Helping Skills Training: Outcomes and Trainer Effects

We studied whether counseling self-efficacy increases after taking a helping skills course as well as whether trainer (instructor) effects are associated with postclass self-efficacy. We surveyed 551 undergraduate students and 27 trainers in helping skills courses across three semesters at one large mid-Atlantic U.S. public university. We found that students reported greater counseling self-efficacy after taking the course. In addition, trainers accounted for small but significant amount of the variance (7%) in changes in counseling self-efficacy. There was evidence that the instructors’ authoritative teaching style but not their facilitative interpersonal skills were associated with increases in students’ counseling self-efficacy. Implications for helping skills training are discussed.