ABSTRACT This study examined PPCs, remediation interventions, and outcomes in completed remediation cases within CACREP‐accredited counselor education programs. Full‐time counselor educators who served as primary faculty on at least one completed remediation in the past 3 years completed a brief survey for each case, yielding 80 unique remediation cases ( N = 80). Descriptive analyses indicated that remediation typically involved multiple co‐occurring PPCs and multiple interventions; 61.3% of cases resulted in successful outcomes. We conducted hierarchical binary logistic regression to examine whether the number of PPCs, the number of interventions, and faculty tenure status predicted remediation outcome. The number of PPCs was a modest negative predictor of success, whereas the number of interventions and faculty tenure status were not statistically significant predictors. Findings indicate that remediation is typically multidimensional and highlight the importance of earlier identification of PPC patterns.
This collaborative autoethnography (CAE) examined how experiential andragogy, intentionally integrated into a doctoral internship course, shaped the development of novice supervisors. Grounded in experiential learning theory, we reflect on our experiences of supervision-of-supervision and highlight the value of experiential approaches in strengthening supervisory identity and skill development, while bridging the gap between theory to practice. Using a CAE design, we analyzed post-course reflective journal entries using thematic analysis to identify patterns across our experiences. We identified four interrelated themes: contributing factors, occurrences, outcomes, and synthesis.
Counselors are newly eligible to enroll as providers in the Medicare program as of January 1, 2024, yet little is known about their preparedness to work with Medicare beneficiaries and related training experiences. This gap in the literature inhibits our understanding of historical and current counselor education practice, thereby preventing us from identifying strengths and weaknesses in counselor training practices and preparation among current Medicare-enrolled mental health counselors (MEMHCs). Participants were recruited from a publicly available database of MEMHCs in conjunction with contact information from state licensure boards. This study examined training experiences of 333 MEMHCs who enrolled during the first year of Medicare eligibility. Using hierarchical multiple regression, we also explored whether graduating from a CACREP-accredited program, time since graduation, and perceived preparedness to work with older adults or people with disabilities at the time of graduation predicted gerontological counseling competency and attitudes toward practice with people with disabilities. Time since graduation predicted gerontological counseling competency and perceived preparedness at the time of graduation predicted gerontological counseling competency with a moderate effect size (f 2 = 0.171). Only perceived preparedness at the time of graduation predicted attitudes toward practice with people with disabilities with a small effect size (f 2 = 0.107). Our results suggest that perceived preparedness at the time of graduation may be especially salient in MEMHCs' perceived competencies and attitudes toward practice later in their careers. Counselor education programs may therefore need to more intentionally integrate these topics into their curricula. However, more information is needed about current practices.
Over the last few years, AI integration has rapidly increased in counseling and counselor education. Given its prevalence, counselor educators have a responsibility to consider AI in their teaching to prepare students to intentionally and critically use AI in their careers. Yet, limited research exists to understand counselor educators' decisions and meaning making regarding AI in teaching. In this Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study, we conducted individual interviews and a focus group interview and collected documents (e.g., syllabus statements, assignments) to examine counselor educators' experiences using AI in their teaching and promote intentional and reflective use of AI. The resulting themes of our data analysis were (a) concerns and risks, (b) navigating complex emotions, (c) responsibility to students and the profession, (d) influence of systems, and (e) application of AI in teaching. Participants shared engaging in a trial-and-error process of experimenting with AI in their teaching considering the lack of policies and resources from institutions and counseling organizations which could cause feelings of shame and fear resulting from the lack of open dialogue about AI in counselor education. Implications for counselor educators and institutions include creating continuously updated AI policies and resources and offering spaces where counselor educators can discuss challenges, successes, and feelings and share resources regarding AI in teaching.
This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to explore international counseling students' (ICSs') lived experiences in multicultural counseling classes. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 17 ICSs, six of whom also completed focus group interviews. Data were analyzed using Moustakas's transcendental phenomenological framework. Findings reveal five major themes: (1) origins of studying in the United States, (2) class engagement, (3) feeling like an outsider, (4) instructors and instruction make a difference, and (5) resultant growth and lingering questions. These findings indicate that creating a culturally inclusive learning environment involves two aspects: helping ICSs familiarize themselves with US culture and intentionally integrating their experiences, voices, and international perspectives into multicultural counseling courses.
This study explored how Black counselors-in-training with multiple minoritized identities experience clinical supervision. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis, I interviewed 12 Black counselors-in-training with intersecting identities, including gender, sexual orientation, disability status, and international status. Six themes emerged, revealing experiences of cultural mismatch, the burden of cultural translation, racial identity overshadowing other identities, creation of alternative support networks, visions for effective supervision, and navigation of intersecting identities beyond race. Two key concepts captured participants' experiences: (a) double labor, developing clinical skills while educating supervisors about cultural contexts, and (b) double protection, shielding themselves and clients from culturally incompetent supervision. The findings suggest supervisors should view culturally informed approaches as strengths rather than deficits, actively broach multiple identity dimensions, and create relational safety. Thus, counselor education programs should center intersectionality in supervision training and diversify supervisor pools.
