ERIC Number: EJ1435553
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1038-4162
EISSN: EISSN-2200-6974
Understanding the Transition from Psychology Graduate to Post-Graduate Counselling Studies
Cassandra Saywell; Nathan Beel; Carol du Plessis; Crystal McMullen
Australian Journal of Career Development, v33 n2 p188-198 2024
University graduates have invested significant time, money, and effort into completing their studies, with many discovering that their chosen discipline is not what they were expecting, nor the right fit for their individual values or goals. Transition between disciplines is particularly common in the helping professions, but little is known about the motivation for these transitions. To better understand motivations for transitioning disciplines, we investigated why psychology graduates chose to transition to post-graduate counselling studies. Using semi-structured interviews, we asked the participants (n = 8) to describe their perceptions, motivations, and experiences of studying psychology and counselling. Applying reflexive thematic analysis, we identified a meta-theme that the transition to counselling was facilitated by the participants' desire to have a profession that aligned with their core values; and they viewed counselling as a strength-based, flexible, holistic, and humanistic approach to helping others.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Counselor Training, Career Change, Helping Relationship, Student Attitudes, Undergraduate Study, Graduate Study, Student Motivation, Majors (Students), Course Selection (Students)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A