Strengthening support for children and youth in Singapore: a personal therapy approach to training paraprofessional counsellors

ABSTRACT Although personal therapy was advocated as a route to personal and professional growth of therapists, it was rarely used in the training of non-professional counsellors, such as teachers and youth workers. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 15 undergraduate preservice teachers and youth workers from a university in Singapore who attended mandatory individual and group personal development sessions as part of para-counsellor training. Twelve subcategories in four categories were identified using Strauss’ and Corbin’s grounded theory methodology. Participants perceived that personal therapy influenced their personal and professional growth, and changed their perception of counselling from negative to positive. Their beliefs in the efficacy of counselling were validated, and they were more willing to seek help through counselling in future.