Volume_5_Issue_1_Digest

14 TPC Digest Read full article and references: Adams, S. A., Vasquez, A., & Prengler, M. (2015). A counseling formula: Introducing beginning counseling students to basic skills. The Professional Counselor , 5 , 114–123. doi:10.15241/saa.5.1.114 Susan A. Adams, Alice Vasquez, Mindy Prengler A Counseling Formula Introducing Beginning Counseling Students to Basic Skills Trying to figure out why counseling works is a complex and daunting exploration. There are no easy answers; however, when beginning counseling students attempt to master the initial basic skills on their journey to becoming counselors, it can become overwhelming and anxiety producing. In every counseling session, students bring their own human qualities and life experiences that shape them as individuals. They must understand that their needs, motivations, values and personality traits can either enhance or interfere with their counselor effectiveness. Cognitive mapping can provide a road map that helps expand students’ awareness while building the foundation of their counseling skills. It involves practical integration of learning attributes and prior knowledge into a new situation to serve as an interactive teaching environment where students feel safe. Through the use of a simple graphic visual, students can successfully interpret and apply basic skills to their counseling method approach. Creating a classroom of trust filled with simplistic, graphic learning tools can generate a safe learning environment and reduce anxiety. Anxiety creates unnecessary barriers to learning and blocks what is in the students’ minds with what is in their clients’ minds. In other words, cognitive mapping helps a foreign concept become graphically related to prior learning experience by using links between old and new learning. This visual representation of those communication links between student counselor and client can result in productive sessions of change and can enhance the process for acquiring, storing and using information. The simple, graphic images outlined in this article are designed to help beginning counselors initially understand the interconnectedness of the different elements of their new chosen profession. As student counselors become more experienced, they also begin to experience personal and professional growth that results in their own awareness, insight and change, similar to how clients begin to change. They move to a deeper understanding of how to use basic skills with theory, along with intentional therapeutic interventions and techniques, to facilitate change for clients. All of these valuable tools challenge us and encourage us to continue on our lifelong learning journey to become better counselors. Susan A. Adams, NCC, is a private practice counselor and supervisor in Denton, TX. Alice Vasquez, NCC, is a doctoral candidate at Texas A&M - Commerce. Mindy Prengler, NCC, is a counseling intern at Fine Marriage & Family Therapy, Plano, TX. Correspondence can be addressed to Susan A. Adams, 225 West Hickory Street, Suite C, Denton, TX 76201, drsadams@centurylink.net .