iv TPC Digest Melissa J. Fickling, Matthew Graden, Jodi L. Tangen E mpowerment is a process that begins with awareness of power dynamics. Power is widely recognized in counseling’s professional standards, competencies, and best practices as something about which counselors, supervisors, counselor educators, and researchers should be aware. However, little is known about how power is perceived by counselor educators who, by necessity, operate in many different professional roles with their students (e.g., teacher, supervisor, mentor). Given the gendered nature of perceptions of power, as well as the centrality of power analysis in feminist scholarship, we decided to utilize a feminist framework in the design and execution of the present study. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how counselor educators who identify as feminists understand and experience power in counselor education. Thirteen feminist women were interviewed. We used a loosely structured interview protocol to elicit participant experiences with the phenomenon of power in the context of counselor education. From these data, we identified an essential theme of analysis of power. Within this theme, we identified five categories: (a) definitions and descriptions of power, (b) higher education context and culture, (c) uses and misuses of power, (d) personal development around power, and (e) considerations of potential backlash. Participants analyzed interactions of power within and between various contexts and roles. For the feminist counselor educators in this study, power is about helping. In describing power, participants identified feelings of empowerment or disempowerment. Disempowerment was described with feeling words that captured a sense of separation and Reflections on Power From Feminist Counselor Educators
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