"Expanding Horizons": Examining Master’s Level Counseling Students’ Experiences with Mentors

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of master’s level counseling students who have a counselor education faculty member as their mentor. Seven master’s level counseling students between the ages of 25-30, from a state university, voluntarily participated in this study. Participants were six female students and one male student. Four participants were mental health counseling majors, while three were school counseling majors. Data were collected through a demographic survey and semi-structured interviews. Three themes were developed based on participants’ experiences. They were (1) “going above and beyond,” (2) “guide you and explore options,” and (3) “provide support and encouragement.” The theme “going above and beyond” was described by participants as their mentor performing extra tasks that were not in their job responsibilities. Participants explained “guide you and explore options” in terms of their mentor guiding them in their professional development and career options. The theme “provide support and encouragement” described the participants’ mentors showing genuine interest in them and providing them with support and encouragement throughout their relationship.

Based on previous literature, research, and the current study, a mentoring framework for counselor education is proposed. The framework contains three categories which are (1) guidance, (2) encouragement, and (3) above and beyond. Implications for counselor educators and recommendations for future research are provided.