Counseling psychology doctoral students’ experiences of authenticity: a collaborative autoethnography

ABSTRACT

Given the importance of authenticity in counseling psychology, we used a collaborative autoethnography approach to explore our experiences of authenticity as counseling psychology doctoral students. Six (3 women, 2 men, 1 gender flexible man; 3 European American, 2 Asian American, 1 Asian; 5 3^rd-year students, 1 2^nd-year student) students in one counseling psychology doctoral program in the Mid-Atlantic United States reflected on the factors that facilitated and hindered our ability to be authentic by writing four one-to-five page journal entries, reading the journals in four three-hour group meetings, receiving non-judgmental feedback, and editing the journal entries. In the journals, we explored our understanding of authenticity, the development of our authentic selves, our experience of authenticity in graduate school, the role of authenticity in our relationships, the way in which our authenticity has been shaped by external forces, and our process of balancing the costs and benefits when deciding whether or not to be authentic in a given situation. Themes that emerged from the data revealed that we had received mixed messages about authenticity in our graduate program and that our ability to be authentic varied depending on whether we were in the role of therapist, teacher, researcher, or student. Further, family and peer relationships, hierarchical structures, and privileged and marginalized social identities enhanced or inhibited our experiences of authenticity in graduate school. Implications for graduate students and recommendations for future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Authenticity
• true self
• authentic self
• therapist development
• counseling psychology doctoral students
• collaborative autoethnography

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

NaYeon Yang

NaYeon Yang is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland. Her research interests include grief and loss, meaning making, career development, and multicultural and social justice issues.

Greta Jankauskaite

Greta Jankauskaite is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland. Her research interests broadly include grief, end-of-life issues, grief counseling education for psychologists, and communication training and support for medical providers.

Judith A. Gerstenblith

Judith A. Gerstenblith is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland. Her research interests include psychotherapy process and outcome, training and supervision, helping skills, attachment, and the intersection of religion/spirituality and psychotherapy.

Justin W. Hillman

Justin W. Hillman is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland. His research interests include psychotherapy process and outcome, helping skills, attachment, and quantitative research.

Ruogu J. Wang

Jason Wang is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland. His research interests include coping with unemployment, career choice and development, career self-management, study abroad career-related outcomes, as well as study abroad interest and choice.

Thomas P. Le

Thomas Le is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland. His research interests include Asian American and LGBTQ+ mental health, intersectionality, substance use and misuse, disordered eating, and interpersonal relationships.

Clara E. Hill

Clara E. Hill is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland. Her research interests are helping skills, psychotherapy process and outcome, qualitative research, dreams, and meaning in life.