The Relationship between Psychological Well-Being and Perceived Wellness in Graduate-Level Counseling Students

Abstract

Research has established that individuals who provide personal therapy to others should have stable personal and professional lives, and possess a keen and accurate perception of wellness. Unfortunately, sometimes students pursuing careers in counseling and psychotherapy have unresolved psychological issues that, if unresolved, could later affect them in their professional lives. However, nowadays few counselor education programs have a systematic way to evaluate and improve wellness in their students. Furthermore, the field lacks research studies addressing the well-being of counselors-in-training, their perception of wellness, and their need for self-care. As a result, this study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological well-being and perceived wellness in a sample (N = 97) of graduate students in a CACREP-accredited counseling program at a state university in Pennsylvania. It measured the participants' psychological well-being by the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB) and their perception of wellness by the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between psychological well-being and perceived wellness of counselors-in-training.