Becoming and being a counsellor: An exploration of the tension between graduate learning regimes and professional identity in a counsellor training programme in Singapore

Tan, Trina Li Lian

Abstract

In this thesis, the author investigates and explores the experience of the ‘becoming’ and ‘being’ of Singaporean counselling graduates as they navigate their professional identity in a specific counselling training programme in Singapore. ‘Becoming’ a counsellor involves acquiring the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to provide effective counselling services, while ‘being’ a counsellor involves embodying the qualities and characteristics that are essential to the counselling profession.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was a growing interest in how counsellors were trained among national and government agencies in Singapore. This was accompanied by policy changes, tighter regulations, and technological innovations that impacted the environment that counsellors worked and trained in. This thesis was promoted to understand the tensions between the graduate learning regimes and counsellor professional identity; drawing upon observations from the first completely local counsellor training programme in Singapore, established in partnership with a local tertiary educational institute and the Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC). This was done by analysing the data gathered from qualitative face-to-face interviews.

The findings underscore the importance of factors which contribute to professional identity development, especially the prominence of professional growth and recognition during the “becoming” phase of shaping a professional counsellor. Additionally, intrinsic motivations, belief systems and prior personal experiences during the “being” phase are seen as making significant contributions to professional identity. This study identified challenges such as participants’ perceived need for licensing. The thesis finishes by advocating for curriculum discussions that will assist counsellor-in-training to navigate through their development, to enhance their training experience, and promote an articulation of a coherent, professional counsellor identity in Singapore and other parts of East Asia.

Citation

Tan, T. L. L. (2024). Becoming and being a counsellor: An exploration of the tension between graduate learning regimes and professional identity in a counsellor training programme in Singapore. (Thesis). Keele University. Retrieved from https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/850261

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 14, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 20, 2024
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/850261
• Award Date: 2024-06