




































Emerging Perspectives 
ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca 
 

The Use of Text Messaging for Peer Support Among Counselling Psychology 
Graduate Students  

Rae A. Kokotailo1, Alysha S. Chan Kent, & Alexander J. Choy  

University of Calgary 

 

The journey through graduate school to become a counselling psychologist is 

inherently challenging. Consequently, many students face emotional stress. Peers 

offer a unique source of support through a shared understanding of their experience. 

This pilot study used focused ethnography to understand how counselling psychology 

graduate students engage in emotional support with a peer through the use of text 

messaging within a naturalistic context. A three-member peer support group, 

comprising the researchers, served as the convenience sample. In this manner, the 

researchers both took part in and analyzed the experience of text messaging based peer 

support. Transcripts of emotional peer support interactions were obtained through 

sampling the participant-observers’ naturally occurring text message conversations. 

Elements of Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis (TA) and Elo and Kyngäs’ content 

analysis (CA) were used to categorize the raw data. The main findings indicate peer 

support bilaterally encompasses action, connection, disclosure, hearing, initiation, 

shared happiness, and solidarity. Within a support conversation, supporters 

predominantly used connection statements, whereas supportees mainly utilized 

emotional disclosure. These preliminary findings suggest that text messaging offers 

an immediate, intimate, and readily available platform through which peers can 

actively create a supportive dialogue. 

 

Keywords: Peer support; text messaging; counselling psychology; graduate students; 

focused ethnography 

 

Kokotailo, R. A., Chan Kent, A. S., & Choy, A. J. (2018). The use of text messaging for 

peer support among counselling psychology graduate students. Emerging Perspectives, 

2(1), 1-7. 

 

The journey through graduate school to become a counselling psychologist is inherently 

challenging (El-Ghoroury, Galper, Sawaqdeh, & Buftka, 2012). Outside of everyday life demands, 

counselling psychology students must also balance coursework, research, practica, and 

professional activities (Tompkins, Brecht, Tucker, Neander, & Swift, 2016). Consequently, many 

students experience emotional stress which can result in a myriad of concerns, including emotional 

exhaustion, fatigue, and burnout (Clark, Murdock, & Koetting, 2009; El-Ghoroury et al, 2012). 

Peers, through a shared understanding of their experience, offer a unique source of support 

(Montgomery, Mossey, Adams, & Bailey, 2012). Studies pertaining to the practice of peer support 

                                                      
1 rae.kokotailo@ucalgary.ca 



Kokotailo, Chan Kent, & Choy/ Emerging Perspectives (2018) 2 
 

 

through text messaging have shown such messaging to be a helpful way to provide encouragement, 

connection, and a sense of community (Horstmanshof, 2004; Sindahl, 2011). 

In recent years, the use of text messaging for peer support has gained considerable 

momentum, particularly among students (Harley, Winn, Pemberton, & Wilcox, 2007). Such 

factors as immediacy, intimacy, and accessibility have contributed to text messaging as a preferred 

modality of communication (Harley et al., 2007; Horstmanshof, 2004). However, it remains 

unknown how counselling psychology graduate students use text messaging to seek and provide 

social support with one another. Among the types described in the literature, the researchers chose 

to focus on arguably the most important and common form of social support—emotional support, 

which is characterized by a reciprocal exchange of caring, trust, and empathy (Langford, Bowsher, 

Maloney, & Lillis, 1997). The purpose of this pilot study was to answer the question: how do 

counselling psychology graduate students engage in emotional support with peers using text 

messaging? 

Methodology 

        The present pilot study represented the preliminary stages of focused ethnography, a 

method used to derive an understanding of the shared experiences within a specific naturalistic 

context (Cruz & Higginbottom, 2013). A three-member peer support group, comprising the 

researchers (enrolled in the first year of the Master of Science in Counselling Psychology program 

at the University of Calgary), served as the convenience sample. In this manner, the researchers 

acted as participant-observers (Tedlock, 1991), both taking part in and analyzing the experience 

of peer support via text messaging. 

First, the research team prepared the data for analysis by obtaining transcripts of peer 

support interactions through sampling the researcher-participants’ naturally occurring text 

message conversations from September 2016 to May 2017. The samples involved a supportive 

reciprocal exchange of caring, trust, and empathy (Langford et al., 1997). The researchers excluded 

conversations that reflected other forms of support (e.g., informational support; Langford et al., 

1997). For the purposes of this study, the researchers defined a naturally occurring “conversation” 

as a longitudinal string of bi-directional text messages between two participants. The research team 

analyzed a total of three conversations, with each conversation consisting of a minimum of three 

reciprocal text messages sent back and forth.  

