Brief Counseling Scenarios from Fictional Characters for Counselors in Training

Volume 11 Issue 3 November - January 2018

Case Study

Brief Counseling Scenarios from Fictional Characters for Counselors in Training

Katrina Cook*

Associate Professor, Department of Leadership & Counseling, Texas A&M University, San Antonio, USA.

Cook, K. (2018). Brief Counseling Scenarios from Fictional Characters for Counselors in Training. i-manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, 11(3), 43-48. https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.11.3.13878

Abstract

To develop confidence and competence, student counselors need opportunities to practice applying their counseling skills. However, practicing on actual clients before counseling students are developmentally prepared not only can provoke anxiety within students but is also unethical. Counselor educators must find ways to help students practice their skills without the possibility of causing harm to potential clients. Some counselor educators utilize fictional characters to enhance student counselors' understanding of case conceptualization and treatment in a non-threatening environment. Most often, counselor educators apply a semester long approach of using fictional characters. Although the benefits of using fictional characters in counseling education are identified, the semester long approach encroaches on valuable instructional time. The concept of using brief counseling scenarios from fictional characters is introduced and examples of possible cases are provided.