The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an abrupt shift in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in practice. The pre-pandemic use of informal ICT was already ubiquitous in social work practice. The purpose of this teaching note is to highlight that social work education must prepare students for practice using ICT during COVID-19 and…

In this article, we consider the ethical issues arising from training counsellors in "Counselling for Depression" in the UK. We describe Counselling for Depression (CfD), a competency-based approach to counselling accredited by the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) agenda in the National Health Service in the UK. We…

We present an experience-near account of the development of therapeutic listening in first year counselling students. A phenomenological approach was employed to articulate the trainees' lived experiences of their learning. Six students who had just completed a one-year postgraduate certificate in counselling skills were interviewed and the…

The article addresses the question of whether the practice of mandatory personal therapy, followed by several training organisations, is justified by existing research and evidence. In doing so, it discusses some implications of this training requirement from an ethical and ideological standpoint, raising questions of import for training…

Few studies have examined the practice wisdom of expert supervisors. This study addresses this gap by exploring how experienced supervisors manage difficulties in supervision in the context of the supervisory relationship. The supervisors were a purposive sample of 16 senior members of the profession with considerable expertise in supervision.…

This article considers a number of issues facing those involved in counselling and psychotherapy training within United Kingdom Higher Education Institutes. It is proposed that the increasing professionalisation of counselling and psychotherapy has significant implications for lecturers and trainers. The article will explore the tension between…

Using virtual worlds as media for learning and teaching gives rise to the potential for many unique ethical problems. Some of these arise due to the nature of the engagement with these virtual worlds, in which the students create a virtual representation, called an avatar, which may enable a sense of embodiment, and hence exposure, within the…

In response to a survey of counseling supervisors, 70 practitioners provided information about their practice as supervisors of counselors and supervisors of supervisors. All but six of the respondents claimed to have supervision for supervision. Results show issues in four categories: boundaries, competence of supervisees, training, and ethics.…

Discusses a number of dilemmas in relation to the ethical practice of counseling, counselor training, and research and evaluation of counseling. A number of relevant issues are explored, including: use of training videos of therapists with real clients; informed consent; how research and evaluation changes the therapeutic process; and publication…

Participants earning a Diploma in Post-Traumatic Stress Counseling in Britain are being evaluated on the evidence of their ability to work safely, ethically, and effectively with real trauma clients. Reflective and ethical qualities are an important part of the assessment. (JOW)