Exploring the Phenomenon of Rural School Counselors’ Professional Identity Construction

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the impact of the rural context on the experiences of rural school counselors related to their professional identity construction. The author interviewed six participants in their respective communities and identified three themes—(a) the tight-knit community, (b) permeable professional/personal boundaries, and (c) fewer resources—as characteristics of the rural context that influence school counselors’ professional identity construction. This article presents implications and provides recommendations for practicing school counselors and counselor education programs.

When the Kids Are Not Alright: School Counseling in the Time of COVID-19

“…Although rural and urban counselors face many of the same barriers as their suburban peers, they nevertheless contend with unique organizational and structural obstacles that affect their work (e.g., Bardhoshi & Duncan, 2009; Monteiro-Leitner et al, 2006). For example, studies have found that rural counselors are particularly susceptible to professional isolation given limited supervision and the fact that they are often the only mental health providers in a school (Grimes, 2020; Hann-Morrison, 2011), while urban counselors reportedly experience high levels of professional burnout (Kim & Lambie, 2018).…”

“The single fish in the sea”: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Rural School Counselors Earning RAMP

“…The findings in the present study also support and advance the profession’s understanding of both rural communities and RAMP, the former being an underexplored yet promising topic in educational research (Bright, 2018; Nichols et al, 2018; Schafft, 2016). For example, Grimes (2020) utilized a sample of six school counselors to explore several defining characteristics of school counseling in rural settings. Three major themes emerged.…”

A Rural Ecological School Counseling Framework

“…In rural areas, median school counselor caseloads were lower where school counselors were located; however, schools were also more likely to not have a school counselor (Gagnon & Mattingly, 2016). Grimes (2020) found that rural school counselors reported having limited access to financial and human resources, which resulted in being tasked with additional noncounseling responsibilities. As a result, rural school counselors struggled to choose between their professional needs as a mental health professionals and meeting the needs of the school (Grimes, 2020).…”