Towards building a Filipino counselor development model

This study sought to develop a counselor development model that reflects the experiences of Filipino practitioners. It also sought to identify the themes that best describe counselor development in the Philippine context. Using a grounded theory approach to research, 20 practicing counselors with age ranging from 24-64 years old and years of experience ranging from 0 to 40 years, were interviewed. Five of the respondents were reinterviewed. Eight took part in two focus group discussions. To increase trustworthiness, member checking and peer debriefing, auditing and triangulation were also conducted. A four-stage Filipino counselor development model was derived from the results of the study. The model reflected the journey of Filipino counselors through the stages of exploration, equipping, comfortable practice and renewal. Each stage is differentiated in terms of a) central task, b) definition of counselor development, c) factors that influence development and d) dimensions of development. Three dimensions of development were identified, namely a) approach to counseling, b) level of self-confidence, and c) manner of relating to clients. Four themes were also identified from the study. These are a) the counselors practice is an integration of their professional and personal life, b) Filipino counselors experience high degree of autonomy in their development and practice, c) fulfilling requirements was a major task in counselor development, and d) client development served two important functions for counselor-evaluation and source of satisfaction. Results were discussed in light of the unique features of counselor development in the Philippine context as well as its implications on the professional development of Filipino counselors