Counselor Trainee Personal Growth Factors and Self- Efficacy: ‘Walking the Walk’ Using Social Cognitive Theory and Bowen Theory
Abstract
Counselors and counselor trainees are expected to engage in intense personal work
and self-awareness efforts in order to become effective counselors. The growth that
counselors expect to see clients commit to and engage in for their own benefit can be seen as
parallel to counselors’ personal and professional growth. Thus, the goal of this study was to
examine the personal growth factors and the inhibiting factor of anxiety through the lens of
social cognitive theory and Bowen’s theory of differentiation of self in predicting counselor
self-efficacy in counseling trainees. Personal growth initiative, differentiation of self,
experience with personal counseling, and anxiety correlated with counselor trainees’ beliefs
in their ability to effectively counsel clients. Two aspects of differentiation of self—
Emotional Cutoff and Fusion with Others—partially mediated the relationship between
personal growth initiative and counseling self-efficacy. Training implications, limitations,
and future directions are discussed.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Methodology -- Results -- Discussion -- Appendix A. Demographic form -- Appendix B. Personal growth initiative scale -- Appendix C. Differentiation of self inventory - short form -- Appendix D. State-trait inventory for cognitive and somatic anxiety -- Appendix E. Counseling self-estimate inventory -- Appendix F. Solicitation email -- Appendix G. Informed consent -- Appendix H. Incentive form
Degree
Ph.D.