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Professional counselors (n = 5) from the United States (2), Australia, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands were interviewed about the provision of counseling services in the multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) Second Life (SL). Using Strauss and Corbin's (1998) method, qualitative data analysis yielded four themes: (i) encapsulating the immersive experience inherent in virtual worlds, (ii) contributions to successful avatar-based counseling, (iii) the practice of MUVE counseling, and (iv) practitioners' pioneering spirit. This study contributes to distance counseling knowledge and lays the foundation for future avatar-based counseling research and practice.

Early college high schools (ECHSs)

In this phenomenological study, rural counselor supervisors (N ϭ 11) describe their beliefs about their success and their ideas to improve rural mental health. Each participant had over 15 years of experience as counselors and over 10 years of experience as supervisors in rural settings. Success was individually defined by each participant. Using Auerbach and Silverstein's ( 2003) qualitative data analysis method, 6 overarching themes emerged regarding their beliefs about their success as counselors and supervisors in rural settings: (a) adapting to rural culture, (b) diversification, (c) valuing self-care, (d) community connection, (e) firm but flexible boundaries, and (f) motivation to do the work. The participants' ideas for improving rural mental health are encompassed by the themes of professional preparation, systemic change, and imparting wisdom. Each theme includes subthemes that exemplify and describe the data in the participants' own words. Implications for counselor training and rural mental health policy are included.

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