Internationalization of counselor education: Lived experiences of us counselors-in-training abroad

Abstract

In response to globalization in the counseling profession and the incorporation of international immersion courses in counselor education programs, the purpose of this study is to understand the lived experience of counselors-in-training participating internationally in a study abroad course. The research question was: What is the experience of a counselor-in-training who has participated in a study abroad trip as a part of their training program? Utilizing van Manen’s phenomenological methodology (1990), the researcher explored the experiences of four counselors-in-training participating in an international study abroad course. Overall emergent themes included experiencing new contexts, emotions, and new learning with an emphasis on “experiencing.” These themes highlighted implications for counselor educators in international curriculum development and course planning as well as informing counselors-in-training on potential impacts of international immersion courses.