Date of Award
4-1990
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Robert L. Betz
Second Advisor
Dr. Gil Mazer
Third Advisor
Dr. Robert Brashear
Abstract
Research suggests clients' perceptions of counselor style are important factors in successful counseling outcome (Strong, 1968). With the widespread acceptance and emphasis on practica courses in counselor education, it follows that counselor educators and clinical supervisors need empirical indicators of the level of service provided by inexperienced student counselors. Information provided by clients pertaining to specific dimensions of counselor style and personal change is rare, and until now, has been limited to experienced counselors.
When 181 clients of inexperienced counselors were compared with 363 clients of experienced counselors it was found that the inexperienced counselors were percieved similarly on 12 specific dimensions of style as measured by the Counselor Rating Form-Short Version (Corrigan & Schmidt, 1983). A factor analysis suggested the dimensions of counselor style found on the CRF-S provides a unidimensional measure of client satisfaction.
An analysis of clients' self-reported responses resulting from counseling with inexperienced counselors, showed improvement on 12 selected personal change variables. In this study, the improvement rates for inexperienced counselors equaled or exceeded the rates for experienced counselors. Using correlation technique, relationships of varying magnitudes were found to exist between dimensions of counselor style and selected personal change variables.
It was also found that clients of inexperienced counselors reported an overall high degree of satisfaction with the services provided within the counselor training center setting as documented by results on the CCPS Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Clients' perceptions of counselor style, the effective use of learned counseling skills, client and counselor motivational factors, effective management of the counseling training center, limited case loads, and intensive supervision are cited as contributing factors to the positive personal change rates and favorable client satisfaction responses obtained from clients of inexperienced counselors.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Crafton, Ronald M., "Clients' Self-Reports of Counselor Style and Personal Change: A Comparison of Inexperienced and Experienced Counselors" (1990). Dissertations. 2074.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/2074