COUNSELING EDUCATION’S THEORY ON COUNSELING INDVIDUALS WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

Abstract

Severe mental illness (SMI) impacts one out of five individuals in the United States (CDC, 2022) and counselors provide over 60% of care to these individuals (ACA, 2014). The field of counseling focuses on building a working relationship with clients through emphasizing strengths, wellness, and empowerment (ACA, 2014); yet little is known on how counseling education utilizes these concepts with individuals diagnosed with SMI. Furthermore, there is a lack of research on how this topic is approached within counseling education training programs. This study utilized the constructivist grounded theory model to identify how the field of counseling education theorizes counseling individuals with SMI. The results from this study reveal an intricate model of how counselor educators and counselors in training approach this topic within academic spaces. The significance of the present study offers unique intervention opportunities for these same training programs and for the field of counseling education.