Supporting Practicing School Counselors' Skill Development: A Hip-Hop and Spoken Word Therapy Professional Development

• In Event: Enhancing School Counselors Ability to Support Their Students

Abstract

This mixed-methods study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative school counselor professional development (PD) in bolstering counseling skill use and cultural competence. The researchers assessed a 4-session PD series for 28 practicing school counselors in Southern Westchester, NY. The PI drew from a combination of counseling clinical coursework curriculum and Hip Hop and Spoken Word Therapy to design the PD series. The main quantitative finding was a significant decrease in participants counseling skill self-efficacy from pre- to post-training. Focus group analysis revealed participants 1) learned innovative practice, 2) practiced humanistic counseling skills, and 3) discovered new potential for student growth. Results illuminate the importance of counseling skill PD opportunities for practicing school counselors.

Authors

• Ian Levy, Manhattan College

• Matthew Lemberger-Truelove, The University of New Mexico