Facilitating the Professional Development of International Counseling Psychology Students: Introduction to Special Issue

Abstract

The growing community of international counseling students in the United States has been a vital force in the internationalization of counseling psychology and the diversification of counseling practices. However, their intersectional identity of being both an international student and a counseling student is also associated with a variety of unique challenges in training and career development. This Special Issue includes five articles that address a conceptual model on international students’ social justice identity development, experiences of clinical training and clinical supervision, career barriers and coping efficacy, and experiences of counseling psychology faculty from international backgrounds. Each of these articles discusses challenges faced by international counseling psychology students and provides implications that can be used to facilitate the professional development of international counseling psychology students.