Speech-Language Pathologists’ Counselor Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure and determine the factors that influence counseling self-efficacy in speech-language pathologists. Data was collected through an anonymous 95-question web-based survey. Five hundred and twenty-seven completed responses were received. The results indicated that participants in the study were confident in their counseling abilities and skills; however, lesser confidence in skills related to personal adjustment counseling were observed. Further, it was found that emotional intelligence, internal locus of control, counseling training and years of experience all had a significant positive relationship with counseling self-efficacy. From this, it can be concluded that speech-language pathologists can increase their counseling self-efficacy through increased training opportunities and experiences, development of greater emotional intelligence, and by having an internal locus of control.