Career Barriers and Coping Efficacy with International Students in Counseling Psychology Programs

Abstract

This study uses Lent et al.’s (1994) social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as a framework for understanding the career barriers and coping efficacy experienced by international master’s of counseling psychology students. Grounded in SCCT, we described coping efficacy as international students’ perceived capability to navigate career barriers. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis, we explored the career barriers and coping efficacy of 12 international master’s of counseling psychology students. The first focus area, International Journey with Multiple Barriers, included five themes: Interpersonal Stress, Language Barriers, Financial Pressures, Advising Concerns, and Visa and Immigration-Related Stress. The second focus area, Agents of Change in the Midst of Barriers, included five themes: Self-Regulating, Stepping into Discomfort, Cognitive Reappraising, Becoming a Change Agent, and Social Support Seeking. Findings demonstrated participants’ coping efficacy and perceptions of themselves as agents of change. This study deepens the field’s understanding of career development among international master’s of counseling psychology students.