On the Association between Academic Studies and Professional Training – The Case of School Counseling: Do Academic Studies Train School Counselors for Their Work, as Perceived by Them Retrospectively?

In the current study we sought to examine how school counselors in Israel, who work in profession for several years, evaluate the association between academic studies and the professional training they received during their Maters’s degree in school counseling. Fifteen school counselors were interviewed regarding their Academic courses, Practical training, enjoyment of one’s studies, what is missing in the training process and their experience of entering the role after the academic studies. Retrospectively, the research findings showed that the academic program was not compatible with practical training for the counselor’s actual work, as perceived by the school counselors. The results also showed that many changes must be made in Master’s degree programs to better train school counselors for their job. The findings of the current study reinforce the inconsistent and vague definition of the school counselor’s job and accentuate the many years of academic training that is not adapted to the school counselor’s role.