Although broaching race in counseling is recommended across curricula, little research has examined how counselor educators prepare counselors-in-training to broach. This qualitative study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of nine Black counselor educators in CACREP-accredited counseling programs. We conducted semistructured interviews and analyzed the data using a seven-step process, discovering five themes. Five group experiential themes emerged: (a) Degree of Multiculturalism in Counseling Program, (b) Defining Broaching, (c) Centering Clients' Culture, (d) Intentionally Discussing Race, and (e) Feeling Tension with Students. Findings highlight pedagogical approaches, relational tensions, and structural contexts that shape how Black counselor educators prepare counselors-in-training to broach race with clients, with implications for counselor education and practice.
Adjunct faculty in counselor education (AFCE) can experience barriers in their teaching development, such as role confusion, isolation, low self-efficacy, and limited mentorship. Yet, limited research exists about how AFCE navigate these barriers to make meaning of their teaching and grow over time. In this narrative inquiry study, we used interviews and photo elicitation with 13 AFCE to elicit their stories of teaching development. We used thematic analysis to analyze the data, and the resulting themes were teaching identity definition and evolution, student relationships motivate growth, and program and institutional support. These findings highlight AFCE's agency in seeking meaning in relationships with students and in preparing students as future counselors, as well as in how AFCE sought support for their teaching development with other faculty in the face of unsupportive institutional systems. Implications for counseling programs and institutions include development of flexible, accessible, and continuous mentoring programs for AFCE and engagement of AFCE in programmatic and institutional decision-making to promote a greater sense of belonging. Implications for AFCE include reflecting on motivation for teaching and areas of meaning in their teaching through reflective journaling.
This study presents an 11-year content analysis of 1514 counseling faculty job postings advertised on the Counselor Education and Supervision Network (CESNET) from 2014 to 2024. Using a deductive content analysis design, we systematically examined trends across six dimensions: annual volume, academic rank, position type, geographic region, Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation status, and work modality. Overall, the counseling faculty job market demonstrated marked volatility, with an early surge likely tied to the implementation of the CACREP 2016 standards, followed by pandemic-related contraction in 2020 and partially recovered thereafter. Assistant professor roles consistently dominated, while senior-level positions were sparse and often absent in recent years. Tenure-track positions remained the primary hiring pathway, though non-tenure track and clinical roles grew substantially. Geographic hiring was heavily concentrated in the Southern and North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) regions, and the Rocky Mountain region remained consistently underrepresented. The majority of the postings originated from CACREP-accredited programs, and transparency in reporting accreditation status increased over time. Explicit in-person postings rose over the past decade, while flexible in-person and/or remote roles peaked in 2021. The proportion of postings omitting modality declined. Collectively, these trends reflect a faculty labor market that remains anchored in traditional hiring yet is increasingly diversified, raising implications for counselor education practice and research.
A growing body of research shows that training in LGBTQ+ affirming counseling (LGBTQ+ AC) positively impacts counselors' perceived knowledge and skills in providing mental health services to LGBTQ+ communities. Existing program evaluations of LGBTQ+ AC, however, have primarily used synchronous delivery formats and cultural competency models for the training design. This study is part of an action research agenda to develop an introductory training in LGBTQ+ AC, using asynchronous online delivery and cultural humility as the conceptual framework for the training design. We used a fixed convergent parallel mixed methods quasi-experimental design to examine the impact of our LGBTQ+ AC training on perceived LGBTQ+ clinical skills and cultural humility. Participants were 136 early-career counselors, with 65 in the training group and 71 in the no-training group. Quantitative results showed significant improvements in the training group's LGBTQ+ clinical preparedness posttraining, and content analysis identified three primary themes of Expanding Knowledge and Perspectives, Clinical Practice Reflection, and Community and Sociocultural Impact. Integrated findings show the impact of the training on LGBTQ+ clinical self-assessment, cultural humility development, and limitations of current instrumentation. Our findings show LGBTQ+ clinical preparedness outcomes similar to those reported in evaluations of synchronous LGBTQ+ AC trainings. Additional implications include that LGBTQ+ AC training can foster key attributes of cultural humility and underscore the pivotal role of advocacy within LGBTQ+ AC.
Utilizing a grounded theory approach, the authors examined the racial and professional identity development of 15 Black students in entry-level CACREP-accredited counselor education programs. Using individual interviews, five factors emerged that support a theory of the intersectional nature of racial and professional identity development, including supportive networks of empowerment, collectivist responsibility, navigating racial identity and institutional barriers, transformative experiences, and personal investment. Implications for entry-level students, counselors, and counselor education are provided.
An interpretive phenomenological analysis was conducted to explore the marginalization and discrimination experienced by 10 international counseling students (3 master's and 7 doctoral) in CACREP-accredited programs. Five master themes were identified from semi-structured interview data. Participants' experiences revealed subtle and covert marginalization, institutional invisibility of international identity, and interlocking systems of oppression, while responding to these challenges through acculturation and self-advocacy, and building supportive networks. Moving beyond the traditional acculturation-focused research on international students, the current findings highlight how relational, institutional, and systemic barriers create inequitable learning environments for international counseling students. Implications address the need for tailored support for international counseling students and call for systemic changes among faculty, programs, and the field of counselor education. By centering on the marginalization and discrimination faced by international counseling students, this study seeks to promote belonging, systemic inclusion, and equitable professional development environments.
