Considering the Use of Standardized Clients in Professional Social Work Education

Counselling professionals seek to preserve their success by demonstrating excellent communication skills. Prior to contact with clients, students become familiar with counselling skills that reflect the needs of vulnerable populations. This involves creating a therapeutic relationship with the client using counselling skills. One way to promote student confidence in counselling education is to consider the use of standardized clients. The authors discuss the effectiveness of using standardized clients in teaching counselling skills in social work education. The discussion considers the benefits and challenges of using standardized clients in social work education as well as other professions and the need for scholarly research on the effectiveness of this teaching tool.