Effectiveness of Online Triads for Developing Counselling Students’ Clinical Skills, Competency, and Practice

Student Perspectives Following COVID-19

Abstract

Undergraduate counselling students usually participate in triads as part of their counsellor education. This study aimed to explore how a cohort of undergraduate counselling and addiction practice students rated the effectiveness of the online triad component of their course. A survey containing Likert-scale and open field response options was completed by nine third- and thus, final-year students.

Likert data is presented using descriptive statistics, while an inductive thematic analysis of the open field responses was undertaken. The study found that online triads were rated equally as effective as in-person triads in helping to develop students’ clinical skills, competency, and practice, while also improving students’ confidence prior to placements. The students valued the learning accrued from participating in triads and called for more triads to be added to the curriculum.

Given many counsellors now engage in a mix of in-person and online counselling, training that involves both methods of delivery will likely be beneficial to undergraduate counselling and addiction practice courses.