Embodied self-awareness (ESA) is a crucial yet often neglected aspect of counselor education that involves the skillful integration of present-moment somatic attunement in the therapeutic encounter. We examine embodiment in light of phenomenological philosophy, contemporary neuroscience, and critical pedagogy to distinguish ESA from conceptual thought and to clarify the difference between having a body and being a body. We suggest that cultivating an ability to recognize and accurately interpret interoceptive and proprioceptive cues helps students enhance their self-regulation, therapeutic presence, and relational attunement. Detailed case studies are used to demonstrate teaching, supervision, and leadership methods to facilitate ESA in counselor development. ESA represents a critical shift toward preparing counselors who can work with integrated mind-body systems rather than treating psychological processes as purely cognitive phenomena, thereby better aligning counselor education with contemporary understandings of embodied cognition and therapeutic effectiveness.
The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised important questions about how new technologies will shape professional norms and practices in counseling. The purpose of this study was to understand how counseling professionals expect AI to be integrated into counselor education and supervision (CES). Using a mixed-methods concept mapping design, 31 participants generated and sorted statements about the potential roles, benefits, and concerns associated with AI in the profession. Participants represented diverse counseling roles, including counselor educators, licensed professional counselors, supervisors, master's- and doctoral-level trainees, and other counseling-related professionals. Standard concept mapping procedures were conducted using R, resulting in a six-region conceptual framework and 20 thematic clusters. The regions—Scholarship Assistance, Administrative Assistance, Program and Instructional Development, Enhancing Clinical and Supervisory Processes, Assisting with Innovation, and Growing Pains—captured both anticipated opportunities and emergent challenges associated with AI integration. These findings demonstrate that while counseling professionals see substantial potential for AI to support teaching, research, supervision, and administrative efficiency, they simultaneously anticipate significant concerns related to ethics, professional identity, training needs, and the evolving nature of the technology. Implications highlight the need for counselor educators and supervisors to provide clear guidance, build foundational AI literacy, and model ethical decision-making as the profession adapts to technological change. Limitations include limited demographic diversity, the rapidly changing landscape of AI, and the potential for researcher bias despite efforts to enhance rigor. Together, this study offers an initial roadmap for researchers and CES professionals seeking to understand and prepare for AI-related transformations.
This study tested the measurement invariance (MI) of the Supervisee Disclosure in Supervision Scale (SDSS) between U.S. (N = 211) and Turkish (N = 168) counseling supervisees. The SDSS, originally developed and validated with predominantly U.S. supervisees, assesses the likelihood of supervisees' supervision-related and counseling-related disclosure in supervision. We conducted the Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) to test its configural, metric, and scalar invariance. Unfortunately, the configural invariance, the prerequisite for cross-group comparison, was not supported. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the SDSS does not measure the same underlying construct equivalently across these two cultures. This lack of invariance suggests that supervisee disclosure in supervision may be culturally situated rather than universal. Our results caution against direct cross-cultural comparisons using the SDSS and underscore the need for culturally grounded scale development and rigorous cross-cultural validation in supervision research.
The purpose of this study was to explore how the common core area CACREP standards have changed since their inception. We utilized thematic analysis to systematically track changes across seven iterations of the eight common core area CACREP standards. Thematic analysis is an approach for recognizing themes in data. Results included one structure-related theme (increased number of standards) and five content-related themes: Strengthened professional identity, more sophisticated application of technology, increased emphasis on multicultural variables and systems, increased focus on clinical practice, and increased focus on wellness and insight of client and counselor. We discuss these results within the context of the evolution of the profession and provide implications for counselor educators.
We conducted a quantitative content analysis of research course requirements in 77 CACREP-accredited counselor education and supervision doctoral programs. Findings indicate variability in course type, quantity, and ownership of doctoral research courses. Implications address andragogy, scholarly identity, and alignment between research training and counselor education values.
Demographic shifts and recent changes to Medicare will result in more older adults utilizing counseling. Field experiences, including internships, are vital opportunities for graduate students to gain exposure to new populations, including older adults. We interviewed eight participants who completed internships in a continuing care retirement community. An interpretative phenomenological analysis yielded three themes: (1) drawn toward older adults, (2) transformative learning and growth, and (3) unfolding self-determination. Implications for counselor education programs are provided.
Black students face more difficulties when it comes to gaining doctoral degrees compared to other races. However, not enough is known about Black men in doctoral counselor education (CE) programs. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis and guided by Black Critical Theory, we explored the lived experiences of 10 Black men in doctoral CE programs. Results yielded three themes: (a) Sense of Belonging, (b) Safeguarding Blackness, and (c) Surviving Anti-Black Spaces. Implications for CE are discussed.
Group work is a critical tool for school counselors. In this Consensual Qualitative Research, we used semistructured interviews with 13 school counseling site supervisors to explore influences on their group work supervision. We found supervisors were informed by historical backgrounds, school contexts, approaches to group work, and approaches to supervision.
