Academic advising from the lens of a psychologist. Mehvash Ali, Ph.D. NACADA 2014

Transcription

1 Academic advising from the lens of a psychologist Mehvash Ali, Ph.D. NACADA 2014

2 Introduction Clinical Psychologist 10+ years of experience in college mental health Currently working as Director of Academic Support Center: Academic advising Disability Services Agenda for this presentation: Roles and differences in responsibilities of advisors and other professionals (psychologists, counselors, etc.) When and how to refer Various psychological theories/interventions that could be applied in academic advising

3 Quick survey Which of the following individuals (tutors-advisorscounselors-life coaches-therapists-psychologists) typically perform the following functions: Teach study skills Diagnose learning disabilities Discuss career goals Teach course content Develop strategies for personal growth Improve motivation Modify behaviors

4 Role Boundaries Advisors: help with major completion planning, meeting graduation requirements, major selection, clarify instructional policies, and requirements, facilitate withdrawals, courses selection, add/drop, educational petitions, study skills training, etc. Tutors: teach content (vs. advisors who teach strategies). Coaches: According to ICF, the coaching process does not include advising or counseling, and focuses instead on individuals or groups setting and reaching their own objectives. Career counselors: help with career planning and advancement, job application, resume building, networking, internship selection, interpreting career inventories. Counselors: provide short term personal counseling, mediate housing/roommate issues, address adjustment issues and teach stress management and coping skills, provide conflict resolution skills or crisis management, etc. Psychologists: Psychologists treat mental health problems and psychosocial issues.

5 When to refer I have to see this student very frequently in order to help her appropriately Nothing I am trying is making a difference I am not sure if I am doing the right thing I wonder if I am missing something Student behavior is disrupting/distressing others Feeling overwhelmed or overly concerned about the student p?idregtest=3040 This is a 16 question assessment you can have your student take themselves to see if they do need to be seen by a mental health professional

6 How to refer? Talk to student in private Give specific examples of things that concern you Be empathetic Suggest speaking with someone in the University s counseling center Normalize counseling process and provide information about the counseling center If appropriate, have the student call the counseling center from your office to schedule an appointment Do not apologize for your suggestion or for making the referral. Do not promise to keep what the student has discussed with you a secret. Do consult with counseling center staff if unsure of referral and inform campus security if there is danger of self or other harm

7 Borrowing from psychology to enhance academic advising Building rapport Communication skills Empowering the individual Motivational interviewing Focusing on developmental needs Cognitive restructuring Behavioral modification

8 Building rapport Level of connection, trust, and understanding between people Open body language Appropriate self-disclosure Speech matching Mirroring actions Creating a safe environment Be honest about your limitations Don t make promises you cant keep Offer empathy Unconditional positive regard_ non-judgmental respect but not necessarily tolerating inappropriate behavior

9 Communication Skills Communication consists of: what is being said where its being said when its being said how its being said why its being said Use broad openings_ what would you like to focus on today? Keep your questions open ended Avoid whys Giving advice_ be super careful Silence is a powerful tool

10 Empowerment The greatest gift you can give a person is power over their own lives Empowerment is associated with many positive outcomes Empower to seek/discover solutions themselves rather than getting solutions

11 Motivational Interviewing Empirically validated technique to help facilitate intrinsic motivation to elicit a change in behavior. Stages of change Pre-contemplation I don t have a problem Maintenance Maintain changes and handle relapses Contemplation Know they have a problem and are thinking about change but no plan or commitment to change Action Actively involved in the change process Preparation They have decided to make a change

12 Motivational Interviewing Stage Goal Strategy Pre-contemplative Increase awareness of need for change Contemplative Preparation Action Resolve ambivalence Create plan for action Implement change Empathy, encourage information seeking and self exploration. Avoid confrontation and directing them to action Risk-benefit discussion, avoid openly being in favor of change, instill hope, look at previous attempts and identify success and failures in it Set goals, mobilize resources, identify possible obstacles Reward efforts, tackle obstacles Maintenance Sustain change Deal with relapses, identify early risk factors

13 Resistance Goal: avoid power struggle Possible causes of power struggle: unsolicited advice from expert role tell them how they should feel excessive questioning order, direct, warn, or threaten preach or shame or criticize argue for change What should you do if you have a resistant student? 1) accept the resistance to get on their side 2) go back to the stages of change model

14 Developmental needs of students: Chickering 1. Achieving competence: physical and intellectual abilities 2. Becoming autonomous: separating from parents and decreasing need for peer approval 3. Managing emotions: identify express appropriate responses 4. Developing mature interpersonal relationships: increasing tolerance, developing trust, intimacy skills 5. Clarifying purpose: career development and experience 6. Developing integrity: clarifying values and beliefs 7. Establishing identity: role identification, developing sense of self

15 Cognitive restructuring Stressful event Stress ABC model by Ellis Event (Activating Event) Beliefs Emotional or Behavioral Rxn (Consequence)

16 Distorted Cognitions Polarized thinking: Black/white resulting in perfectionism Catastrophizing: exaggerating importance of event Filtering: magnifying negatives and filtering out positives Shoulds: living with shoulds can result in guilt Emotional reasoning: what we feel is reflection of reality Blaming others: hold other people responsible for your feelings

17 Behavioral modification Add Remove Positive Increases Behavior (Positive Reinforcement) Decreases Behavior (Negative Punishment) Negative Decreases Behavior (Positive Punishment) Increases Behavior (Negative Reinforcement)

18 Behavioral modification Develop new behaviors Successive approximations to desired behavior Modeling Strengthen existing behaviors Decreasing reinforcement Variable reinforcement Decrease negative behaviors Extinction Must be applying every time and can initially increase the behavior Reinforce an incompatible alternative behavior

19 Thank you Mehvash Ali, Ph.D