Rural School Counseling Competencies: A Delphi Study

Rural school counseling has garnered increased attention within the school counseling profession. However, guidelines for school counseling practice in these settings are lacking. To address this, utilizing the Delphi method, this study created the first empirical set of rural school counseling competencies to inform rural school counseling practice and preparation. This process resulted in 203 rural school counseling competencies agreed upon by individuals with rural school counseling expertise. We present implications for rural schools, practicing rural school counselors, and preservice rural school counselors, and discuss limitations and future research suggestions.