A pilot study into the
experiences of
counsellors in training
A traditional dissertation
submitted in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the degree of
MA Psychological Therapies at
Leeds Metropolitan University
Damien Haigh
Structure of a Traditional Dissertation
● Introduction
● Aims and objectives
● Literature Review
● Research Question/Hypotheses
● Methodology
● Results and Analysis
Structure of a Traditional Dissertation
● Discussion
● Conclusions
● Recommendations
● Critical Appraisal and Reflection
● Referencing
● Appendices
The Purpose of the Study
● A qualitative study into counsellors’
experiences on their training courses
● Considering any differences between
the experiences of male and female
counsellors
● Considering if any aspects of training
are less helpful to women or men
● Maximise the effective use of training by
students
The Rationale for the Study
● Following on from my own experiences
on a Diploma-level course
● Men use counselling less than women
● Only 30% of British Association for
Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
members are men
● Do these factors impact upon men’s
ability to engage with training?
Objectives of the Study
● Why women and men study counselling
● If and how men and women experience
training differently
● Which parts of courses are helpful or
unhelpful
● What the long-term benefits of training are
and
● If courses are more suited to ways of working
and self-expression which are viewed as
“feminine”
Literature Review 1
● Men’s Low Uptake of Counselling
● Gender Splits in the Mental Health Field
● The Move Towards a Degree-Level
Core Curriculum for Training and
Possible Regulation of the Counselling
Profession
Literature Review 2
● People’s Motivations for Studying
Counselling
● The Application Process and Initial
Selection of Trainees
● Self-Exploration and Personal
Development in Training
● Supervised Work with Clients
● Acquisition of Counselling Skills
Literature Review 3
● Counselling Theory and Academic
Content
● Assessment and Initiation, and its
Impact Upon Relationships on the
Course
● Training Methods
● Outcomes and the Long-Term Value of
Counsellor Training
● Costs of Training
Literature Review 4
● Personal Distress Suffered by Trainees
and the Impact of Counsellor Training
on Personal Relationships
● The Need for Further Research on
Counsellor Training
Research Questions
● What was helpful or unhelpful about
training courses?
● What was easy or difficult?
● Would they have changed anything
about their courses?
● How did training prepare them for life
and work as counsellors?
Methodology
● Design of the Study
● Research Sample: Characteristics,
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria, Access
● Procedures for Data Collection
● Method of Data Analysis
● Ethical Considerations
Results and Analysis 1
● Participants
● Reasons for Studying Counselling
● Participants’ Initial Experiences on
Diploma Courses
● Relationships with Other Students
● Valuing Previous Experience
● Relationships with Tutors
● Disruptions and Upheavals
Results and Analysis 2
● Course Ethos
● Course Criteria and Assessment
● Personal Development (PD)
● Skills Acquisition
● Academic Work
● Fitting In, Getting it Right, Being
Liberated or Dropping Out
Results and Analysis 3
● Gender
● Age
● Other Areas of Diversity: Class,
Financial lncome and Race/Ethnicity
● Advice for Future Students
● Suggestions for Improvements to
Courses
● Benefits of Training
Discussion 1
● Benefits
● Misgivings Compared with Initial
Motivations and Expectations
● Information given to potential students
● Grouping and Ungrouping –
Relationships with Others
● Relationships with Tutors
● Self-Exploration and Personal
Development (PD) in Training
Discussion 2
● Course progression in PD
● Personal Development – Group
Dynamics and Mediation
● PD Group Facilitation and Assessment
● Contracting and Informed Consent in
PD work
● Learning Goals
● Supervised Work with Clients
Discussion 3
● Acquisition of Counselling Skills and
Skills Practice
● Counselling Theory and Academic
Content
● Integration of Skills, Theory and
Personal Development
● Course Length, Course Progression
and Levels of Training
Discussion 4
● Knowing and Not-Knowing – Criteria
and Assessment
● Costs of Training
● Initiation: Fitting In, Getting it Right,
Being Liberated or Dropping Out
● Gender, and Men’s Low Uptake of
Counselling
● Other Areas of Diversity: Age, Class,
Financial lncome and Race/Ethnicity
Conclusions
● No clear gender differences emerged
● No differences were noted in
motivations or behaviour that led people
to study counselling
● Men and women alike reported many
positive long-term benefits from training
● Both male and female students
experienced high levels of conflicting
feelings on courses
Conclusions
● Disturbances act as barriers to learning
● Different students hold different
expectations and assumptions
● Courses do not always help students to
address interpersonal issues, or their
own personal or academic difficulties
● Courses may also not give sufficient
information about the demands of
training to potential trainees
Conclusions
● Students also wanted more support
from tutors
● Raised questions about tutor availability
and staff-student ratios
● Highlighted funding difficulties
Conclusions
● Course environments and working
practices did seem to be thought of as
more suited to ways of working and selfexpression viewed as “feminine”
● This was mostly viewed in a positive
light, and seen to affect men or women
alike, and affect them in different ways
Conclusions
● It is helpful to consider students’
individual needs based upon all aspects
of identity, rather than isolating gender
● All individuals have the potential to
struggle with different aspects of
courses
● Their struggle may be seen in the
context of “initiation” into a particular
way of working
Conclusions
● Students may experience tensions
between counselling principles, and the
need to prove themselves or fit in with a
particular way of working
● Tensions may also arise at
organisational level because of the
dichotomy between counselling
principles and education methods
Recommendations
● Further research on counsellor training
will require ‘multiple levels of
investigation’
● Training methods have not been
sufficiently analysed in the past and
may not have changed in response to
students’ needs
Further Research
Future research could:
● compare students’ initial expectations
with final outcomes from counselling
training
● consider different course approaches,
providing wider comparisons of students
views on different counselling models
Further Research
Future research could:
● explore students’ perceptions of course
structures, assessing the impact of
different areas of training and whether
particular functions could be carried out
in different ways
● consider the importance of personal
therapy for trainees during courses
Further Research
Future research could:
● explore the centrality of personal
development groups in training,
gathering more information about their
immediate and long-term impacts
● assess whether other forms of personal
development activity or group work
could help some students
Further Research
Future research could:
● identify how introductory and certificate
courses help students with personal
development, and consider whether
students are sufficiently prepared for the
demands of diploma courses
● gain a greater understanding of how
tutors and facilitators’ assessment roles
change other aspects of their
relationships with students
Further Research
Future research could:
● consider whether different facilitation
styles have different benefits or
problems
● review the quality of course leaflets and
prospectuses
● consider whether tutors can explore
difficult course dynamics more
Further Research
Future research could:
● evaluate how well colleges’ assessment
methods meet students’ needs; and
● consider the impact of individual
differences or diversity on take up rates
of courses, benefits from training and
drop-out rates.