Abstract:

Post-pandemic situation leads training institutions to modify their training environments to develop the key generic competences determined by rise of smart machines and systems and new communication tools requiring new media literacies (Future Work Skills 2020). Future helping professionals, such as psychologists, need also to train their psychological competences and skills via new online modern training centers within universities. The study aims at counselling training skill development of future psychologists as more people are searching for counselling also via its online form (Liu, & Gao, 2021).
The study aim was to analyze and compare the level and experiences of counselling competency based training via „SenSkype“ project (Seniors are skyping) and traditional counselling training done in Counselling Centers realized as a part of compulsory training course for future psychologists within Master degree at Matej Bel University, Slovakia. The study has a mixed model research design. The students of psychology (N=9, females 77,8%, Mage=25,3) took part in SenSkype project, and also were involved in a tradition psychological training in a psychological institution providing also counselling services. The competencies were analyzed by Communication and interaction effect style questionnaire by Mlcak (2005) in comparison with the participant´s experiences in the SenSkype training project obtained by semi-structured interviews.
The study results bring the conclusion the students can acquire the same quality of psychological competences via SenSkype project, though a significant change was obtained in self-awareness level. The qualitative analyses of SenSkype project disclosed a category of positive emotions (based on their new experiences and knowledge, their expectations, self-fulfillment and personal enrichment), neutral emotions (of a great time demand), and also negative emotions (from uncertainty, fear, and worries, missing of personal contact). The study creates a potential for face-to-face versus online psychological skills verification of helping professionals. As future professionals in various study fields, including social sciences, will need more sophisticated skills to use new media to work, consult, facilitate and possibly also treat their clients.

Keywords:

Counselling skills, online training, psychological competence.