addressing career issues online: perceptions of counselor education professionals

146 journal of employment counseling • December 2007 • Volume 44

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© 2007 by the American Counseling Association . All rights reserved .

addressing career issues online: perceptions of counselor education professionalsJacquelineLewisDianeCoursol

TheInternetisthelatestarenainwhichcounselingservicesareavailableforavarietyofissues.Thisstudysurveyedcounseloreducationprofessionalsabouttheirpercep-tionsregardingtheuseofonlinecounselingtoaddressvariousmentalhealthissuesincluding career counseling. It also examined their perceptions about 3 formats ofonlinecounseling:e-mail, text-basedchat,andvideoconferencing.Results indicatedthatcounseloreducationprofessionalswereopentotheuseofonlinecounselingtoaddresscareer issues.The implications for thepracticeofonlinecareercounselingandforthetrainingofcounselorsarediscussed.

The pervasiveness of technology as a medium for the delivery of career develop-ment services continues to increase (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002; Pope, 2000; Sampson, Kolodinsky, & Greeno, 1997) . Its presence is evident from computer-aided guidance systems (Harris-Bowlsbey & Sampson, 2005; Zunker, 2006) to online job applications . Fueling this technological revolution is the development of the Internet (Jones, Harbach, Coker, & Staples, 2002; Kirk, 2000; Stevens & Lundberg, 1998; Zunker, 2006) . The increasing sophistication of the Internet facilitates the immedi-ate and easy dissemination of career information (Pope, 2000; Stevens & Lundberg, 1998), even allowing for the online administration of career assessments such as the Strong Interest Inventory and the Self-Directed Search (O’Halloran, Fahr, & Keller, 2002) .

The Internet also provides the opportunity to make inexpensive online career coun-seling services available (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002) . This trend is predicted to become more pervasive in the future (Andersen & Vandehey, 2006; Malone, Miller, & Miller, 2004) . In anticipation of this form of service delivery, the National Career Development Association (NCDA) published the NCDA Guidelines for the Use of the Internet for Provision of Career Information and Planning Services in 1997 that

Jacqueline Lewis and Diane Coursol, Department of Counseling and Student Personnel, Min-nesota State University, Mankato. This study was funded by research grants from the North Central Association of Counselor Education and Supervision and Minnesota State University, Mankato. The authors wish to thank Barbara Skodje-Mack, Sherrie Sanders, and Wendy Firven for their assistance with this study. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jacqueline Lewis, Department of Counseling and Student Personnel, College of Education, Minnesota State University, 107 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56002 (e-mail: [email protected]).

journal of employment counseling • December 2007 • Volume 44 147

specifically addressed the issue of online career counseling . The NCDA clearly de-fines career counseling as a process that involves a significant relationship between the counselor and the client during which the issues addressed are more complex than career planning alone .

If online career counseling becomes accessible, it is important to understand the perceptions of counselor education professionals of this modality because they are involved with the training of new counselors . As the individuals responsible for coun-selor preparation, counselor educators’ perceptions of this form of service delivery will determine if and how online career counseling is addressed in the curriculum and the extent to which future counselors are knowledgeable about online counseling . In fact, their perceptions of online career counseling will have a significant impact on how it will evolve in the future . To date, there is no research that documents the perceptions of counselor education professionals regarding the use of online coun-seling for various mental health issues, including career counseling .

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the perceptions of coun-selor education professionals about the use of online counseling to address a variety of issues including career concerns . The study also investigated the perceptions of counselor education professionals about three formats of online counseling: e-mail, text-based chat, and videoconferencing .

MethoD

Participants

A random sample of 400 counselor education professionals (200 men and 200 women) was obtained from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) . From this sample, 127 counselor education professionals returned surveys . The final sample included 121 respondents and consisted of 65 men and 56 women who ranged in age from 27 to 75 years, with an average age of 51 .75 years (SD = 11 .08) . The majority of the participants in the sample were White (87%) . Most of the participants had doctoral (76%) and master’s (13%) degrees and worked in higher education settings (65%) . Their work experience in the profession ranged from 1 to 55 years, with an average of 21 years . The majority of participants (69%) rated their computer expertise at the intermediate level . Most participants had access to computers (98%), to e-mail (98%), and to the Internet (97%) .

Instruments

For this study, we used a demographic questionnaire and constructed the Survey of Cybercounseling (SOC) . The demographic questionnaire solicited the following information from the participants: age, gender, ethnicity, educational qualifications, counseling experience, and level of computer expertise .

The SOC was designed to identify the types of mental heath issues and additional conditions, including career issues, that counselor education professionals considered


appropriate for online counseling . Consisting of 41 items, the SOC was developed by listing selected categories from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed .; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) . We chose to list the mental health issues and conditions as they were categorized in the DSM-IV rather than develop a survey around one specific issue or condition . The respondents indicated whether they considered online counseling an appropriate treatment ap-proach for the type of mental health issue or condition listed by checking either Yes or No . In the event of an affirmative response, the respondents specified which of the formats listed (e-mail, text-based chat, or videoconferencing) they considered appropriate .

