Online Counselor Education
Dedication
To my mentors: Larry Loesch, Harry Daniels, Tom Clawson, Joe Wittmer, Nick Hanna, Joe Maola, Pete Sherrard, and the many others who shaped my journey through counselor education. I strive to pass on to students all that you have given to me.
Carl J. Sheperis
To my studentspast, present, and futurein the hope that it will help them as they learn, train, and prepare to help others.
R. J. Davis
Online Counselor Education
A Guide for Students
Edited By
- Carl J. Sheperis
- Lamar University
- R. J. Davis
- Lamar University
- Los Angeles
- London
- New Delhi
- Singapore
- Washington DC
Copyright 2016 by SAGE Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Sheperis, Carl, author. | Davis, R. J., author.
Title: Online counselor education: a guide for students / Carl J. Sheperis, R.J. Davis.
Description: Los Angeles: SAGE, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015029685 | ISBN 9781483359434 (pbk.: alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: CounselingStudy and teaching (Graduate)Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Web-based instructionHandbooks, manuals, etc. | Internet in educationHandbooks, manuals, etc.
Classification: LCC BF636.65 .S54 2016 | DDC 158.3078/5dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015029685
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
15 16 17 18 19 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Detailed Contents
Preface
As students entering the world of online counselor education, you might be somewhat nervous about the journey ahead. Trust that learning is a developmental process and that you arent supposed to know everything the day you begin. In my first class of my masters degree, I was sitting and staring at a quote on the blackboard. While I cant remember the quote, I can remember that it was attributed to LB. I sat there dejected because I had no idea who LB was and instantly knew that I didnt belong in graduate school. I was a failure 5 minutes into my journey! We had a class break and shuffled out into the hallway to get drinks and snacks. As I was standing in the hall, I heard my classmates asking each other, Who is LB? Redemption! I once again had a chance to be successful after such a quick downslide to dropping out of school. I later discovered that the quote was by Leo Buscaglia (whom I have still never read) and realized that he was a favorite author of that professor. The quote had little to do with my graduate education, and yet the lack of knowing it created a sense of dread.
As you begin this process, give yourself permission to be a willing learner and to explore the things that you dont know. You are not only entering graduate school, but also taking a step into the online platform for learning. In many ways, you have more resources available to you than you would in a traditional classroom with LB written on the blackboard. In the online world, you would simply copy and paste the quote into the browser and immediately discover the source. There wouldnt be a sense of dread just a sense of discovery. Embrace that feeling and take each new learning opportunity head on. You will truly benefit from the process and will find that you are getting the maximum benefit from your graduate education.
As you read through the chapters of this book, I hope it becomes clear that online learning and counselor training are integrally intertwined in todays world and that you have made an excellent decision to take this route toward becoming a professional counselor. The goals for this text are to help you build your confidence in the online learning process, to help you understand the different aspects of online counselor training, and to prepare you to move toward becoming a professional counselor. Through this text, you will be exposed to various aspects of online training and you will have to examine them in light of your particular program. The chapter authors will guide you through the process of becoming a counselor and will help you to have a little more confidence than I experienced on my first day in graduate school.
Carl J. Sheperis, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, MAC, ACS, LPC
Austin, Texas
Acknowledgments
Editing a book for new online learners in counselor education requires a broad range of perspectives. It could not be completed without the knowledgeable voices of each contributing author in this book. We thank the authors for helping to shape the next generation of professional counselors. Bringing the book to publication requires the support and dedication of a large number of individuals. First and foremost, we would like to thank our editor, Kassie Graves, for guiding us through the project and helping to bring it to life. We would also like to thank the rest of the support team at SAGE Publications for their work on editing and production. A special thanks goes to Carrie Montoya for all of her follow-up and attention to detail.
We also want to thank our personal editors, Bridget Badovick and Ellis Starkey, for their skills in track changes, grammar, flow, voice, tone, prompting for responses, cutting extraneous material, and bringing everything within page limits. They both have an excellent future in the editing and publishing business.
Carl J. Sheperis and R. J. Davis
SAGE was founded in 1965 by Sara Miller McCune to support the dissemination of usable knowledge by publishing innovative and high-quality research and teaching content. Today, we publish more than 850 journals, including those of more than 300 learned societies, more than 800 new books per year, and a growing range of library products including archives, data, case studies, reports, and video. SAGE remains majority-owned by our founder, and after Saras lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures our continued independence.
