Making sense of neuroscience in counseling: counselors' subjective views on its adoption

초록

This study examined how practicing counselors understand the adoption of neuroscience in counseling practice. Using Q methodology, 30 counselors in South Korea sorted 40 statements concerning neuroscience integration. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation identified four distinct viewpoints: (1) Open and Proactive, (2) Cautious and System-Oriented, (3) Delimiting and Conditional Acceptance, and (4) Uncertain. These viewpoints differed in how participants positioned neuroscience in relation to professional relevance, practical applicability, training needs, and disciplinary identity. Rather than reflecting a simple division between acceptance and resistance, the findings indicate that neuroscience adoption is shaped by different configurations of interpretive framing, cognitive-affective readiness, professional identity, and institutional conditions. The study suggests that support for neuroscience adoption should not be approached uniformly across counselors, but should instead include differentiated forms of training, practical guidance, and interdisciplinary support.

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