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The Autonomic Response Screening Tool for Counselors (ARSTC): Initial Development and Validation.

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Title: The Autonomic Response Screening Tool for Counselors (ARSTC): Initial Development and Validation.
Authors: Lowman, Madeleine Morris (AUTHOR), Borders, L. DiAnne (AUTHOR), Henson, Robert A. (AUTHOR)
Source: Counselling & Psychotherapy Research. Jun2026, Vol. 26 Issue 2, p1-13. 13p.
Subjects: Psychotherapy, Autonomic nervous system, Research methodology evaluation, Judgment sampling, Experimental design, Heart beat, Research methodology, Parasympathetic nervous system, Analysis of variance, One-way analysis of variance, Counseling, Factor analysis, Data analysis software, Video recording, Inter-observer reliability
Abstract: Objective: Autonomic regulation can be skewed by stress or trauma and has important implications for a client's capacity to engage in psychotherapy, yet there are few tools available to support practitioners in assessing autonomic regulation in session. This study was conducted to develop and validate a checklist of cues, based on polyvagal theory (PVT), to aid practitioners in tracking autonomic regulation in psychotherapy sessions. Method: Clients (N = 17) from a university counselling training clinic were recruited to wear pulse sensors during their video‐recorded counselling sessions to provide heart rate variability (HRV) data. Once the Autonomic Response Screening Tool for Counselors (ARSTC) was created, two trained reviewers independently coded and labelled 257 one‐minute clips across 17 sessions. ARSTC labels were analysed against HRV data to explore the accuracy of labels in assessing autonomic responses outlined in PVT. Results: A two‐factor model was the best fit for the ARSTC, resulting in a parasympathetic factor and a sympathetic factor. An ANOVA was used to analyse the external validity of the three ARSTC labels compared to measures of HRV, to account for the theoretical differences that informed the development of the ARSTC outlined in PVT. ANOVA and a Tukey's post hoc test results revealed significant differences between the HRV for clips labelled as Social Engagement versus those labelled as Freeze and Fight/Flight versus Freeze. Conclusion: The ARSTC is an accessible and psychometrically promising tool to help counsellors track client autonomic regulation in session. Additional research is needed to further validate the ARSTC and to better understand group‐specific differences in autonomic trends. Implications: Implications for Practice: Therapists can use the checklist of ARSTC items to differentiate between autonomic responses of clients (social engagement from freeze and fight or flight from freeze).Therapists should consider contextual and client factors (e.g., trauma history, time in counselling, and rapport with clinician) when interpreting the process markers included in the ARSTC.Therapists can give closer attention to ARSTC items with the strongest factor loadings to guide their understanding of baseline client regulation and subsequent client interactions. Implication for Policy: Therapist training should include increased attention to tracking client behaviour in session as an important place of assessment to inform subsequent intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Counselling & Psychotherapy Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: The Autonomic Response Screening Tool for Counselors (ARSTC): Initial Development and Validation.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lowman%2C+Madeleine+Morris%22">Lowman, Madeleine Morris</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Borders%2C+L%2E+DiAnne%22">Borders, L. DiAnne</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Henson%2C+Robert+A%2E%22">Henson, Robert A.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Counselling+%26+Psychotherapy+Research%22">Counselling & Psychotherapy Research</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 26 Issue 2, p1-13. 13p.
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– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: Autonomic regulation can be skewed by stress or trauma and has important implications for a client's capacity to engage in psychotherapy, yet there are few tools available to support practitioners in assessing autonomic regulation in session. This study was conducted to develop and validate a checklist of cues, based on polyvagal theory (PVT), to aid practitioners in tracking autonomic regulation in psychotherapy sessions. Method: Clients (N = 17) from a university counselling training clinic were recruited to wear pulse sensors during their video‐recorded counselling sessions to provide heart rate variability (HRV) data. Once the Autonomic Response Screening Tool for Counselors (ARSTC) was created, two trained reviewers independently coded and labelled 257 one‐minute clips across 17 sessions. ARSTC labels were analysed against HRV data to explore the accuracy of labels in assessing autonomic responses outlined in PVT. Results: A two‐factor model was the best fit for the ARSTC, resulting in a parasympathetic factor and a sympathetic factor. An ANOVA was used to analyse the external validity of the three ARSTC labels compared to measures of HRV, to account for the theoretical differences that informed the development of the ARSTC outlined in PVT. ANOVA and a Tukey's post hoc test results revealed significant differences between the HRV for clips labelled as Social Engagement versus those labelled as Freeze and Fight/Flight versus Freeze. Conclusion: The ARSTC is an accessible and psychometrically promising tool to help counsellors track client autonomic regulation in session. Additional research is needed to further validate the ARSTC and to better understand group‐specific differences in autonomic trends. Implications: Implications for Practice: Therapists can use the checklist of ARSTC items to differentiate between autonomic responses of clients (social engagement from freeze and fight or flight from freeze).Therapists should consider contextual and client factors (e.g., trauma history, time in counselling, and rapport with clinician) when interpreting the process markers included in the ARSTC.Therapists can give closer attention to ARSTC items with the strongest factor loadings to guide their understanding of baseline client regulation and subsequent client interactions. Implication for Policy: Therapist training should include increased attention to tracking client behaviour in session as an important place of assessment to inform subsequent intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Counselling & Psychotherapy Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194813016
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        Value: 10.1002/capr.70153
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Psychotherapy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Autonomic nervous system
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Judgment sampling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Experimental design
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Heart beat
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      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parasympathetic nervous system
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      – SubjectFull: Analysis of variance
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      – SubjectFull: One-way analysis of variance
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      – SubjectFull: Counseling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Factor analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
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      – SubjectFull: Video recording
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Inter-observer reliability
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Autonomic Response Screening Tool for Counselors (ARSTC): Initial Development and Validation.
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            NameFull: Lowman, Madeleine Morris
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            NameFull: Borders, L. DiAnne
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              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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