Counselor as Scholar Practitioner - Education - EzineMark

A counselor is a scholar practitioner. This implies that a counselor is a highly trained profession who uses new knowledge generated through research to positively change his or her clients? life. In light of this statement, it is important to recognize the role of research in counseling profession. Research can be described as the process through which hypotheses are tested and proved or disapproved through data collection and analysis (Sheperis, Young & Daniels, 2010). This means that it is the process through which new knowledge is generated on different phenomena in counseling field. Research provides avenue for regeneration of new knowledge in counseling - new knowledge that is makes counseling profession responsive to client needs. Research provides counselors with evidence upon which they can base their practice. This can be proved from two of this weeks reading that looked at contribution of research in different spheres of counseling.

According to D?Andrea and Heckman (2008) research has played a key role in generation of new knowledge on multicultural counseling. The same view is provided by Zalaquette and Stens (2006) who presents new knowledge on treatment of depression and dysthmia in older adults through new knowledge generated through research. Through research, counselors learn about new therapies and evaluate their effectiveness before putting them into practices. Research provides the basis of application of evidence based counseling because competent counselors will only use what has been tested through valid methodology and proved to produce positive results on the client.

Application of research in counseling is based on two broad models ? scientist practitioner model and scholar practitioner model.

Scholar practitioner model focuses on clinical practice. On the other hand, scientist-practitioner model provides the bases for rigorous research methods. It integrates both science and practice (Hays-Thomas, 2006). This model is considered essential for the changing professional practices in counseling. In additional it is aligned to ACA code of ethics and is sensitive to issues of diversity and individual differences, which are important in counseling profession. Scientist-practitioner model plays an important role in counseling in the sense that it provides avenue for development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that encourage use of scientific approach in counseling. This model also calls counselors to life-long learning which ensures that they continuously gain new knowledge in the course of their practices (Hays-Thomas, 2006). Most important, the model places more value to role models who can mentor young counselors and impart counseling skills. Through scientist-practitioner model, counselors are in a position to apply evidence-based practices. They can refer to a body of scientific knowledge that is defined by reference to research methods and designs about a wide range of services practices like diagnosis, assessment, intervention and others (Hays-Thomas, 2006). The practices they adopt is referenced to research quality and validity of the methodologies used. This means that scientist-practitioner model ensures that counselors have adequate skills to evaluate available research and assess their quality and validity before applying their findings in their day to day practices. As a scientist practitioner, counseling is best informed by research. Counselor research for the best methods and therapies generated through research and apply them (Hays-Thomas, 2006). In addition, ethical counselors provide treatment that has been proved effective scientifically or that has a theoretical framework supported by counseling profession. Through the model, counselors are supposed to inform their clients on the risks that are associated with the unproved methods before applying them.

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