The Counselor as Practitioner-Researcher: A Practical Guide to Research Methods

The Counselor as Practitioner-Researcher: A Practical Guide to Research Methods is designed to help readers integrate a researcher's perspective and research methodology into their professional practice. Approaching practice as a practitioner-researcher not only facilitates the gathering of data and the drawing of useful conclusions, but also results in more ethical and effective practice decisions.

Section I provides readers with an overview of the need and value of research in support of the counseling profession and as a basis for sound and successful practice decisions. In Section II, the fundamentals of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed designs are reviewed. Section III highlights specific designs and their value to the counselor as practitioner-researcher, including between group, within subject, action research, and case study designs. The text concludes with an extensive case illustration of counselor research and the steps necessary to developing a specific research plan.

The Counselor as Practitioner-Researcher assists those in training and those in practice to not only become informed consumers of research, but also "doers" of research as it guides their practice decisions, affords measures of accountability, and supports program evaluation.

Richard D. Parsons, Ph.D. is a professor of counselor education at West Chester University. He has over 40 years of university teaching experience and has had a private clinical practice for over 30 years. Dr. Parsons serves as a consultant to educational and mental health institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. He has authored or co-authored over 90 books, book chapters, and professional articles. He earned his master's and doctoral degrees from Temple University.

Eric Owens, Ph.D., is a full professor and chair of the Department of Counselor Education at West Chester University. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, and is a certified professional school counselor. He has published on issues related to crisis intervention and trauma counseling, and has presented nationally and internationally on these topics. Prior to joining the West Chester faculty, Dr. Owens worked extensively with people in crisis in community, higher education, and K-12 settings.

Cheryl Neale-McFall, Ph.D. is an associate professor and interim dean for the College of Education and Social Work at West Chester University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor.