About 30 new students of the 60 to 80 who apply enter the program each semester. They frequently encounter intense issues and concerns. If we establish a relationship with clients to really talk about the issues, then in a collaborative way we can begin to work on other ways of dealing with issues. Faculty consider student expectations and monitor their personal growth, Havens says. While aware of the potential shortcomings of high-tech equipment, Havens considers the advantages to the counseling student.
Students have immediate and ongoing support and feedback from faculty members.
Technology allows faculty and students to review videos of entire counseling sessions. Immediate feedback, essential to the learning process, is based on the exact exchange between clients and counselors. Clients are aware their sessions are being videotaped, just as previously they were aware audio tapes were made. Also with the client's knowledge, sessions in the past were observed through one-way mirrors. The drawback was that observers could not speak to each other while observing.