Visions in our heads: The experience of counselors-in-training participating in study abroad programs
[Thesis]
;supervisor: Kleist, David
Idaho State University: United States -- Idaho
: 2013
222 Pages
Ph.D.
The profession of counseling is growing increasingly internationalized in response to worldwide globalization (Gerstein and Ægisdottir, 2007). Simultaneously, counselor training programs are emphasizing multicultural competency standards for counselors-in-training (Sue, Arredondo, &McDavis, 1992). The 2009 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards emphasized that counselors must have an understanding of the relationships, issues, and trends of a multicultural society. In section II.G.2.A this competency is expanded to understand multicultural trends both nationally and internationally (CACREP, 2009). More and more counseling programs are incorporating study abroad experiences to address both of these areas (Bemak &Chung, 2011; Fawcett, Briggs, Maycock, &Stine, 2010; Gerstein et al., 2009; Mehta, 2011; Platt, 2012; West-Olatunji, Goodman, Mehta, &Templeton, 2011). Utilizing van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenology and visual methodology, this study captured the experiences of four counselors-in-training who participated in study abroad trips as a part of their training program. Essential themes for each participant experiencing the phenomenon were co-constructed. The overall themes of experiencing new contexts , experiencing emotions , and experiencing new learning emerged to describe the phenomenon for these participants. The researcher participated in the research process reflectively as well as actively, as photos were shared between participants and she regarding experiences abroad. Implications of the international experiences of counselors-in-training and counselor educators are discussed as well as course and curriculum design for a CIT study abroad course.