Procedure

The initial mailing was sent to 400 counselor education professionals . Each packet con-tained a cover letter explaining the nature and purpose of the study, an SOC, a handout describing the three types of online counseling, a demographic questionnaire, and a postage-paid return envelope . Counselor education professionals indicated their consent for participating in the study by returning the survey . In an effort to increase the response rate, two follow-up mailings were sent to nonrespondents at 3-week intervals .

Results

The majority of counselor education professionals (83%) were open to addressing career issues through online counseling (see Table 1) . Counselor education profes-sionals were also willing to use online counseling for economic problems (81%), educational problems (80%), problems with access to health care services (79%), housing problems (79%), problems related to the social environment (75%), other

table 1

Mental health Issues and Conditions endorsed for online Counseling (N = 121)

Mental health Issue

OccupationalproblemsEconomicproblemsEducationalproblemsProblemswithaccesstohealthcareservicesHousingproblemsProblemsrelatedtothesocialenvironmentOtherpsychosocialandenvironmentalproblemsProblemswithprimarysupportgroupAdjustmentdisordersRelationalproblemsProblemsrelatedtointeractionwiththelegalsystem/crimeSleepdisorders

% Yes Responses

83 81 80 79 79 75 71 69 62 59 58 55

Note.Onlyissuesendorsedbyatleast50%ofparticipantsareincluded.


psychosocial and environmental problems (71%), problems with primary support group (69%), adjustment disorders (62%), relational problems (59%), problems related to interaction with the legal system/crime (58%), and sleep disorders (55%) .

Among the three formats of online counseling, counselor education professionals selected videoconferencing more often than e-mail or text-based chat applications as the format they considered appropriate . In fact, videoconferencing was chosen over e-mail and text-based chat for use with 33 of the 41 counseling issues . Many counselor education professionals endorsed the videoconferencing format for use with occupational problems (76%), economic problems (71%), educational problems (70%), housing problems (69%), problems related to the social environment (62%), other psychosocial and environmental problems (62%), problems with primary sup-port group (57%), adjustment disorders (55%), and relational problems (52%) .

Counselor education professionals preferred text-based chat to e-mail for 38 of the 41 counseling issues listed . Text-based chat was considered appropriate to use for problems with access to health care services (68%), occupational problems (67%), economic problems (66%), housing problems (63%), educational problems (61%), problems related to the social environment (58%), and other psychosocial and environmental problems (57%) .

Counselor education professionals were more likely to consider e-mail appropriate for issues such as housing problems (60%), problems with access to health care services (60%), economic problems (59%), occupational problems (57%), other psychosocial and environmental problems (53%), and educational problems (51%) .

DIsCussIoN

The results indicate that counselor education professionals in this study were receptive to online career counseling . Such a perception supports the predictions that online career counseling will become more commonly available in the future (Andersen & Vandehey, 2006; Malone et al ., 2004) . These views are perhaps a reflection of the changing outlook in society where there is now a greater awareness of and comfort with technology such as the Internet (Lewis, Coursol, Khan, & Wilson, 2000) .

The willingness of counselor education professionals to endorse online career counseling may also stem from the perception among counselors that career issues are less complex than noncareer issues (Haverkamp & Moore, 1993) . Accordingly, counselors may be more comfortable addressing career issues than noncareer issues over the Internet because career issues are less enduring and traditionally respond well to counseling . However, it is also important to remember that clients who initially seek career counseling may be experiencing other clinical issues, some of which may not be appropriate for online counseling (Lewis, Coursol, & Wahl, 2004; Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002) . Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey cautioned that online career counseling, even through videoconferencing, is still in its infancy and there are issues that must be resolved by the profession and through research .

Initial research into the online career experience provides valuable insights into the perspectives of counselors and clients about this process . In a study that inves-


tigated the use of online counseling to address career issues, Lewis et al . (2004) found that both the counselor and the client acknowledged that the online process differed from face-to-face counseling . In fact, the client felt less intimidated and more empowered during the online interaction . The study also noted that counselors who engage in online counseling might require specific training so that they can adapt their counseling skills to cyberspace . In a study that involved vocational test interpretation, Jones et al . (2002) found that clients reported no difference in session depth between face-to-face and videoconferencing interactions . The authors concluded that online career test interpretation was another potential technique through which career counselors could provide services . These initial investigations, coupled with the perceptions of the counselor education professionals in this study, suggest that there are counseling professionals who are open to online career counseling .

