The Impact of Dual Roles in Mentoring Relationships: A Mixed Research Study

Abstract

In the field of counselor education, mentors often are involved in varying roles with mentees, such as being mentor, dissertation chair, and or chair to the mentee. Due to the various roles, both the mentor and mentee need to recognize how each of these roles impacts the development of the mentee and the overall mentoring relationship. The purpose of our study was to examine the relationship between perceived dual roles of the mentor and the impact on the mentoring relationship. We found that counseling students and faculty who had experienced dual roles in their mentoring relationships had high career-related functions than did their counterparts who had not experienced dual mentoring relationships. According to Hodges (2009), "a mentor assists someone through a transition phase in the learning experience, providing advice and support as well as sharing their values and professionalism (p. 32)." Specifically, related to the counseling field, a mentor is defined as "someone with experience and expertise in the counseling field who is willing to share knowledge and offer advice to foster professional development" (American Counseling Association, 2012, p. 68). Mentoring relationships between students and faculty, at the graduate level, can lead to numerous benefits, both professionally and personally, and is a mutually beneficial relationship for both the mentee and mentor. Professionally, mentorship can assist with increasing employment opportunities, the development of professional skills, and overall professional development (Bova, 2000;Lechuga, 2011). Personally, mentorship has been associated with improved motivation, confidence, and self-esteem (Neary, 2000). In conjunction with the benefits previously mentioned for mentees, mentors often feel a sense of fulfillment that comes from sharing their experiences with others (Black & Zullo, 2008). Counselor Education Literature Current Trends in MentoringIn the past 5 to 10 years, researchers have begun to delve into the mentoring needs of specific populations within counselor education because there has been more of a focus on diversity, social justice, and multiculturalism both within the profession and society as a whole.A common undercurrent relates to the lack of connection among students and faculty, universities, and the larger counseling profession (Haizlip, 2012; Haskins et al., 2013). Roach andYoung (2007) recognized that many counselor education programs focus on the maturation of students through counselor education programs but pay little attention to the well-being-THE IMPACT OF DUAL ROLES IN MENTORING 2 personally and professionally-of students as they develop into counseling professionals. This lack of attention can lead to early burnout and impairment of these young professionals. One way to create an atmosphere of wellness and self-care in students is to foster healthy mentoring relationships student-to-student and student-to-faculty. To this end, Boswell, Wilson, Stark, and Onwuegbuzie (2015) encouraged counselor education program f...

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