Effectiveness and Relevance of Training for International Counseling Graduates: A Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract

The present study was a qualitative study that sought to examine the experiences and perceptions of international counseling graduates (ICGs) who had returned to their home country to work, focusing on the effectiveness and relevance of the training they had received in the United States. Participants were also asked to outline the roles they played in the development of professional counseling in their own country. Eight themes emerged from in-depth interviews involving nine participants: (a) Pioneering and Leadership, (b) American-centric Training, (c) Sojourner and Returnee Adjustment Distress, (d) Personal Investment from Trainers, (e) Student-Centered Training, (f) Time and Financial Constraints, (g) Independent Learning, and (h) Research. The data indicated that participants' perceptions of the effectiveness and relevance of their training were mixed. Implications for training international counseling students are considered.

Integrative Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with a Chinese Female College Student Dealing with Relationship Loss

“…First, though the first author is fluent in Mandarin, he still experienced some difficulties when communicating certain emotion-and psychology-related concepts with the client because he does not frequently conduct counseling in Mandarin. This reflects the language difficulties and adjustment some overseas trained health and mental health professionals were reported to experience when they returned to their home countries to work with patients and clients using local dialects (Chur-Hansen 2004;Lau and Ng 2011).…”

Using a Collaborative Model in Supervision With International Counseling Students

“…Research focused on training and supervision of international students in counseling and related programs is limited and scarce (e.g., Lau & Ng, ; Ng, ; Nilsson, ; Nilsson & Anderson, ; Woo et al, ). In the following discussion, we review the existing literature on international students as it relates to the supervisory and training needs and concerns of ICSs in the United States.…”

“…Over the past few decades, the move toward internationalization in higher education in the United States has been strong, with the number of international students steadily increasing each year (Institute of International Education, ). Such growing internationalization has naturally impacted the training, focus, and recruitment of students and faculty in counseling and related mental health training programs (Lau & Ng, ; Ng, ; Pieterse, Fang, & Evans, ). Researchers in mental health training programs (e.g., Lau & Ng, ; Mittal & Wieling, ; Ng, ; Pieterse et al, ; Reid & Dixon, ) have begun focusing on the unique training needs of international counseling students (ICSs) in the United States and calling on other researchers to expand their research focus to include ICSs.…”

“…In general, the literature on ICSs appears to be either descriptive in nature (e.g., Ng, ) or focused on the issues and needs of ICSs studying in the United States (e.g., Lau & Ng, ; Ng, ; Park‐Saltzman, Wada, & Mogami, ). In a larger context, much of what is known about international students’ experiences in U.S. universities is based on international students in general, and not on students in particular academic fields (Nilsson, ).…”

Postcolonial Theory and Humanism: A Framework for International Work in the Counseling Profession

“…For example, counselors trained in the United States are moving to other countries to be employed as professional counselors (Lau & Ng, ), and counselors are conducting international research more frequently (Norsworthy et al, ; Tang et al, ). In addition, counselors and counselor educators are advocating for the inclusion of global perspectives in the profession (Ng, Choudhuri, Noonan, & Ceballos, ); assisting with the advancement of counseling in other countries (Guth, Lorelle, Hinkle, & Remley, ; Leung et al, ); including international students in counselor education (Lau & Ng, ; Ng et al, ); and leading international educational trips, such as immersion or study‐abroad programs (Barden & Cashwell, ). Counselors and counselor educators have described the challenges and benefits of engaging in this type of work, including working past ethnocentric biases and developing professional friendships (Tang et al, ).…”