The Impact of Spirituality on Counseling Students’ Self-Perceived Professional Competencies

Authors

Lindsay Cobb, Harding UniversityFollow

Author Biography

My name is Lindsay Cobb and I am originally from Shreveport, Louisiana which is located in Caddo Parish. I am on course to earn an Educational Specialist degree and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in May of 2021. I have previously obtained a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology but longed to expand my knowledge to the field of professional counseling and become a mental health clinician. My interest lies in mental health counseling, especially where it intersects with spirituality. After graduation, I hope to work in environments where mental health is understood to be a critical aspect of holistic wellness and where exploring creative ways to enhance that wellness is encouraged.

Abstract

The purpose of this non-experimental study was to explore the relationship between professional counseling students’ self-reported levels of spirituality with their perceived levels of professional competencies. The competencies referenced in this study are the eight core national standards competencies established by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The participants for this study were a convenience sample of 55 professional counseling students from a church-affiliated university in the southeastern United States. The participants completed surveys to indicate self-perceptions of both their spirituality and professional competencies. An analysis of the results revealed a weak positive correlation between self-reported spirituality and perceived professional competencies.

Copyright held by

Lindsay Cobb