Examination of emotion regulation skills and cognitive flexibility levels of psychological counselor candidates

The aim of the study is to examine the emotion regulation skills and cognitive flexibility levels of psychological counselor candidates. The participants of the research consist of 250 students of the Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance, continuing their formal education in the Faculty of Education of Trabzon University in the 2020-2021 academic year. "Emotion Regulation Skills Scale", "Cognitive Flexibility Inventory" and "Personal Information Form" were used as data collection tools. The findings obtained in the study were analyzed with Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, Simple Linear Regression Analysis, Independent Sample T-Test, and One-Way ANOVA methods to meet the normality assumptions. According to the results of the analysis; It was observed that there was a positive and significant relationship between emotion regulation skills and cognitive flexibility levels, and emotion regulation was a significant predictor of cognitive flexibility. In addition, according to the analysis; While the emotional regulation skills of psychological counselor candidates differed significantly according to their perceptions of gender and personality, they did not differ according to parental attitudes and traumatic experience. In addition, it was determined that while their cognitive flexibility differed significantly according to the number of books read in the last year and the perception of personality, they did not differ according to gender, traumatic experience and parental attitude.