A study of the relationship of counselor education and moral development, conceptual development and self-actualization

There is minimal information validating the effectiveness of Counselor Education programs. This study focused on examining growth and development in Master\u27s level graduate students, specifically in the domains of moral development, conceptual development and self-actualization. Research on cognitive-developmental theory and self-actualization provided the theoretical and empirical support for designing this descriptive study.;Two groups of graduate students (Incoming students and Outgoing students) were assessed by three instruments: Defining Issues Test, Paragraph Completion Method, and Personal Orientation Inventory. No significant differences were found between the two groups on these three assessments. The two groups were also compared regarding personal and demographic information. Significant differences were found between the two groups on several criteria: student as a participant in therapy before entering counselor education program, occurrence of significant life event(s), student as victim of abuse, and drug abuse by sibling.;Qualitative interviews were also conducted with a sample of the subjects to assess their thoughts and feelings about personal growth and development during their tenure as graduate students. Disclosures tended to contradict the trends indicated on the research instruments