The Effects of an Equine Assisted Learning Supervision Intervention on Counselors’-in-Training Performance Anxiety, Counseling Self-Efficacy, and Supervisory Working Alliance

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dc.access.optionOpen Access
dc.contributor.advisorSias, Shari
dc.contributor.authorMeola, Cheryl C
dc.contributor.departmentAddictions and Rehabilitation Studies
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-23T19:44:57Z
dc.date.available2018-01-23T19:44:57Z
dc.date.created2017-12
dc.date.issued2017-12-12
dc.date.submittedDecember 2017
dc.date.updated2018-01-22T21:14:01Z
dc.degree.departmentAddictions and Rehabilitation Studies
dc.degree.disciplinePHD-Rehab Counsel Admin
dc.degree.grantorEast Carolina University
dc.degree.levelDoctoral
dc.degree.namePh.D.
dc.description.abstractDue to the complexity of the counseling process, counselors-in-training often experience performance anxiety when entering the counseling profession. Research shows that higher counseling self-efficacy (the belief in oneself to perform counseling skills successfully) helps decrease performance anxiety. Further, a strong supervisory working alliance is the most effective intervention to increase counseling-self-efficacy. However, there are barriers to building a strong supervisory working alliance including high performance anxiety and low counseling self-efficacy as well as the dual nature of the supervisor's role as mentor and evaluator. This study introduces an equine assisted learning supervision intervention for counselors-in-training. This experiential learning intervention provides an opportunity for counselor self-exploration and growth in a non-evaluative, nonjudgmental, novel situation. The population of interest was counselors-in-training enrolled in CACREP counseling programs. The purposive sample included 20 students enrolled in a theories counseling course or a practicum skills course. The study used a quasi-experimental design where participants completed a Demographic Questionnaire, the Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Supervisory Working Alliance-Trainee Form. Participants were randomly selected to be in a treatment group, which received a one hour individual equine assisted learning supervision intervention or in the control group, which received class as usual. Six research questions examined the main effect of the EAL-S intervention on counseling self-efficacy, the main effect of the EAL-S intervention on performance anxiety, the relationship between counseling self-efficacy and performance anxiety, the correlation of the quality of supervisory working alliance with counseling self-efficacy, the correlation of the quality of the supervisory working alliance with performance anxiety, and the correlation of the supervisory working alliance with the effectiveness of the EAL-S intervention. A split-plot MANOVA was performed to analyze the first two questions and revealed a significant main effect of the EAL-S intervention on counseling self-efficacy. Non-significance was found in the main effect of the EAL-S intervention on performance anxiety. Pearson Product Moment Correlations were performed for the remaining questions. A significant positive correlation was found between counseling self-efficacy and performance anxiety. No significance was found in the correlation of the quality of the supervisory working alliance with counseling self-efficacy, performance anxiety, or the effectiveness of the EAL-S intervention. Findings support that a one hour EAL-S intervention can improve counselors'-in-training counseling self-efficacy and improve their tolerance for performance anxiety. These results have implications for counselors-in-training, supervisors, and counselor educators.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10342/6546
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherEast Carolina University
dc.subjectcounselor supervision
dc.subjectexperiential learning
dc.subjectcounselor education
dc.subject.meshAnimal Assisted Therapy
dc.subject.meshEquine-Assisted Therapy
dc.subject.meshAnimals
dc.subject.meshHorses
dc.subject.meshCounselors
dc.subject.meshSelf Efficacy
dc.subject.meshPerformance Anxiety
dc.subject.meshCounseling
dc.subject.meshPsychotherapy
dc.subject.meshLearning
dc.subject.meshResearch Personnel
dc.titleThe Effects of an Equine Assisted Learning Supervision Intervention on Counselors’-in-Training Performance Anxiety, Counseling Self-Efficacy, and Supervisory Working Alliance
dc.typeDoctoral Dissertation
dc.type.materialtext

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