12 TPC Digest I nternational students are a growing population within counseling programs, accounting for 1.02% of master’s students and 3.81% of doctoral students in counseling programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2022). Aligned with the standards of professional counseling organizations, including the American Counseling Association (ACA) and CACREP, the presence of international counseling students (ICSs) can be beneficial for both domestic and international students, in that it facilitates counseling trainees’ understanding of diversity and commitment to multicultural counseling. More academic and practical attention to ICSs is required in this respect. The existing literature shows that ICSs face unique challenges in adapting to a new culture, in addition to the academic pressures that domestic students also experience. These unique challenges include language barriers, cultural differences, and difficulties in training, such as role ambiguity in supervision. Some researchers have focused on personal and academic experiences of ICSs, including acculturation, coping strategies, and supervision. However, despite the growing representation of ICSs and the potential advantages that they can bring to counseling programs, research on ICSs has been quite limited. Therefore, we investigated the publication trends and content of ICS research articles published in professional counseling journals based on content analysis, to provide a comprehensive overview of topics that are underrepresented but have growing importance in the field of counseling. As a result, 18 articles on ICSs were identified from seven journals within a 16-year period. Across the articles, we examined the authorship and institutional affiliation, research design, participant characteristics, and data collection methods. In addition, we conducted qualitative content analysis and established three main themes: (a) professional practices and development; (b) academic, social, and cultural challenges; and (c) personal and social resources. Specifically, regarding professional practices and development, researchers have examined ICSs’ perceptions, concerns, needs, and suggestions for professional training experiences, including practicum and internship, supervision, multicultural training, social justice group intervention, and teaching preparation. In addition, research has shown that ICSs face unique challenges across academic, social, and cultural contexts. The challenges encompass acculturation, cultural barriers, difficulties in performing teaching and supervision practices, struggles in understanding a new culture, language anxiety, stigma and discrimination, and interpersonal isolation. Finally, several personal and social resources for ICSs were identified. Personal resources include self-reflection, self-regulation, and self-efficacy, which contribute to ICSs’ professional development, while social resources include peers, other ICSs, faculty, mentors, departments and colleges, and family. Implications for counseling researchers and counselor education programs are discussed in consideration of the findings of this study. First, counseling researchers are encouraged to conduct more research projects on ICSs, reflecting on their unique cultural backgrounds and vivid voices. Also, counselor education programs can put more effort into providing more quality training experiences to ICSs, which include reducing language and cultural barriers, providing more clinical experiences and mentoring opportunities for cultural adjustment, and cultivating a more supportive and inclusive program environment. Byeolbee Um, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma. Lindsay Woodbridge, PhD, LMHC, LPC, is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Susannah M. Wood, PhD, NCC, is a professor at the University of Iowa. Correspondence may be addressed to Byeolbee Um, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Rm 303, Norman, OK 73019, byeolbee.um-1@ou.edu. Byeolbee Um, Lindsay Woodbridge, Susannah M. Wood Research on International Counseling Students in Selected Counseling Journals: A 16-Year Content Analysis 12
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