Connecting With Others: Counselor Educator Identity Development in Hybrid Doctoral Programs

Counselor professional identity development (PID) is an often discussed topic, but limited attention has been given to the PID of doctoral students transitioning to counselor educators. Through multiple rounds of interviews, this grounded theory study examined the PID of doctoral students within the context of hybrid counselor education programs. The findings showed that making connections with others was critical to the overall PID process. The researchers provide implications for doctoral student training and future research.