Registered counsellors' experiences of their professional career development

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Date
2017-05
Authors
Vala, Sanisha
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: This study aimed at exploring the experiences of registered counsellors in their professional career development. In order to contextualize and ground the study, two models were used as theoretical lenses, namely, Skovholt and Ronnestad’s phases of counsellor/development model (2003) and Stoltenberg and Delworth’s integrated developmental model (1987). A qualitative research approach with a multiple case study design was used to gain a deeper understanding of the participants’ experiences. Six participants who were busy or have recently completed their registered counselling internship, were purposively chosen to participate in the study. Six semi-structured interviews and one focus group were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Ethical considerations included informed consent and confidentiality. Data was secured by using password-protected files and destroyed upon completion of this study. Research findings indicated that the participants’ experiences involved mainly two themes which strongly related to the developmental models. These themes related to supervision practices and feelings of incompetence. Other themes identified from the data related to passion for psychology, self-awareness and identity integration, and coping mechanisms. Overall this study shed light on the experience of becoming a registered counsellor from a professional and personal perspective. The study was found to be valuable in considering how registered counsellors in South Africa develop during their training and their involvement in mental health care services.
Afrikaans: Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om die ervarings van geregistreerde beraders in hul professionele loopbaanontwikkeling te verken. Ten einde die studie te konseptualiseer en gegrond te hou, is twee modelle as teoretiese lens gebruik, naamlik Skovholt en Ronnestad se fases van berader/ontwikkelingsmodel (2003) en Stoltenberg en Delworth se geïntegreerde ontwikkelingsmodel (1987). ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering tesame met ʼn veelvuldige gevallestudie-ontwerp is gebruik om ʼn dieper begrip van die ervarings van die deelnemers te verkry. Ses deelnemers wat tans besig is met of onlangs hul geregistreerde internskap vir berading voltooi het, is doelbewus gekies om aan die studie deel te neem. Ses semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en een fokusgroep is gehou. Tematiese analise is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Etiese oorwegings het ingeligte toestemming en vertroulikheid ingesluit. Data is veilig gestoor in wagwoord-beskermde lêers wat na afloop van die studie vernietig is. Navorsingsbevindings het aangetoon dat die ervarings van die deelnemers hoofsaaklik twee temas uitgelig het wat sterk verband hou met die ontwikkelingsmodelle. Hierdie temas hou verband met supervisiepraktyke en gevoelens van onbevoegdheid. Ander temas wat geïdentifiseer is vanuit die data het betrekking op ʼn passie vir sielkunde, selfbewustheid en identiteitsintegrasie, asook coping meganismes. Hierdie studie het oor die algemeen duidelikheid gebring rakende die ervarings van geregistreerde beraders, veral vanuit ʼn professionele en persoonlike perspektief. Die studie is veral waardevol wanneer in gedagte gehou word hoe geregistreerde beraders in Suid-Afrika ontwikkel tydens hul opleiding, asook hul betrokkenheid by geestesgesondheidsorg.
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Psychology, Registered counsellor, Counsellor development, South Africa, Counselor, Counseling, Dissertation (M.A. (Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2017
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