Counseling Students’ Perceptions of Journaling as a Tool for Developing Reflective Thinking

While much has been written about the potential benefits of journaling for counseling students, less is known about whether students themselves view this purportedly learner-centered practice as beneficial. This study explored the phenomenological experiences and writings of four counseling students in a CACREP-accredited program at a mid-sized public Midwestern university who kept a journal during an addictions counseling course. Participants indicated that journaling led to greater self-awareness and provided opportunities to practice the reflective thinking they will need in their counseling careers. The findings are useful to counselor educators who may be considering implementing or modifying journal or other reflective thinking assignments in their courses