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SOC-OFE Masters Students - SOC Program Resources: Counseling Work Samples (f.k.a. Clinical Work Samples)

Purpose of Counseling Work Samples

Purpose: Re-evaluation of skill readiness for students who have not satisfactorily completed a professional practice experience within the program of study in 2 years or longer.

 

The School of Counseling evaluates students’ skills regularly. If a student has not had their skills evaluated for more than 2 years for any reason, it is required that they submit a Counseling Work Sample before they enter a field experience. The work sample allows Walden faculty to evaluate the student's clinical skills to ensure that the student is prepared for a successful field experience.

  • The Counseling Work Sample is due at the same time as the field experience application. If you are not sure if a Work Sample will be required for you, contact the SOC-OFE.
  • See deadlines, submission instructions, and required forms below.

Counseling Work Sample Submission Deadlines

Counseling Work Samples are accepted by the deadlines below:
 
Field Experience Start  Counseling Work Sample Deadline
Spring Quarter December 15
Summer Quarter March 15
Fall Quarter June 15
Winter Quarter September 15
Feedback about clinical work samples is typically available about 4-6 weeks after the deadline.

Counseling Work Sample Submission Process

Counseling Work Sample Resources

This is a packet of materials which may help in refreshing a student’s counseling skills after a break from the SOC Program. The resources include handouts, a group mentoring opportunity, and a video Ebook.

Handouts

These handouts may aid you in refreshing your counseling skills.

Group Mentoring Opportunity

The Ducks and the Group Ducks are free informal online counseling mentoring groups facilitated by Dr. Nina Spadaro, SOC Skills Coordinator. These groups meet using videoconferencing on most Thursdays from 3-4:40 and 5-6:30pm Pacific Time (6 Eastern and 8 Eastern). The Ducks sessions focus upon individual counseling skills, and the Group Ducks sessions focus upon Group Leadership skills. Attending these forums, or having access to the playbacks of the meetings, might help prepare you for field experience by refreshing your memory about counseling skills and giving you opportunities to practice with fellow students, or observe fellow students in their practicing. The information you would need to join each one is attached. Members are invited to but not required to attend these groups, but are placed on an email list for each and receive an email with a link to the recording of each meeting.

A Counseling Skills Primer

You are also being given access to a resource which can help to refresh your counseling skills. Please review any relevant skills in the attached video eBook PDF, you can click on the links to specific skills in your browser to view how they are demonstrated. The authors are sharing this freely to you alone. Please email socassessment@mail.waldenu.edu for the password to access this resource.

Spadaro, N., Rush-Wilson, T., & Thornton, R.W. (2017) A counseling skills primer: 3-minute videos for the visual learner. Pensiero Press: Grays Lake, IL