Developing Counseling Self-Efficacy and Empathy: A Case Study of an Online Personal Growth Group for Youth Counselors
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Abstract
This research aimed to study 1) the development of counseling self-efficacy among youth counselors;
2) the development of empathy towards counselees among youth counselors; and 3) the model of an online personal growth group that promotes counseling self-efficacy and empathy among youth counselors. The study employed purposive sampling to select 20 high school students who were appointed as youth counselors in three schools located in the Southern region during the 2022 academic year. These students participated in an online personal growth group for six consecutive sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, and voluntarily provided information through focus group discussions. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed through content analysis. The findings revealed that 1) the development of counseling self-efficacy involved foundational knowledge of counseling and practice in skills that build self-efficacy in counseling; 2) the development of empathy towards counselees consisted of becoming a caring peer who seeks to uncover the true feelings of friends and a compassionate peer who desires to alleviate the suffering of others; and 3) the online personal growth group model for youth counselors consisted of (3.1) activities that promote counseling self-efficacy, including using video media, encouraging active listening, providing instruction and feedback from group leaders, engaging in role-playing activities, and maintaining consistent activities; and (3.2) activities that promote empathy development comprised reviewing life and current feelings, sharing stories and emotions, and receiving feedback from group leaders.
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