From discourse to effectiveness: A communication studies perspective on college counselors' individual psychological counseling
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: College counselors are central to students' mental health education, where effective discourse is crucial for successful individual counseling. Yet, most studies emphasize counseling content or student attitudes, with limited empirical analysis of how counselors' discourse affects communication outcomes. This study adopts a communication studies perspective and employs a mixed-methods design, combining questionnaires ( N = 412) and semi-structured interviews ( N = 38). Five dimensions were examined: communication content, communicative competence, perceived attitude, channel preference, and communication effectiveness. Results show that professional competence, discourse relevance, channel selection, and counselor–student trust are key factors, with trust mediating and moderating the effects of competence and discourse strategies. Students reported greater psychological safety and openness when counselors demonstrated empathy, acceptance, and guidance, while poor discourse relevance or inappropriate channels provoked defensiveness. An integrative model of discourse and communication effectiveness is proposed, offering theoretical and practical insights for optimizing counseling strategies and strengthening mental health education in higher education. • Examining counselor discourse via mixed methods for its comprehensibility and acceptability, offering empirical support for mental health education. • A multidisciplinary framework blending psychology, education, communication, and Marxist theory to analyze dynamic counselor-audience interactions. • Testing model linking discourse to effectiveness via surveys, interviews, enriching research and guiding counselors.
Source: Acta Psychologica
Authors: Haimei Zheng, Qing Feng, Guibin Wang
Institutions: Hainan Normal University, Shaanxi Normal University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,670
OpenAlex ID: W4415551945