Research Information System
COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST, vol.0, no.0, pp.1-10, 2025 (SSCI)
This study was designed to examine the effects of an experimental intervention program to increase the psychological mindedness levels of counselor candidates. Psychological mindedness is a critical skill that enables individuals to make sense of their own emotions, thoughts and behaviors as well as to comprehend the internal processes of others, and it is an important factor that determines the effectiveness of the therapeutic process for mental health professionals. However, evidence-based studies on how this skill can be developed are limited. To address this gap, the present study was conducted in Türkiye and represents the first known attempt to experimentally enhance psychological mindedness among Turkish counseling students—a population for whom this capacity is essential yet largely unexamined. In order to overcome this deficiency, an intervention program based on Irvin D. Yalom's When Nietzsche Wept, including book reading and discussion sessions, was implemented. The participants in the experimental group (n = 20) read the book chapter by chapter for 7 weeks and participated in weekly discussion sessions. The control group (n = 20) did not receive any intervention. Measurements before, after and 45 days after the intervention were completed showed that the intervention significantly increased the psychological mindedness levels of the participants in the experimental group and that these gains were maintained in the follow-up process. This culturally grounded and pedagogically innovative study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence for the development of psychological mindedness among counselor candidates and by introducing a structured method with implications for counselor education in both national and international settings.