The authors investigated counselor trainees' knowledge and perceptions of cultural display rules (CDRs). CDRs are social norms that modify people's emotional expression. Forty-one master's-level counselor trainees from multiple universities completed an online questionnaire about CDRs and counseling experiences. Using thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998), the authors identified themes representing trainees' understanding of CDRs and their impact on counseling, observations of types of CDRs (e.g., restriction, amplification), interpretations of CDRs, and training in CDRs.

Social norms that shape people’s emotional expression are called cultural display rules (CDRs). Training in counseling psychology emphasizes cultural context in understanding clients, but it is unclear the degree of training specifically focused on students acquiring skills in emotional expression systems connected to diverse cultures. This qualitative study investigated 99 counseling psychology trainees’ knowledge and experiences of CDRs. Based on thematic analysis, we found four superordinate themes: (a) General Knowledge and Awareness, (b) Therapy Elements and Processes, (c) Personal Experiences with CDRs, and (d) Training. Several subthemes emerged in each area. Although participants expressed a range of complexity in knowledge and awareness of CDRs, they reported a lack of systematic integration of CDRs in their training. Recommendations for integrating CDR knowledge into training counseling psychology students with a focus on developing multicultural and international competencies and improving clinical decision-making are provided.