Philosophical counseling education on clinical psychology students effect on psychological well-being and professional competence levels

Philosophy's search for solutions to daily life problems that distress and disturb individuals has historical roots that predate the history of psychotherapy. Similarly, the relationship between philosophy and psychology also dates back a long time. Although they have diverged at many significant points from the past to the present, they are disciplines that complement and support each other in striving for a good life. In this context, the present study aims to examine the effects of philosophical counseling training on clinical psychology graduate students' psychological well-being, as well as their professional competence and proficiency. Data were collected through focus group interviews, a qualitative research method, with 10 students who received philosophical counseling training in the clinical psychology graduate program at Ankara Social Sciences University. The data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis with MAXQDA24 software. The analysis revealed that philosophical counseling training had positive effects on students' psychological well-being in the sub-dimensions of "self-acceptance," "personal growth," "autonomy," "positive relationships with others," and "purpose in life." No effect was found on the sub-dimension of "environmental mastery." Additionally, the study found that philosophical counseling training also positively impacted the students' professional competence and proficiency. In this regard, the study demonstrates the multifaceted benefits of philosophical counseling training and indicates a need for further research in this area. Keywords: Philosophical counseling, Psychological well-being, Professional competence and proficiency