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新手咨询师无法忍受不确定性的主题分析——理解新手咨询师焦虑：无法忍受不确定性的作用与胜任力提升之道

A Thematic Analysis on Intolerance of Uncertainty of Novice Counselors: Understanding Their Anxiety, the Role of IU, and the Solution of Improving Competence

Theory and Practice of Psychological Counseling / 2025,7(8): 456-464 / 2025-08-22 13 2

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• Authors: 黄丞博¹ 彭建国² 黄成³ ⁴
• Information:

  1. 北京易普斯咨询有限责任公司，北京；
  2. 北京师范大学文理学院心理系，珠海；
  3. 中山大学心理健康教育咨询中心，广州；
  4. 中山大学中国文化与心理研究中心，广州

• Keywords:
  Intolerance of uncertainty; Novice counselor; Psychological counseling; Qualitative study; Thematic analysis
  无法忍受不确定性; 新手咨询师; 心理咨询; 主题分析; 质性研究
• Abstract: Objective: Novice counselors are psychological counselors who have received basic professional training, but their experience and capabilities are insufficient to handle the challenges encountered in professional practice. The uncertainty present in the counseling process can induce anxiety in novice counselors. The current study focuses on the situations, manifestations and impacts, causes and influencing factors, and effective coping strategies related to novice counselors’ intolerance of uncertainty during counseling. Methods: Two batches of semi-structured interviews were conducted with novice counselors (n = 12) who have experienced intolerance of uncertainty during counseling. The interviews, designed to collect a rich, diverse qualitative data, generated a transcript of more than 277 thousand words, After qualitative analysis using the analytic method of thematic analysis, 4 themes, 12 subthemes and 23 codes were identified. Results: In the face of uncertainty from both the counselor side and the client side, those regarding “not knowing how to handle” or “events happening unexpectedly” and involving potential negative consequences, manifestations and impacts may occur on the counselor side and counseling side. A common scenario is the counselor feeling anxious due to concerns about potential negative outcomes, which in turn may lead to further negative consequences. These intolerant reactions are influenced or determined by individual psychological factors of the counselor (i.e., personality traits, personal issues) and professional factors in psychological counseling (i.e., lack of competence, specific tendencies or attitudes regarding uncertainties formed in the corresponding training background). Novice counselors may cope effectively by addressing intolerance of uncertainty reactions, managing specific uncertainties, as well as promoting both professional and personal growth. Conclusion: Intolerance of uncertainty can explain the anxiety of novice counselors. Competence affects novices’ intolerance of uncertainty in various aspects, and we recommend novice counselors to improve competence and seek professional development. 目的：新手咨询师是初步接受训练的心理咨询师，经验和能力不足以应对专业挑战，咨询过程中的不确定性易使新手咨询师产生焦虑。本研究关注新手咨询师在咨询过程中无法忍受不确定性的诱发情境、表现和影响、成因和影响因素及有效应对方式。方法：对12名新手咨询师进行半结构化访谈，对访谈内容进行主题分析。结果：面对来自咨访双方的不确定性，新手咨询师会因担忧负面后果而焦虑，进而产生进一步的负面后果；该反应与心理咨询专业因素、咨询师的个体心理因素等相关，可以通过应对无法忍受的反应、应对特定的不确定性、推进专业和个人成长等方式应对。结论：无法忍受不确定性可解释新手咨询师的焦虑，胜任力对该问题有全面影响，故应提倡提升胜任力、寻求专业发展。
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.35534/tppc.0708051
• Cite: 黄丞博, 彭建国, 黄成. (2025). 新手咨询师无法忍受不确定性的主题分析——理解新手咨询师焦虑：无法忍受不确定性的作用与胜任力提升之道. 心理咨询理论与实践, 7(8), 456-464.