Creating Strength-Based Routes for Black Males to Survive and Thrive in Counselor Education Spaces

The care and development of culturally responsive Black male counselor educators and counselors is paramount, particularly considering the heightened focus on police mistreatment of Black men during the COVID-19 pandemic. This period underscored the necessity of addressing Black mental health with increased urgency. Black men represent a mere 3.9% of the CES profession (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2015) and 4.1% of the counseling profession overall (Terlizzi EP, Zablotsky B., 2020). Given the scarcity of studies on nurturing Black male counselor educators, our work examines critical academic climate factors such as research and sponsorship, training, and community engagement. We believe that this research supports the enrollment and success of Black men in counseling programs. By examining the experiences of one Black male CES professor and three Black male students at an HBCU, we highlight the care and practices essential for developing culturally responsive Black male counselor educators in these challenging times. This work aims to illustrate and promote the necessary steps to ensure Black men enter the counseling profession and thrive within it.