With online career counseling predicted to become more prevalent (Andersen & Vandehey, 2006; Malone et al ., 2004), it is appropriate that the NCDA has developed guidelines for the provision of this service . In addition to addressing fundamental issues, the guidelines clearly distinguish between career counseling and career planning . They also recognize that as technology evolves, online career counseling is likely to increase, and that research is necessary to help counselors acquire a better understanding of this process (NCDA, 1997) .

The results of this study also provide several insights into the perceptions of counselor education professionals about the format of online counseling . It was not surprising that videoconferencing was endorsed most often in comparison with e-mail or text-based chat given that videoconferencing is most analogous to face-to-face counseling (Manhal-Baugus, 2001) . Videoconferencing gives counselors access to both audio and visual cues that allow them to obtain a more complete picture of their clients’ issues than that acquired through e-mail or text-based chat (Lewis et al ., 2004) . In an increasingly diverse society, the ability to see and hear clients can increase counselors’ abilities to respond appropriately to cultural nuances, particularly when counselors are working with clients who are not of the majority culture .

The perceptions of counselor education professionals about online career counsel-ing have important implications for the career development profession especially in relation to the training and preparation of career counselors . Recent textbooks on career development now include online career counseling in their discussions of the role of technology . Therefore, it is likely that online career counseling will become more integrated into career development courses . This proactive approach ensures that future counselors are made aware of the online career counseling process and, most important, of the legal and ethical issues associated with it (Lewis et al ., 2004) . Initiatives such as these also increase the likelihood that recent counseling graduates may be more open to engaging in online career counseling .

Addressing online career counseling as part of counselor preparation will also ensure that future counselors are aware that online counseling is a different type of experience in comparison with face-to-face counseling and that counselors who engage in this process may initially have to adjust their counseling skills to the cyberspace format (Lewis et al ., 2004; Murphy & Mitchell, 1998) . Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey


(2002) have also suggested that online career counseling probably requires a dif-ferent type of training and attracts a certain type of counselor .

The results of this study provide added impetus for the profession of career development to continue to address the issue of online career counseling . The NCDA guidelines represent an initial effort to provide information about the pro-cess . It is imperative, however, that the NCDA and other professional counseling organizations such as the American Counseling Association regularly review and update the guidelines for online counseling, for the preparation and training of online counselors, and, most important, for the ethical and legal issues related to online counseling .

In their discussion of online career counseling, Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey (2002) have raised broader issues about online counseling that require the at-tention of the counseling profession as a whole . One of the most pressing issues for the profession is to identify the mental health concerns that are appropriate for online counseling . The findings of this study provide some initial information about the perceptions of counselor education professionals on this topic . Although many of the counselor education professionals in this study endorse online career counseling, they also indicate that they would consider the use of online counsel-ing for other issues as well .

The data provide growing evidence of the changing perceptions of the role of technology in counseling and indicate a willingness by some professionals to consider the use of online counseling . Perhaps such perceptions can be regarded as indicative of changing attitudes within the counseling profession, where online counseling is increasingly seen not so much as a maverick endeavor but as another way to provide inexpensive and easily accessible counseling services (Andersen & Vandehey, 2006; Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002) . The counseling profession needs to engage in a continuing discussion about online counseling within the context of rapidly evolving technology and its greater affordability .

IMPlICatIoNs foR futuRe ReseaRCh

It is clear that the career development profession must address the issue of online counseling proactively . The dearth of research precludes the profession from devel-oping guidelines and ethical codes that are empirically derived and from preparing future counselors appropriately . To address this gap, it is imperative that the pro-fession identifies online career counseling as one of its research priorities . Future research can address such issues as the process of and effectiveness of online career counseling . If online career counseling becomes increasingly widespread (Andersen & Vandehey, 2006; Malone et al ., 2004), it is essential to determine its impact on clients, their expectations, and their satisfaction with the experience . Research about the process of online career counseling and the experiences of clients and counselors during the counseling interaction will also identify the skills required for effective online career counseling (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002) and facilitate the development of guidelines for the training of counselors .


CoNClusIoN

In a technology-enriched environment of personal digital assistants (Savickas, 2003), iPods, podcasts, and nanotechnology (Jerome et al ., 2000), the profession of career development must continue to address the issue of online career counseling proactively . As the results of this study indicate, counselor education professionals are open to the use of online career counseling and such perceptions have important implications for the career development profession and especially for the prepara-tion of career counselors .

The Internet undoubtedly offers considerable opportunity to provide online career counseling that is affordably priced (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002), but there are concerns that the profession must address . A proactive approach through support for research concerning online career counseling will provide counselor education professionals with the knowledge base to prepare future counselors with the skills to work safely and ethically with clients . With online career counseling predicted to become more readily available (Andersen & Vandehey, 2006; Malone et al ., 2004), the profession cannot afford to ignore the existence of this modality lest it evolve outside the sphere of its influence .

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addressing career issues online: perceptions of counselor education professionals

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