Sensitivity-oriented versus didactically oriented in-service counselor training.

Compared the effectiveness of 2 different in-service training workshops for counselors. 18 male and 15 female secondary school counselors with a mean age of 37.3 yrs and mean counseling experience of 6.3 yrs served as Ss. 22 Ss were given a 16-hr Carkhuff-type refresher in facilitative interpersonal process plus 8 hrs either of sensitivity experiences or traditional didactic learning. 11 volunteers whose schedules could not be accommodated served as controls. Pre-post criteria of relationship skill were assessed in actual and simulated interviews. Results demonstrate the usefulness of Carkhuff-based training supplemented by group encounter as a professional-skills enhancer, and underscored the transferability of sensitivity training gains to counseling. It is concluded that the interpersonal learning that occurs in a sensitivity context may be a more valuable resource in real-life counseling situations than the learning effected by didactic materials. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)