Date of Conferral

6-17-2024

Date of Award

June 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Allison Spargo

Abstract

Students enrolled in accelerated academic programs are not immune to mental health concerns that other students may face. Despite the increasing evidence that perfectionism is correlated with psychological distress among adolescents, there is a gap in the literature on how interventions developed for use in adolescent populations may affect this relationship. Knowledge of the influence, if any, of interventions may help school counselors to better understand these students’ experiences and counseling requirements. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to learn more about counselors’ experiences with students in accelerated academic programs. The participants comprised eight counselors recruited from a school district in the U.S. state of Virginia who had at least 2 years of experience and provided services to high school students engaged in accelerated academic programs. Interviews were conducted for data collection purposes. Data analysis involved note-taking and reviewing the transcribed interviews. Through this process, four themes surfaced: intensity, parallel process, feelings of being undervalued, and internalized sense of satisfaction. Based on the four themes that surfaced, it is recommended that counselor educators take a more holistic approach to supporting students in accelerated academic programs. This may involve providing additional resources and support systems to help students manage the intensity of the program and the parallel process of balancing coursework with other responsibilities. With greater understanding of the needs of students in accelerated academic programs, counselor educators may be better able to effectively support these students.

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