Quoting jim guinee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
Who is training the counselors?
Unfortunatelly there is very much inconsistency in training from my
experience.
There are so many varied programs, especially at the masters' level. And
because some folks can't get into bona fide programs, they go to 'lesser'
programs where quality of critical thinking is not as highly prized.
I find that for professional school graduates, for example, there is a wide
variety of programs and even within a program the variability among graduates
is tremendous. I feel awful that at our institution we won't even look at
candidates for clinical positions for openings in the department unless they
are from an APA approved mainstream program. We have had some
part-time/adjunct
faculty who were truly outstanding, yet when we had openings we told them up
front not to apply because we have a few hard-liners in our department
who feel
that the quantity of applicants from APA approved academically based
programs is
so high we can easily make the first cut right there with the type of program
graduated from.
As far as masters' programs go, one only needs to peruse 'graduate study in
psychology' or check similar publications, or just go to the websites
for these
programs to see that some of them will take people with very low college GPAs
and don't require the GRE exam, or if they do, the minimum score necessary
basically amounts to filling in the bubbles for one's personal information.
Other programs, however, are very discriminating and provide a very solid
foundation in scientific thinking. furthermore, the schedule of classes makes
it obvious that critical thinking is not emphasized.
As a new grad I played freeway tag in LA and among other places taught at a
professional school. It was not a pretty experience. My most vivid memory is
coming to class one day and NO ONE had read all the readings for the day
because the first reading reported a study with animals as subjects and as a
group they refused to read any more. They also boycotted my class because it
was all 'theoretical' (this was an adult development and aging course) and not
sufficiently practical and applied.......and unfortunately that experience has
colored my view of such schools since then. I will say, hwoever, that the
administration was 100% behind me. The students went to the dean and asked to
have me removed and he stood 100% behind me in a mediated discussion with the
students. Still, as a young PhD it was very discouraging....
Annette
Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph. D.
Department of Psychology
University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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