6 TPC Digest 7 TPC Digest 7 TPC Digest 6 TPC Digest Kyoung Mi Choi, Jung H. Hyun Perceptions and Experiences of School Counselor Trainees on Self-Care Grounded in Mindfulness and Social–Emotional Learning T he COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted our daily lives, including the way we interact, work, and learn. With increased emotional distress and mental health issues among K–12 students, self-care has become a crucial topic in schools and workplaces. At the same time, school counselors also face burnout, fatigue, and other challenges, making self-care more critical than ever before. Leading counseling organizations, such as the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), view self-care not only as an individual responsibility but also a professional one. Therefore, prioritizing self-care practices is essential for school counselors to maintain their personal and professional well-being. Self-care involves engaging in activities or behaviors that promote overall wellness and prevent burnout. Some scholars consider self-care to be the start of personal power and a process of humanization in education that is reciprocal, antioppressive, and supportive of collective well-being. Dismantling oppressive ideologies and power structures is also an essential objective in the transformative process of self-care, which involves critical self-reflection, recognition of dehumanization, and reclaiming agency. Mindfulness-based self-care has emerged as a promising approach for addressing challenges and provides a unique opportunity for school counselors to reflect on their identities within societal and cultural contexts. Additionally, the social– emotional learning (SEL) framework can be helpful in self-care training by outlining specific skills essential for managing stress, fostering well-being, and developing advocacy in both personal and professional contexts. A study using a transcendental phenomenological approach explored the perceptions and experiences of school counselor trainees participating in a self-care course grounded in mindfulness and SEL. The study included seven students who enrolled in a master’s-level school counseling program and completed a summer self-care course. The findings revealed five key themes, including the transformation process, the importance of self-care in counseling preparation programs, and the empowering effects on graduate students becoming agents of change. Participants experienced a transformation leading to a change in their relationship with their minds, bodies, and emotions. This transformation extended to their relationships with family, friends, students, and colleagues, empowering them to be more engaged with their communities and society. In conclusion, self-care is crucial for school counselors to maintain their personal and professional well-being, and leading counseling organizations view it as a professional responsibility. Mindfulness-based self-care and the SEL framework provide promising approaches for addressing the challenges school counselors face. The study’s findings reveal the transformative effects of a self-care course grounded in mindfulness and SEL, emphasizing the importance of self-care in counseling preparation programs and the empowering effects on graduate students becoming agents of change. Kyoung Mi Choi, PhD, NCC, is a professor at San José State University. Jung H. Hyun, PhD, NCC, is an associate professor at Nova Southeastern University. Correspondence may be addressed to Kyoung Mi Choi, One Washington Square, San José, CA 95192, kyoungmi.choi@sjsu.edu. Read full article and references: Choi, K. M., & Hyun, J. H. (2023). Perceptions and experiences of school counselor trainees on self-care grounded in mindfulness and social–emotional learning. The Professional Counselor, 13(2), 113–128. doi: 10.15241/kmc.13.2.113
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