Social Wellness of Counselor Education and Supervision Doctoral Students Before, During and After COVID-19

Counselor education and supervision doctoral students (CESDS) comprise a unique population with oftentimes strenuous and competing roles that may impact their social wellness and feelings of connection and support. The arrival and continued presence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic also heightened isolation and increased impediments to connection and support for many. Given some of the benefits of social wellness, research on recent CESDS experiences is timely. This two-manuscript dissertation begins with a literature review on the topic and ends with an empirical study to further knowledge on the experience of social wellness that CESDS had during their doctoral programs taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the first manuscript is to review literature related to CESDS wellness including social wellness, COVID-19-specific considerations, cultural factors, program obligations, and support system and distance factors. The purpose of the second manuscript is to explain the step-by-step process of an original study and provide ideas for areas of future research. Guided by a phenomenological data analysis process and semi-structured interviews with current CESDS, this manuscript explores the social wellness of CESDS to shed light on the essence of their lived experiences during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings include four clusters of meaning, and related to findings, this manuscript provides implications for CESDS, counselor educators, and the counseling profession. Taken together, these manuscripts summarize an integral part of the experience of being a CESDS during a pivotal time and address gaps in current research while promoting areas to confront in future studies.