A New Perspective: School Counselors with Disabilities and Non-Disabled School Counselor Views of Counselors with Disabilities Effectiveness

Main Article Content

Desiree Abreu

Keywords

school, counseling, disability

Abstract

A literature review about the effectiveness of counselors with disabilities was conducted.  Interviews were also held with two graduate students in a Master’s level graduate School Counseling and Guidance program and two school counselors currently employed by a public school to obtain anecdotal evidence in support or negation of the literature.  One graduate student has a disability, the other does not; one employed school counselor has a disability, the other does not.  Most interviewee responses imply school counselors with disabilities might be more effective than school counselors without disabilities because of probable higher levels of empathy due to difficult challenging life experiences.

Abstract 355 | PDF Downloads 133 Word Downloads 88 Text Downloads 118

References

Allen, H. A., & Cohen, M. S. (1980). Client preference for a disabled counselor. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 23, 165-168.

Brabham, R. E., & Thoreson, R. W. (1973). Relationship of client preferences and counselor’s physical disability. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 20, 10-15.

Cash, T. F., & Kehr, J. (1978). Influence of nonprofessional counselors’ physical attractiveness and sex on perceptions of counselor behavior. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 25, 336-342.

Leierer, S. J., & Strohmer, D. C. (1998). The effects of counselor disability status and reputation on perceptions of counselor expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 41, 278-293.

Leierer, S. J., & Strohmer, D. C. (1996). The effect of counselor disability, attending behavior, and client problem on counseling. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 40, 83-97.

Mallinckrodt, B., & Helms, J. E. (1986). Effect of disabled counselors’ self-disclosures on client perceptions of the counselor. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 33, 343-348.

Miller, M. J. (1991). Counselors with disabilities: A comment on the special feature. Journal of Counseling and Development, 70, 347-349.

Mitchell, D. C., & Frederickson, W. A. (1975). Preferences for physically disabled counselors in hypothetical counseling situations. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 22, 477-482.

Mitchell, J., & Allen, H. (1975). Perception of a physically disabled counselor in a counseling session. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 22, 70-73.

Nosek, M. A., Fuhrer, M. J., & Hughes, S. O. (1991). Perceived counselor credibility by persons with physical disability: Influence of counselor disability status, professional status, and the counseling content. Rehabilitation Psychology, 36, 153-161.

Pennington, D. A. (2003). Resources for counselors with disabilities. Counseling Today Online, 45(8). Retrieved March 22, 2003, from http://www.counseling.org/ctonline/Resources0203.htm

Strohmer, D. C., & Biggs, D. A. (1983). Effects of counselor disability status on disabled subjects’ perceptions of counselor attractiveness and expertness. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 30, 202-208.

Strohmer, D. C., & Leierer, S. J. (1996). The importance of counselor disability status: What we know and what we need to know. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 40, 96-116.

Toner, I. J., & Johnson, M. L. (1979). Effects of disability and sex of counselor on student preferences. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 22, 402-407.

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.