The Human Factor: Student Reactions to the Integration of Personal Dispositions Into a Counseling Program

Abstract

The authors explored student reactions to the integration of personal dispositions, or characteristic attitudes, into a counseling program. Results suggested participants liked focusing on personal dispositions and were able to identify areas of personal growth related to these characteristics. Integrating humanistic principles by using dispositions is recommended when training future counselors.

A Phenomenological Study of Felt Sense among Beginning Counselors

“…Consistent with Howard et al (2006), Gibbons et al (2013), and Tannen et al (2017), findings of the current study suggest that counselors-in-training can display a relatively higher level of self-awareness than most developmental models suggest, supporting a holistic model of counselor preparation. Counselors were able to focus on felt information and reflect on how the experiences related to them personally and informed their interactions with the client.…”

“…In contrast, other authors contend even the novice counselor's awareness of felt sense can provide valuable information about the therapeutic relationship (Howard et al, 2006), and may normalize the uncomfortableness associated with felt sense (Tannen, Daniels, & Koro-Ljungberg, 2017). This viewpoint implies that even early in training, counselors bring an innate wealth of knowledge and experience that are part of a holistic approach to counselor preparation (Coll et al, 2013;Gibbons, Cochran, Spurgeon, & Diambra, 2013). While developmental perspectives hold steadfast in counselor education that portray students as externally rather than internally focused, few studies have closely explored how counselors-in-preparation understand their inner experiences and use felt information (Peace & Smith-Adcock, 2018;Tannen et al, 2017).…”

Rehabilitation Counselor Supervisors’ Perceptions of Counselor Professional Dispositions for Rural Service Delivery

“…Findings from the present study have application in both the academic and professional setting. Research suggesting efforts to intentionally integrate the development of PDs into counseling curriculum makes a difference in the personal and professional growth of counseling students (Gibbons et al, 2013). Gibbons and colleagues also found it beneficial for faculty to intentionally model the PDs they are trying to instill in their students.…”

Nonprofit leadership dispositions

“…Some research has focused on identifying solutions to this dilemma, such as adopting specific leadership models or studying successful leaders. However, there is limited scholarship that investigates the positive attributes or dispositions that are most common among nonprofit executive directors in human services (Gibbons et al 2013 ). This present study is an initial, descriptive study of the dispositions of nonprofit leaders in the field of human services, particularly those in executive director roles.…”