Counseling in Spanish and English: Phenomenological Experiences of Bilingual Counselors

The primary purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand how bilingual professional counselors experience bilingual counseling in Spanish and English. I was additionally interested in learning how bilingual professional counselors develop their bilingual skills for bilingual counseling. Further, how counselor educators and supervisors can assist bilingual professional counselors in their development of bilingual skills was of note. Twelve professional counselors were interviewed for the study from various regions in the United States of America. Through thematic analysis, five main themes and 13 subthemes were identified. The findings provide specific implications for bilingual professional counselors, counselor educators, and supervisors. These implications are discussed at length, especially in connection to the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC), and future directions for research are highlighted. In conclusion, bilingual professional counseling in Spanish/English is a specialized and unique form of counseling and a call to research the phenomenon of bilingual Spanish/English counseling further is merited to help ensure ethical and competent practice