263 The Professional Counselor | Volume 13, Issue 3 culture and sustaining their own cultural identity (Interiano-Shiverdecker et al., 2019; D. Li & Liu, 2020; Sangganjanavanich & Black, 2009). Specifically, ICSs reported cultural challenges in several areas, including the educational system, teaching styles, personal interactions, social justice issues, and cultural values and practices (Behl et al., 2017; Delgado-Romero & Wu, 2010; D. Li & Liu, 2020). One study found that doctoral-level ICSs experienced greater cultural adjustment problems and conflicts compared to master’s-level ICSs (Ng & Smith, 2009), which implies that differentiated understanding and approaches may be required according to ICSs’ developmental stages. Also, our findings echoed the existing literature that one of the main obstacles for international students is language proficiency (Kuo et al., 2021; C. Li et al., 2018), as ICSs who had difficulty using English reported greater academic needs and concerns than their peers (Behl et al., 2017). A notable finding is that the cultural barriers ICSs experienced were intertwined with their social concerns. ICSs are exposed to social dangers involving stigma, discrimination, and interpersonal isolation (Behl et al., 2017; Delgado-Romero & Wu, 2010). Although several researchers explored the potential relationship between ICSs’ length of time in the United States and their stress and cultural development (Behl et al., 2017; Nilsson & Dodds, 2006), their findings did not indicate any significant relationship. This lack of an effect may imply that other risks and protective factors have more influence on the successful adjustment and achievement of ICSs regardless of the amount of time they have spent in the United States. As such, our findings have shown that ICSs face unique challenges across their professional and personal lives in acculturating to two or more cultures and satisfying counseling training requirements. Corresponding to these challenges, various personal and social resources have been regarded as protective factors of ICS development. Specifically, in terms of social support, researchers identified the importance of support from mentors, supervisors, peers, and other international graduate students (e.g., Woo et al., 2015). Given that ICSs often experience a lack of social support, it is noteworthy that the current ICS literature highlights the need for counselor training programs to promote students’ personal strengths and social connections. Overall, we identified patterns and trends in research on international students in counseling programs based on studies published in selected counseling journals. Despite our efforts to reflect on diverse ICS experiences, the paucity of ICS research across selected counseling journals, particularly ACA journals, is notable. Given the increasing representation of ICSs in the wider counseling student body (Ng, 2006), further studies addressing the resources and barriers of this student population are needed. Furthermore, international students were exposed to unprecedented difficulties and mental health threats during the COVID-19 pandemic (Chen et al., 2020). These challenges necessitate more scholarly attention toward supporting and advocating for ICSs, including their adjustment, professional development, and transition from training to practice. Implications Because members of the counseling profession have expressly emphasized the importance of enriching multiculturalism and diversity (D. Li & Liu, 2020), we expect our findings to provide meaningful implications for counselor education programs. First, counseling researchers are encouraged to conduct more ICS research given the limited available studies and the increasing representation of international students in counseling programs. Even though they attempted to examine diverse training experiences and competency development of ICSs, many areas are understudied, such as their teaching and social justice practices. The existing ICS research mostly concentrated on identifying factors that influence ICSs’ academic and social lives. However, given the continuous increase of ICSs in the counseling field, research about strengths and support strategies of counselor education programs having many ICSs is
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