Next, the researchers analyzed the raw data using content analysis (CA) and thematic 

analysis (TA). Following CA procedures described by Elo and Kyngäs (2008), the researchers 

selected individual phrases within text message conversations as the unit of analysis. The research 

team then assigned codes to each unit to reflect the function of each phrase; for example, 

encouragement, help-seeking, and affirmation. The researchers coded conversations individually 

through inductive and deductive processes (Elo & Kyngäs, 2008). Specifically, the research team 

assigned codes inductively by allowing specific units of data to inform the creation and naming of 

general preliminary categories. In essence, the researchers asked, “what is the phrase doing or 

saying in this instance?” The research team also assigned codes deductively by connecting general 

knowledge of communication micro-skills from the researchers’ background in counselling 

psychology to specific examples within the data. In this manner, existing counselling terminology 

helped inform coding schemes. The research team then met to corroborate codes for accuracy and 

agreement (LeCompte, & Goetz, 1982). Finally, the researchers clustered codes into higher order 

categories for both conversational supporters and supportees (Table 1; Elo & Kyngäs, 2008). 

Following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) procedure for TA, the research team interpreted these higher 

order categories and their relationships as themes with written descriptions relating back to the 



Kokotailo, Chan Kent, & Choy/ Emerging Perspectives (2018) 3 
 

 

research question. To ensure rigour and quality, the researchers tracked each step of data collection 

and analysis through memos allowing for others to independently audit and check the study 

findings (Yin, 1989). To note, the researchers acknowledged reflexivity in promoting rigour in that 

their stance as students of counselling psychology partly informed interpretation of the data 

(Denzin & Lincoln, 2008). 

Findings 

The main findings indicated that, for these participants, text messaging provided an open, 

two-way avenue in which emotional support can take place. Specifically, it bilaterally 

encompassed seven main themes (Table 1): (1) action – statements involving direction. For 

supporters, this included suggestions about inquiries pertaining to such things as school tasks and 

emotional distress. For supportees, this included providing feedback or reciprocating the 

suggestions; (2) connection – supportive statements that showed emotional presence; (3) 

disclosure – revelation statements. Supporters primarily used such statements to create a safe space 

for concerns and vulnerable emotions to be expressed and reciprocated, whereas supportees used 

disclosure to seek support; (4) hearing – acknowledging presence and active involvement in the 

conversation; (5) initiation – the start of a conversation. Supporters often used initiation as a means 

to check in on the well-being of supportees. Conversely, supportees sought out assistance; (6) 

shared happiness – statements used to express happiness or excitement for one another; (7) 

solidarity – statements expressing comfort in their shared experience and space. 

Within a supportive conversation, the researchers noted a difference between supporters 

and supportees in the type of supportive statements utilized. Specifically, supporters 

predominantly used connection statements which embodied reassurance, encouragement, 

validation, empathy, care/concern, optimism, and normalization. However, supportees mainly 

relied on emotional disclosure. Sindahl (2011) suggested that text messaging as a modality of 

communication can facilitate self-disclosure early in a conversation, which may help explain the 

observed tendency towards emotional disclosure by supportees. Overall, similarities in categories 

emerged between the types of statements made by supporters and supportees, however the 

proportion of expressed statements between parties appeared to vary by type (Table 1). To note, 

in the vast majority of conversations, supportees successfully sought and received support. Only 

in one circumstance support could not be provided. 

These preliminary findings demonstrate a sample of how counselling psychology peers 

may seek out emotional support through text messaging. Results suggest that counselling 

psychology students can readily engage in and actively create an emotionally supportive dialogue 

through text messaging using statements with identifiable themes (Table 1). From these findings, 

the researchers posit that peers may use text messaging to build a support network for navigating 

the difficulties associated with undertaking graduate studies within mental health programs. 

Importantly, this modality of support provides an immediate and intimate avenue of outreach, and 

is consistent with previous research which demonstrated text messaging as a potentially helpful 

form of peer support (Sindahl, 2011; Timmis, 2012). 

 

Limitations and Future Directions 

There are limitations to this study. One is that these findings are neither representative of 

their cohort of counselling psychology students, nor counselling psychology graduate students in 

general. Rather, the findings provided insight into how students within this context might 

participate in emotional support. Another is that our clinical interest and training in counselling 



Kokotailo, Chan Kent, & Choy/ Emerging Perspectives (2018) 4 
 

 

psychology, as well as our innate sensitivity and awareness to emotional distress, may have 

influenced our text interactions. 

