Leadership and Counseling Psychology: What Should We Know? Where Could We Go?

Abstract

In this article, we present an introduction to the scholarly literature in leadership, especially as related to counseling psychology. Although many counseling psychologists engage in professional leadership roles across various settings in which they function, there is little formal knowledge about leadership represented in principal books and journals in the field, nor is leadership addressed formally in most programs providing education and training for counseling psychologists. In this article, we first summarize the most important theories, constructs, and processes in the body of knowledge regarding leadership. We also consider the applicability of this knowledge to the field of counseling psychology, particularly noting values and commitments that may position counseling psychologists for effective leadership. We then outline several cross-cutting issues in leadership for counseling psychologists that arise across settings and roles, concluding with a call for more formal attention to leadership by counseling psychologists.

Socially Just and Culturally Responsive Leadership Within Counseling and Counseling Psychology: A Grounded Theory Investigation

“…The experiences, narratives, and practices of 18 participants provide a grounded theory of how counseling leaders and educators in this study enacted and engaged in SJCRCL within professional association and higher education contexts. Understanding and abstracting a theoretical model of SJCRCL was an essential next step in the counseling leadership research due to the paucity of research focused on multicultural and social justice responsibilities of leaders (Fassinger & Shullman, 2017; Ratts et al, 2016; Storlie & Wood, 2014). The results of this study both complement and extend the SJCRCL and related scholarship.…”

“…Focusing on the unique aspects and practices of counseling and counseling psychology leadership is important, as leadership is argued to be understood and enacted differently based on a leader’s professional specialty, identities, culture, discipline, system, or contextual factors (Fassinger & Shullman, 2017; Harrison, 2017; Luke & Peters, in press; McKibben et al, 2017; Peters & Vereen, 2020). Of the existing research on counseling leadership, few studies have incorporated multiculturalism, cultural responsivity, or social justice (Hargons et al, 2017; Roysircar et al, 2017; Storlie & Wood, 2014).…”

“…Of the existing research on counseling leadership, few studies have incorporated multiculturalism, cultural responsivity, or social justice (Hargons et al, 2017; Roysircar et al, 2017; Storlie & Wood, 2014). The majority of the scholarship has focused on a general understanding of counseling leadership (Fassinger & Shullman, 2017; McKibben et al, 2017), leader profiles (Borders & Cashwell, 2014), leadership development (Gibson et al, 2018; Luke & Goodrich, 2010), and school counseling specific leadership (Peters et al, 2018). Similar to the overall status of counseling leadership, the current theories and principles used to conceptualize and enact counseling leadership (e.g., servant leadership, transformative leadership; Chang et al, 2012; McKibben et al, 2017; Peters et al, 2018), have yet to adequately integrate or center multiculturalism, cultural responsivity, or social justice (Eagly & Chin, 2010; Fassinger & Shullman, 2017; McKibben et al, 2017; Peters et al, 2018) within counseling psychology.…”

“…Although we utilized multiple measures of trustworthiness as a means of bracketing and attending to our influence, our personal and methodological decisions affected the outcome of the study. Second, the current research associated with cultural responsivity (Giovanangeli & Oguro, 2016), social justice (Shin et al, 2017; Smith et al, 2009), and counseling leadership is in a state of development (Fassinger & Shullman, 2017; McKibben et al, 2017). This means counseling and related disciplines have only recently begun to develop a rich, empirical understanding of each of the aforementioned constructs.…”

“…Having a model to understand leadership is important, as SJCRCL can be abstract and difficult to conceptualize and contextualize, even when informed by previous experience and training (Hargons et al, 2017; Roysircar et al, 2017; Singh et al, 2010). In addition, much of the literature on SJCRCL has focused on personal and skill-oriented practices and behaviors (Fassinger & Shullman, 2017; McKibben et al, 2017). In contrast, the emergent model supports additional actions, more specifically, relational-oriented, community cultural, and group-system actions.…”