Internationalization of the Counseling Profession and International Counseling Students

Using a Collaborative Model in Supervision With International Counseling Students

“…ICSs are different from both their U.S. peers and international students in nonclinical programs, and they face unique challenges that are often not considered in the existing literature (Nilsson & Dodds, ). For example, ICSs provide counseling to clients whose culture they may not fully understand in a language in which they may not be proficient (Guvensel et al, ; Lau & Ng, ; Nilsson & Anderson, ; Woo et al, ). This is particularly salient because previous researchers (e.g., Ng, ; Nilsson & Anderson, ; Wedding, McCartney, & Currey, ) have asserted that having a high‐level command of the English language is a requisite skill for effective counseling practice.…”

“…Given their unique histories, cultural worldviews, English language proficiency, and professional goals, ICSs bring a unique set of concerns and interests to the supervision session. As such, the ability of their supervisors to address their unique and diverse needs is noteworthy (Guvensel et al, ; Lau & Ng, ; Nilsson & Anderson, ; Woo et al, ).…”

“…Although ICSs are likely to experience some of the same issues in supervision as their U.S. counterparts, they also face unique challenges that may not be considered in the existing literature (Guvensel et al, ; Woo et al, ). For instance, because many ICSs plan to or are required to return to their native countries after graduation (Lau & Ng, ), supervisory discussions about differences in mental health services and the transferability of the training to students’ native countries are warranted (Guvensel et al, ; Lau & Ng, ). Additionally, as an unfamiliarity with the counseling profession in ICSs’ countries of origin is a known concern (Killian, ; Kracen, Zeinoun, Wu, & Stevens, ; Pattison, ), many ICSs are confronted with unrealistic expectations, substandard regulations, and/or resistance to their roles as professional counselors upon their return home (Lau & Ng, ).…”

“…Whereas other researchers (e.g., Guvensel, Dixon, Parker, McDonald, & O'Hara, ; Lau & Ng, ; Park‐Saltzman et al, ; Woo, Jang, & Henfield, ) have suggested that mental health supervisors and educators should provide special efforts when working with ICSs, a need for counseling supervisors to further examine their methods of supervision with ICSs appears to also be warranted. Furthermore, many ICSs return to their home countries and assume leadership and supervisory positions upon graduating from U.S.‐based programs (Guvensel et al, ; Lau & Ng, ), and their ability to provide effective and appropriate counseling and supervision in their home countries hinges upon the quality of the training and supervision they receive while studying in the United States. Thus, the relatively small amount of literature that focuses on the counseling and supervisory needs of ICSs poses a limitation for U.S.‐based counseling faculty and supervisors who wish to provide effective supervision to ICSs.…”

“…Over the past few decades, the move toward internationalization in higher education in the United States has been strong, with the number of international students steadily increasing each year (Institute of International Education, ). Such growing internationalization has naturally impacted the training, focus, and recruitment of students and faculty in counseling and related mental health training programs (Lau & Ng, ; Ng, ; Pieterse, Fang, & Evans, ). Researchers in mental health training programs (e.g., Lau & Ng, ; Mittal & Wieling, ; Ng, ; Pieterse et al, ; Reid & Dixon, ) have begun focusing on the unique training needs of international counseling students (ICSs) in the United States and calling on other researchers to expand their research focus to include ICSs.…”