Date of Completion

2025

Document Type

Research Project

Degree Name

Grade 12

Keywords

counseling, counseling approaches, counseling styles, counseling expectations, therapy, student-based counseling

Abstract

In today’s academic environment, students face diverse academic, social, and emotional challenges, creating a need for specialized guidance and counseling interventions. However, little is known about students’ preferences regarding therapist methods. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the most preferred counselor demographics, theoretical counseling approach, counseling style, and expectations. Therefore, the researchers surveyed 267 students and interviewed five students from schools within NCR and Region IV-A in the Philippines, employing a cross-sectional quantitative design and a phenomenological qualitative approach. Qualitative findings revealed themes across approaches: students value intuition (psychodynamic); medication (biological); parental involvement (family); familiar, private, and natural physical settings (ecosystems); constructive directness (cognitive); and gradual emotion-based progression (pragmatic). However, humanistic themes of warmth and acceptance are most prominent. Quantitative findings indicated that students imagine their ideal counselor to be 21-30 years old, female, Filipino, Roman Catholic, married, and holding a PhD. Students most prefer the humanistic approach, while the biological, cognitive, and pragmatic approaches also receive high ratings, suggesting eclectic preferences. Students favor the closeness style, though flexibility between styles is highly endorsed. They also hold greater role expectations than outcome expectations, with both domains interpreted as high expectations, reflecting belief in therapy effectiveness. Combined findings suggest that students want counselors who build rapport, foster a strong therapeutic alliance, and embody characteristics aligned with culturally derived Filipino values. Given these findings, future researchers, professional counselors, and institutions shall use this paper as a basis to improve counseling services by providing effective care to students through holistic, client-centered counseling environments.

First Advisor

Mr. Lord Joseas C. Conwi, LPT, RPm, RGC, MAEd, CMHA, CLSSDC

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