Female Counselor Educators: Encouraging and Discouraging Factors in Academia

Abstract

Women in higher education encounter unique challenges that influence their occupational satisfaction and quality of life (

The Loss of Innocence

“…Nelson, Englar-Carlson, Tierney, and Hau (2006) found that counseling academics decided to teach in counseling psychology and counselor educator programs when they realized that more visible careers did not offer them enough opportunity to make a difference. Other researchers found similar results, citing a sense of autonomy in work and making a significant contribution to the profession as being integral to the satisfaction of counselor educators (Hill, Leinbaugh, Bradley, Hazler, & Hill, 2005). Bronstein (1993) found that the rewards of academia were among the reasons that feminist and ethnic minority college professors chose their professions.…”

Interview Experiences and Diversity Concerns of Counselor Education Faculty From Underrepresented Groups

“…According to the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), 74% of full‐time faculty working in accredited counselor education programs in 2016 were White and 61% were female (CACREP, ). Other researchers have found that although women are well‐represented numerically in counselor education, they often face unique challenges, such as gender‐based wage gaps, in their academic positions (Hill, Leinbaugh, Bradley, & Hazler, ).…”

The Developmental Mentoring Relationship Between Academic Women

“…Our review of the literature on women and academia revealed that discrepancies in salary levels and promotions between women and men seem to still exist (Hill, Leinbaugh, Bradley, & Hazler, 2005;West & Curtis, 2006). Although the number of women attaining doctoral degrees and faculty appointments has increased, women still represent a disproportionate number of lower ranking positions (Misra, Kennelly, & Karides, 1999;Oleck & McNatt, 1999;Park, 1996;West & Curtis, 2006;Winkler, 2000).…”

“…For female counselor educators, Hill et al (2005) explored encouraging and discouraging factors in academia. Their study supported previous assumptions that career satisfaction centered on "supportive, growth-producing interactions with students and other professionals" (Hill et al, 2005, p. 378).…”