Power’s influence on boundary-crossings between counselor educators and counselor education students

Abstract

Counselor educators (CEs) hold legitimate power over counselor education students (CESs). It would be helpful for CEs to understand how power differentials influence boundary-crossing perceptions within the legitimate hierarchy of counselor education. CEs and CESs were separately shown the same 16 boundary-crossing scenarios that could occur between the groups. When CEs are negotiating boundary-crossings with CESs, Burian and Slimp’s model would likely be most helpful as it is specific to counselor education and requires CEs to contemplate motives when evaluating boundary-crossings. However, when CESs are negotiating boundary-crossing concerns with CEs, Gottlieb’s model would likely be most helpful. CESs in this study were very concerned about boundary-crossings that encroached upon their personal needs that were not a requirement for successfully graduating from a counselor education program. Consequently, CEs may want to become clearer in their understanding of the differences between optional behaviors versus those of mandated requirements for graduation. A CE and a CES sharing a car ride to a professional meeting is an optional boundary-crossing because it does not assist a CE in completing the mandated requirements for graduation. This contrasts with the mandated graduation requirement that a CE provides the required supervision hours to a CES.

Keywords:

• professor
• legitimate power
• boundary-crossing
• counselor education
• student

Public Interest Statement

The educational process results in professors holding power over graduate students. At the graduate level, professors often take on more than one role with a student serving as advisor, classroom instructor, and supervisor of the student’s entry into the profession. The more roles that a professor takes with a student, the more likely that boundary-crossings will occur. Most often, boundary-crossings are harmless and productive. However, even with the best of intentions, they can result in the student experiencing confusion and stress. Researchers compared the rankings of 16 boundary-crossings that can occur between counselor education students (CESs) and counselor educators (CEs). The results suggested that CESs were not worried about boundary-crossings when CEs were not meeting their professional needs. However, they were unhappy when their personal needs were negatively impacted. CEs were concerned when CESs’ needs were negatively affected by roles that are not a requirement for graduation.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The research did not receive specific funding, but was performed as part of the employment of the author at Western Michigan University.

Notes on contributors

Stephanie T. Burns

Stephanie T. Burns, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, is an Associate Professor at Western Michigan University in the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Department where she is the Coordinator of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. Dr. Burns is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Michigan; a National Certified Counselor (NCC); and the chapter advisor for the Mu Beta Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota. She was co-chair of the Chi Sigma Iota Professional Advocacy Committee for six years and was the inaugural Edwin L. Herr Fellow for Excellence in Counseling Leadership and Scholarship. Her research areas of interest include adult trauma, student learning outcomes, counselor professional identity, ethical decision-making, the psychometrics of career interest inventories, counseling outcomes, counseling program evaluation, and supervision. Dr. Burns’ 2017 journal article, “Evaluating Independently Licensed Counselors’ Articulation of Professional Identity Using Structural Coding” won The Professional Counselor’s 2017 Research category of the Outstanding Scholar Award.