The effect of counselor characteristics on use of counseling interview techniques in counseling work in KSA

Abstract EN

The aim of the present study was to investigate the counselors' usage of counselling interview techniques (action, reaction, and interaction techniques) and explore the effect of characteristics like gender, basis of accreditation, education stage, educational level, age and experience, on use of counselling interview techniques in the counselling work in KSA.

To answer the questions of the study, a measure was built for counselling interview techniques (by the researcher) and applied on a sample consisting of 207 counselors (85 female, 122 male).

The study concluded the following results: - The most used counselling interview techniques were the listening, clarification, interpretation , and questioning techniques respectively, whereas the least used was paraphrase.

The techniques of leading, feedback, confrontation, silence and reflection of feelings were used to a moderate degree - There were no statistically significant differences between male and female counselors in using of the techniques of questioning, listening, silence, reflection of feelings, paraphrase, interpretation , and leading, whereas there were statistically significant differences between male and female counselors concerning the usage of confrontation, clarification, and feedback techniques.

All these were used more by females.

- There were no statistically significant differences in use of questioning, listening, silence, reflection of feelings, paraphrase, interpretation , leading, and feedback techniques due to the effect of counselor accreditation , while there were statistically significant differences in use of confrontation and clarification techniques, in favor of the group that had training courses.

- There were no statistically significant differences in use of questioning , listening, silence, reflection of feelings, paraphrase, interpretation , leading, and feedback techniques due to the effect of current work stage, while there was a statistically significant difference in using of paraphrase in favor of those working at the secondary stage.

- There were no statistically significant differences in use of questioning, listening, silence, reflection of feelings, paraphrase, interpretation , leading, and feedback techniques due to the effect of educational level, while there were statistically significant differences in use of the confrontation technique in favor of those who had a postgraduate diploma.

- There were statistically significant differences in confrontation, reflection of feelings, leading, and feedback techniques due to the effect of age.

- There were statistically significant differences in confrontation, paraphrase, clarification, and feedback techniques due to the effect of years of experience in the field of counselling.

- There were statistically significant differences in use of paraphrase due to the effect of years of experience in the field of education.