Professional Adjustment Experiences of International Counseling Graduates

Using phenomenological methodology, the authors examined the first-person accounts of eight international counseling graduates upon re-entry to their home country. Data analysis revealed six composite textural themes and three composite structural themes comprising the lived experience of professional adjustment. The six composite textural themes were: Decision to Return Home, Navigating Professional Development, Applying Western Counselor Education Across Cultures, Beliefs About Individual Characteristics, Identifying Coping Strategies, and Professional Identity Development. The three composite structural themes were: Self in Relation to Others, Self in Relation to Environment, and Self in Relation to Work. Implications for counselor education programming, mentoring/advising, and curriculum development are presented.