‘All that stuff I told them’

‘All that stuff I told them’ Ethical considerations for counselling and psychology students required to divulge personal information during training Kate Smith Division of Nursing and Counselling

Background • Counselling skills training • Integration of skills training in to undergraduate programmes • E.g. BSc Psychology and Counselling, BSc Mental health nursing, BSc Social work

What’s the problem? • Changing provision and demographics in counselling skills training • Younger? • Peer group • Non-vocational

Impact on students • Unique learning environment • Experiential learning • Reflective practice • Personal disclosure

Triads Depression Phobias Relationships Stress Study Anxiety Work Childhood

This study…. • Grounded theory • 12 participants (2 males, 10 females) • BSc Psychology and Counselling year 2 • Aged 19-26 • Single cohort • Two modules of counselling completed

Data collection • Semi-structured interviews • 40-55 minutes • Questions around • preparation for triads • early training experiences • change over time, and reflections

Data analysis • Transcription • Initial coding and emergence of themes • Clustered, and returned to the primary data • Verified by consensus

Main themes Impact of saying too much Relationships inside/outside class Consequences of breaches of trust Premature intimacy Group dynamics Impact on learning

Relationships inside/outside class • Managing the boundaries • Who I am and how I seem • Emotions • Communication

Impact of saying too much • Vulnerability • Self-policing for self • Self-policing for others • Hearing things that are difficult

Consequences of breaches of trust • Concerns and worries • Where breaches may occur • Tutor knowledge • Maintaining trust

Premature intimacy • We are different • Closeness and intimacy • ‘real’ friends or peers? • How we interact, re-establishing the rules

Group dynamics • Investment • Addressing within-group problems • Group identity • Formation of group rules • Polarisation

Impact on learning • Stress and anxiety, particularly at start • Withdrawing, sticking with friends, not doing practice • Practice vs theory focus – ‘why are we doing this?’ • Positivity about the learning environment ‘this is the best course, better than I imagined’

Overview • Developing a group understanding of boundaries and care • Hard going (but worth it) • Understanding the learning context (or not) • Understanding the risks involved (or not)

What can we do about it as tutors • Nurture group identity • Emphasise the positives while warning about the negatives • Tutors must be emotionally available, accessible and aware – safety! • Link theory to practice – validate!

Responsibility of organizations • Gatekeeping course entry, clear information • Providing student support (critical incidents?) • Primary tutor (early attachment) • Attendance

Responsibility of students • Awareness of, and respect for, boundaries • Knowing the what, where and who of disclosure • What to do with ‘worry’ • Engaging in the course, communicating with peers

Future directions • Action research study planned to examine experiences of students undergoing similar training (Mental health nurses, and Post-graduate counselling/counselling skills) • Development of a ‘best practice’ model for teaching counselling for undergraduates

‘All that stuff I told them’