Professional Identity Development of Foreign-Born Counselors in US Counselor Education

In a world that is more interconnected than ever, the counseling profession has continued in its efforts to train more foreign-born counselors. The process of professional identity development of this population remains an understudied topic in the literature. The current study examined the experiences of foreign-born counselors navigating the professional identity development process in U.S. counselor education. A phenomenological qualitative research design was used to explore the experiences of six foreign-born counselors. Several themes arose that include barriers, assets, and counseling profession limitations. Implications for counselor education are discussed.