cholewa et al, 2016; Clark & Amatea, 2004).…”

“…Especially for novice school counsellors, fostering collaboration with administrators helps reduce role confusion (Curry & Bickmore, 2012; Dollarhide et al, 2007). Teachers tend to be more receptive and collaborative with school counsellors when the administrators support and place importance on mental health services (Atli, 2020; Clark & Amatea, 2004). Studies conducted in India report that counsellors are employed only to fulfil the mandate in many schools, and the administrators are often not aware of how to utilise school counsellors’ services (Venkatesan & Shyam, 2015).…”

“…For school counsellors to be able to collaborate successfully, the stigma needs to be addressed. Additionally, managing teachers' and administrators' different expectations while collaborating is challenging for novice school counsellors (Atli, 2020). Counsellors are trained to prioritise students' emotional needs, while most teachers and administrators tend to consider academic improvements more important.…”