Student Observation & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Prerequisites for approval for clinical observations (shadowing) 

and evaluation at GCC:


1. You must be a student pursuing a degree in psychology and counseling, or, a degree in theology or pastoral ministry.

2. If you are a pastor or church staff member, you must demonstrate employment at your church. Note: those already enrolled in the GCC Ministry School of Biblical Counseling are pre-approved.

3. You must acknowledge that any hours accumulated in observation or shadowing at Grace Counseling Clinic of Christ Church of Central Arkansas, with a non-licensed counselor, will not count, be credited to, nor be reportable toward, your duty to acquire clinical hours per your state's regulation for the acquiring of clinical hours toward licensure. For GCC staff who are licensed, applicants will be contacted for specific terms and conditions for the accumulation of clinical hours toward licensure.


4. You must sign a Release of Information Form and comply with all ethical and professional standards of client confidentiality. If approved, the ROI will be provided for you.


5. You must comply with all expectation and professional best practices for students in observation. 

STUDENT OBSERVATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

POLICIES FOR STUDENT OBSERVATION

1. It is unethical and a violation of privacy laws (HIPAA) for a Student Observer to write, text, post or comment about personally identifiable information observed in a therapy-counseling session.

2. Students are expected to have sufficient understanding and mastery of the following documents regarding ethics and code of conduct policies:

        a. Arkansas Counseling Association Code of Ethics.[1]

        b. American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.[2]

        c. Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling.[3]


3. Students are not allowed to bring food and drinks into the session.


4. Students are not allowed to use their cell phones during a session. Students expecting an important call should inform their counselor-therapist and reschedule their observation hour(s).


5. Students are not allowed to interrupt a sessions with questions, expressions of insight, clarifications, correctives, nor interventions.


6. Student are not allowed to disturb sessions by expressing psychomotor gestures of approval or disapproval during the session. The student is an observer and not a vocal evaluator. Students remain quiet during the session and should focus on technical observation and discernment skills.


7. Students are free to respond to questions asked directly by the Client-Patient. Students should limit their response to what is appropriate per the subject and time limitations of the scheduled session.[4]


8. The Counselor-Therapist may occasionally engage the student with a comment that is considered professionally important in vivo to the psychotherapeutic process.

 






[1] https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014-ACA-Code-of-Ethics_.pdf

[2] https://www.apa.org/ethics/code

[3] https://healthy.arkansas.gov/boards-commissions/boards/examiners-in-counseling-arkansas-state-board/

[4] The duration of a session is usually 50 minutes only.

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