Future studies exploring how an entire cohort supports one another via text messaging 

might provide a richer understanding of how counselling psychology students engage in this 

method. Additionally, looking at the different types of disclosures, the degree of emotional distress 

shared, and how emotionality is addressed may shed light on the kinds of emotional challenges 

counselling students encounter. Furthermore, the comparison of text messaging to other similar 

modes of communication (e.g., email) may elucidate the effectiveness of text messaging for 

capturing emotional content. Overall, the study findings provided insight into the nature of text 

messaging-based peer support among counselling graduate students and may be useful as a first 

step to help inform current and future peer support initiatives or research aimed at reducing stress. 

Acknowledgements 

The researchers would like to thank Dr. Tom Strong and Ms. Karen Ross for their 

encouragement and guidance throughout the research process. 

References 

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Psychology, 3, 77-101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa 

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580-606. doi:10.1177/0011000008319985 

Cruz, E. V., & Higginbottom, G. (2013). The use of focused ethnography in nursing research. 

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Table 1 

Themes of Support for Supporters and Supportees                                                                       

Conversational 

Role 

Theme Examples 

Supporter Action: Includes the subtopics of 

information providing, action plan, 

and advice giving (42 instances) 

“Do not make any changes you 

are not comfortable with” 

“Worry about assessment after 

tomorrow night.” 

 
Connection: Includes the subtopics 

of concern/care, empathy, 

encouragement, validation, 

reassurance, normalizing, and 

optimism (101 instances) 

“I believe in your hard work 

and ability to do a great 

presentation on Thursday.” 

“Oh no :( I’m sorry to hear; I 

feel you!” 

“That is what happens 

sometimes, and that’s okay.” 

 
Disclosure: Includes the subtopics 

of disclosure and reflection (24 

instances) 

[... keep yourself focused on 

the goal of graduating]. 

“I have to remind myself of 

this regularly.” 



Kokotailo, Chan Kent, & Choy/ Emerging Perspectives (2018) 6 
 

 

 
Hearing: Includes the subtopics of 

agreement, affirmation, and 

acknowledgment (28 instances) 

“Absolutely… We can only do 

what we can do and ultimately 

you are here for a reason.” 

 
Initiation: Includes the subtopics of 

help seeking, follow up, inquiry, 

offer of support, update, and 

invitation (49 instances) 

“Hey, how’s it coming along? 

Hanging in there?” 

“I’ll try my best to explain!” 

 
Shared happiness: Includes the 

subtopics of shared happiness, 

well-wishing, appreciation, and 

celebration (47 instances) 

“Congrats!” 

“Yay!” 

“Sleep well and feel better 

soon” 

“All the best on your 

interview!” 
 

Solidarity: Includes the subtropics 

of commiseration, solidarity, and 

similarity (14 instances) 

“Yes, I know exactly what you 

mean.” 

“I’m the same way.” 

Supportee Action: Includes the subtopics of 

information providing, action plan, 

self-care, decision making, and 

advice giving (19 instances) 

“Yes, let’s study together! I 

want to stay focused and 

efficient with our time.” 

“Don’t bog yourself down with 

editing papers. I’m not saying 

don’t, because it’s useful to 

share --- but don’t be pressured 

to help everyone.” 

 
Connection: Includes the subtopics 

of praise, encouragement, 

reassurance, empathy, and 

optimism (24 instances) 

“Well done! I’m sure you’ll do 

great!” 

“Ah that’s super rough :’( so 

sorry to hear.” 

 
Disclosure: Includes the subtopics 

of disclosure, reflection, and 

explanation (72 instances) 

“I’m hating my life right now.” 



Kokotailo, Chan Kent, & Choy/ Emerging Perspectives (2018) 7 
 

 

 
Hearing: Includes the subtopics of 

confirmation, acknowledgment, 

agreement, and affirmation (14 

instances) 

“Sounds like a deal.” 

 
Initiation: Includes the subtopics of 

follow up, help seeking, inquiry, 

update, expression of needs, 

probing, and declining or accepting 

support (42 instances) 

“Our ethics assignment doesn’t 

need to be handed in until 

tomorrow before midnight, 

right?” 

“I would definitely love to chat 

about it.” 

 
Shared happiness: Includes the 

subtopics of well-wishing, 

appreciation, celebration, and 

shared happiness (46 instances) 

“Thank you!” 

“Best of luck!” 

 
Solidarity: Includes the subtopics 

of commiseration, solidarity, and 

togetherness (9 instances) 

“Yes, we will survive!” 

 
 

 

 


