Is This What Counselors Are? Conflict Stories in Multicultural Coursework

Classroom-based conversations about multicultural issues can be difficult, ranging with various degrees of tension that span between affective stress to full on turbulent emotional exchanges. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to better understand the student perspective of conflict in the classroom. Understanding conflict stories are imperative for the training of professional counselors bound to both cultural competency and professional growth. Findings reveal both content and structure of students’ conflict stories in multicultural counseling classes as they navigate the tasks of professional identity development. Themes of gatekeeping and collective accountability emerged, in addition to transformation and meaning-making