title: The understanding and use of counselling by speech and language therapists at different levels of experience.
abstract: There is little empirical research on speech and language therapists' use of counselling skills on their understanding of what counselling means. We report a survey examining both these issues and their relationship to work experience. Four groups (first and fourth year students, new and experienced therapists, total 151) completed a questionnaire measuring counselling and teaching work behaviours used by therapists, or anticipated by students. Significant differences were found. Scheffe's test showed: new therapists indicated fewer counselling behaviours than fourth year students and experienced therapists; fourth year students anticipated using less teaching behaviour than was reported by new and experienced therapists. This pattern may be partly due to new therapists adopting a defensive teaching role. No significant differences were found between the groups' understanding of counselling. Content analysis showed that whereas the therapist skills needed and the exploratory nature of counselling were identified by most participants, few mentioned enabling the client to take responsibility for change. This may relate to the perceived locus of control in the therapeutic situation. We discuss training implications and the role of personal therapy in developing a healthy therapeutic relationship.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Counselling, Roehampton Institute London, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000193:education; D013336:Students, Health Occupations; D006113:United Kingdom