Mini-Research Proposal

Mini-Research Proposal

A Mini-Proposal on the Problem Faced During Counseling Process in maintaining the client’s rights

Mini-Literature Review

Article 1: (Colledge, 2002), humanistic counseling involves support networks, values, feelings, beliefs, and worthiness of the client. Colledge conducted research on the session of the counseling and found that some limitations are experienced in the process. Such challenges were found to be more faced by the counselor. According to the researcher, the problem that he faced as a counselor was to get full information from a female client. Colledge argued that there is some personal information that his client was not willing to tell despite it being crucial for the counseling process (Colledge, 2002). The client could not reveal the truth of what had happened to her but to say generally, that he had been harassed. This problem made Colledge curious and was forced to research the sound remedy to the problem. After the study, he came up with two findings that could help curb such a challenge. Colledge established that in any counseling center, there should be gender representation, and also he found that confirmed consent forms could also be a solution.

Article 2:  according to Thorne (2000), the counseling process based on the rights of the client is said to be limited. Sometimes the situation of the client might be worse that she cannot talk due to the stress, depression, and general psychological state. Thorne found it a significant challenge to the counselor to ensure that the client is treated in a way that encourages him or her to talk while upholding his rights (Thorne, 2000). Thorne also found that the client can be physically affected, for example, if the source of the stress was family violence or any other kind of conflict. According to the researcher, the first step for such people was to be given medical attention. However, this solution brought about other complications of incorporating counseling firms into hospitals. If the incorporation were not to be then, it would be costly to conduct the counseling process. The reason behind it is that the client has the right to be in a good state for the counseling to take place.

Article 3: According to McGuiness et al. (2001), there was a big problem of cultural differences during the counseling process. Cultural diversity was found to be a problem for counselors. The counseling should not interfere with the cultural rights of the client. McGuiness et al. found that a Christian counselor to attend an Islamic client in religious matters was not possible, and if it were to happen, then it would not be effective (McGuiness et al. 2012). They agreed on the solution that there must be representatives of every culture, but the opposing viewpoint of the remedy was the cost of its implementation. Also, getting experts from all cultures was not possible, and the suggestion seemed to be invalid and unsound.

Research Question

In what ways should the counselors conduct their counseling process effectively without interfering with the rights of the client?

Research Design

The proposed research calls for primary data collection. Therefore, the survey is the best research design that has been espoused to be employed in the proposed research. The researcher will come up with a predetermined set of questions that will guide him or her in the actual study (Orb, Eisenhauer & Wynaden, 2001). These questions will be posted to the sample members. The technique will be preferred due to the advantages attributed to it to other techniques. For instance, based on cost-effectiveness, the survey is the least cost technique.

Additionally, the survey technique is associated with high representativeness. The information obtained is more reflective of the real population. The data gathering process is convenient with survey research design, and finally, there is o observer subjectivity. Given all these advantages, the proposed research is believed to be more reliable if the research design espoused will be surveyed.

Sampling Plan

The population target will be the counselors around and who have been practicing their profession for at least three years. These are people who are believed to have encountered several cases of complications in the process of counseling their clients. Therefore the sampling will be done through a convenience sampling technique (Orb, Eisenhauer & Wynaden, 2001). The area around is dominated by experienced counselors who can be sample members. The sampling technique is more advantageous compared to other sampling techniques, especially for this case (Orb, Eisenhauer & Wynaden, 2001). It is cost-effective since the researcher uses the population at his or her convenience.

Additionally, it is a time-saving technique since there will be no movement in search of sample members. The technique is also simple to apply. The sample size will comprise of 50 members (n=50). The proposed research is on a problem that is faced by a portion of the people (counselors). In implication, the sample size will depend on the size of the population facing the problem.

Data Collection

The proposed research will involve predetermined questions that will be used to be asked to the counselors, sample members. These questions will be designed in a way that all areas will be touched (Orb, Eisenhauer & Wynaden, 2001). They will be useful to the researcher not to leave some areas unsearched. The responses will be put down on the spaces left on the question paper. The information will be used for the analysis and conclusion drawing. If data collection coincides with some counseling processes taking place, the situation will necessitate the observation method. The researcher will observe the process and note what will be helpful.

Data Analysis

The descriptive statistics will be espoused in the analysis of the quantitative data that will be collected in the proposed study. The analysis technique involves the reduction of the vast data matrices to easy ones (Orb, Eisenhauer & Wynaden, 2001). The reduction permits straightforward interpretation and understanding of the information. Additionally, the essential characteristics of the data will be conveyed through the arrangement of the data into a form that is more interpretable. For example, frequency distributions and graphical displays will be used.

Ethical and Cultural Concerns

Informed consent will be sought early before the research initiation. The counselors will be made aware of the proposed study that they will be involved in, and their permission will be requested (Orb, Eisenhauer & Wynaden, 2001). It will be a crime according to the constitution to conduct a study without the participants’ consent. Following the cultural differences, there will be a keen observation of the cultural requirement for the research to be effective.

The problem can be investigated by the use of mixed methods also. Qualitative research can also be employed in the investigation of the potential problem. However, the proposed quantitative is the best of all methods and will guarantee reliable researcher results. Qualitative can only be useful when addressing the issue of the types of challenges experienced when counseling.

References

Colledge, R. L.(2002 ). Progress in small group research. Annual review of psychology, 41(1), 585-634.

McGuiness, Wassenaar, D. R., & Mamotte, N. (2012). Ethical issues and ethics reviews in social science research. The Oxford handbook of international psychological ethics, 268-282.

Orb, A., Eisenhauer, L., & Wynaden, D. (2001). Ethics in quantitative research. Journal of nursing scholarship, 33(1), 93-96.

Thorne M. J. (2000). Practicing participatory action research. Journal of counseling psychology, 52(2), 187.