The 6th Annual Counseling Conference will help answer the question: what’s on the minds of young people today?
One of the most unique features of this year’s conference, set for Feb. 7-8, will be its keynote speaker Mick Cooper, who will be the first-ever international speaker to present at the conference. Cooper, who has taught as a professor of counseling at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland for the past 10 years, will present on findings in psychotherapy and counseling.
His work is mainly in the field of humanistic counseling and what that means for counseling young people.
“A humanistic approach places a lot of emphasis on helping people to find their own answers, and supporting them to find the best way forward for themselves,” Cooper said.
Cooper’s presentation will introduce the latest findings in psychotherapy and counseling, specifically on what aspects are most important in determining positive results for clients. He said some therapists in his field say that success comes with the method of delivery, but he doesn’t agree.
“One of the most important things here is the quality of the therapeutic relationship — whether the client feels cared for and understood by the therapist,” Cooper said.
Cooper’s talk will also look at new developments in the field, including the process of monitoring clients on a regular basis. This method has been proven to be one of the most successful, Cooper said.
Along with helping clients find their own answers, the existentialist approach Cooper mentions is a common practice in counseling at UCF, said Edward Robinson, UCF professor of counselor education and creator of the counseling conference.
“The concept of existentialism is about the here and now and living in the moment,” Robinson said. “So, in counseling, we really try to get clients to look at what’s going to improve their life right now, where you want to be that you can change right now and that you’re in control of.”
Other presentations at the conference will cover topics including psychotropic medications, crisis management, intimate partner violence in same-sex couples, client collaboration and other areas and issues in the counseling community.
Bryce Hagedorn, director of UCF’s counseling program, sees the counseling conference as not only a showcase of important research, but as an opportunity for students, faculty and professionals in the counseling community to network. His favorite part is networking with community professionals.
“It’s also a great opportunity to see our alumni and what they’re up to and where they’re currently working,” Hagedorn said.
Another unique feature of the conference is that students do the majority of the work. Whether they’re volunteering, coordinating or presenting, UCF’s counseling doctoral students are almost entirely running the show, Hagedorn said.
One of those students, Ashley Blount, is not only going to be a speaker but is also lead coordinator for the conference. Her presentation, titled “Reflection And Strategies to Support Counselor Resiliency,” will touch on the well-being of counselors themselves.
Blount is a second-year doctoral student in the Counselor Education Ph.D. Track at UCF.
Blount and Hagedorn noted that the ideas to be presented at the conference relate directly to UCF’s counseling program and its own work.
“The topics are related to the work we do with clients in our clinic here at UCF,” Hagedorn said. “A lot of the counseling that’s happening there is influenced by the research that students and the alumni are doing.”
The conference will take place in the UCF Teaching Academy.
While the conference may have a main focus on current research, a look ahead at the future of counseling is still kept in mind, Cooper said.
“Counseling is an evolving and developing field, which contributes to the psychological well-being of millions of people around the globe each year,” Cooper said. “This conference will be an opportunity to look at the next steps that we can take forward.”