School Counselors’ Perspectives on Trauma-Informed Psychoeducational Assessment and Counseling Practices

A Reflexive Thematic Analysis

Abstract

School counselors undertake psychoeducational assessment and counseling to support the learning and well-being of students. Little is known about how school counselors use trauma-informed practices when undertaking psychoeducational assessment and counseling with students impacted by trauma. If school counselors do not use trauma-informed practices, they may cause further harm and provide ineffective interventions. Informed by the ecological model of professional school counseling, this qualitative study explored how eleven Australian school counselors used trauma-informed practices in psychoeducational assessment and counseling. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Two key findings emerged: cognitive tests may not be a fair and reliable measure of the cognition of students impacted by trauma; and school counselors must be culturally responsive in their approach to psychoeducational assessment and counseling. School counseling preparation programs must embed trauma-informed practices and supervisors of school counselors must support their staff in implementing trauma-informed practices in their work.