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The assimilation of problematic experiences during full‐time counsellor training: The case of Mandy
Author(s) -
FolkesSkinner Julie A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
counselling and psychotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.38
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1746-1405
pISSN - 1473-3145
DOI - 10.1002/capr.12079
Subject(s) - psychology , personal development , medical education , professional development , training (meteorology) , psychotherapist , pedagogy , medicine , physics , meteorology
Background Although training to be a counsellor is likely to be emotionally demanding the extent to which these demands become problematic emotional experiences and how they influence trainee development has not been investigated. Aim To identify changes experienced by one trainee counsellor who was enrolled on a full‐time BACP accredited counsellor training course at a British university. Method The assimilation model was used to track Mandy's journey from student to therapist over the course of five, semi‐structured interviews. Results Mandy developed problematic emotional experiences during training, and their assimilation was associated with personal and professional growth. They provide some evidence that personal development group work may be more emotionally challenging for trainees than work with clients and reveal the positive impact of compassionate and honest supervision. Conclusions The findings suggest that BACP courses are capable of producing reflective practitioners but raise questions about the length of time needed for students to become therapists and the role of personal therapy. This study also demonstrates how the assimilation model can be adapted to investigate change in trainee therapists and paves the way for further research in this area.