An Exploration of Counselors' Professional Leadership Development

Abstract

Advocacy and leadership within professional counseling are often cited as critical to the survival and continued success of the profession and, in turn, to the quality of services provided to the public counselors serve (Chang, Barrio Minton, Dixon, Myers, & Sweeney, 2012;Cox, 2003;Gibson, Dollarhide, & McCallum, 2010;House & Sears, 2002;Myers, Sweeney, & White, 2002;Paradise, Ceballos, & Hall, 2010;West, Bubenzer, Osborn, Paez, & Desmond, 2006). The most recent standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2009) include expanded attention to the development of leadership knowledge, skills, and practices of master's-level school counselors; doctoral program standards identify preparation of leaders as one of just four primary obligations of counselor education programs. The development of emerging leaders and leadership fellows programs by leading professional associations such as the American Counseling Association (ACA), Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) and its regions, and Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) International serve as evidence that leaders in the counseling profession see the need to promote leadership development in students and new professionals.Scholars have engaged in dialogue and research to better understand the range of characteristics, skills, and practices that are essential for effective leadership. CSI Academy of Leaders (1999) published a consensus document regarding 10 leadership qualities and practices that are reflective of leadership excellence. Luke and Goodrich (2010) investigated the impact of student involvement in CSI on future leadership contributions. They found that practical and authentic experiences, internal (thoughts and feelings) and external (behaviors) personal resources, and CSI involvement at the chapter and international levels contributed to future leader- An Exploration of Counselors' Professional Leadership DevelopmentKristin K. Meany-Walen, Kara Carnes-Holt, Casey A. Barrio Minton, Katherine Purswell, and Yulia Pronchenko-JainLittle is understood about the development of leaders in counseling. This mixed-method study explored leaders' progression through leadership endeavors. The quantitative descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis included 58 elected and appointed leaders from the American Counseling Association and Chi Sigma Iota. Data were analyzed to explore experiences that prompted individuals to assume leadership roles in professional counseling organizations. By understanding how leaders evolve, counseling programs and professional associations can foster counselors' leadership development.

Examining Leadership With American Counseling Association Presidents: A Grounded Theory of Leadership Identity Development

“…All of these areas were evident with all participants, with self‐care and social support being primary areas of wellness. Similar to the findings of Meany‐Walen et al (), social support and motivation are perceived as an aspect of both personal and professional wellness. This was used across the life span and made a priority in their lives.…”

“…Using what is known in the counseling literature, the counseling profession can provide professional experiences and training to enhance leadership skills and dynamics. However, the developmental factors that influence leadership identity development are not known (Meany‐Walen et al, ). Knowing this information could enhance training and professional experiences for leaders in the counseling profession.…”

“…A study on the leadership development of elected and appointed leaders of ACA and Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) International (Meany‐Walen, Carnes‐Holt, Barrio Minton, Purswell, & Pronchenko‐Jain, ) indicated that interest in leadership began prior to entering graduate programs. Hence, examining the leadership identity development of recognized leaders in counseling as it was cultivated through life experiences prior to and after formal training, such as graduate school, may provide helpful insight to preparing future leaders in the profession.…”

The Content and Process of Counseling Leadership: Implications for Research and Practice

“…Across the limited counseling leadership literature, the leader locus has been defined in various ways. Some view counseling leadership as holding a formally defined role or position in a counseling organization (Black & Magnuson, 2005;Luke & Goodrich, 2010;Magnuson et al, 2003;Mason, 2010;Meany-Walen et al, 2013;Smith & Roysircar, 2010;Wahesh & Myers, 2014;West, Bubenzer, Ozborn, Paez, & Desmond, 2006), as a counselor educator (Gibson, Dollarhide, & McCallum, 2010), as a practitioner (Curtis & Sherlock, 2006;Dollarhide, 2003;Dollarhide, Gibson, & Saginak, 2008;Jacob, McMaster, Nestel, Metzger, & Olesky, 2013; R. E. Lewis & Borunda, 2006), and as a prolific writer or award recipient (Black & Magnuson, 2005;Magnuson et al, 2003). Paradise et al (2010) contended that all counselors, by nature of their training, can been viewed as leaders.…”

Developing Social Justice Leaders Through Chi Sigma Iota: A Phenomenological Exploration of Chapter Faculty Advisor Experiences, Part 2

“…Results from this phenomenological inquiry are divided into a two-part series in order to give voice to the unique positions held by these distinct groups of participants. Please refer to Part 1 for a comprehensive literature review of social justice (Lee, 2012;Ratts, 2009) and leadership development in the counseling profession (Sweeney, 2012;Black & Magnuson, 2005;Meany-Walen et al, 2013), in addition to a complete overview of the qualitative methodology and the results from the perspective of CLs.…”