Perceptions of students’ counselling experience with intern counsellors within a tertiary education setting: A thematic analysis.

Mental health decline and psychological distress is rising among tertiary students’ worldwide andis now recognised internationally as an important public health issue.There is a growing demand for campus-based counselling services as evidence suggests that providing on-campus counselling support can significantly support student mental health and wellbeing. In addition, there is a symbiotic demand for counselling students to have the opportunity to integrate their skills through practice with clients. With the increasing demand for universities and tertiary institutes to provide counselling support, the use of graduate level trainees to deliver counselling services could provide an innovative and effective model to cope with high demand in a cost-efficient way. This qualitative research explores the perceptions of students who have sought counselling, delivered by trainee counsellors within a tertiary education setting. A thematic analysis was used to interpret the data from anonymous, semi-structured survey questions. Three predominate themes were identified; 1) positive experiences of counselling were connected directly to the relationship and positive regard that the counsellor fostered; 2) the counselling process supported the clients’ autonomy, self-determination and resilience and 3) despite nervousness, clients were surprised by the perceived positive benefits of counselling. A fourth theme identified that a minority of clients need a more experienced therapist to support their needs. This study demonstrated that counselling services delivered by trainee counsellors was perceived as helpful by the majority of students and has implications for improving practice and service availability through the use of trainees within university counselling services.