1. Equipping College Counselors to Serve International Students
GCCA 2017 Conference
Christopher Wheelus, LPC, LMFT, CPCS
Director of Student Support Services
Shorter University
Paul Cherono, MDiv
Counseling Intern
Richmont Graduate University / Shorter University

2. Learning Objectives
Summarize international students’ challenges and help-seeking patterns
Describe international students’ view of American counseling and the counselor
List 3 elements of outreach programming and therapeutic alliance with international students

3. Summarize – USA Stats

4. DISCUSS: What about your campus? (official and unofficial numbers)
Summarize – Georgia Stats
DISCUSS: What about your campus? (official and unofficial numbers)

5. Summarize - Challenges
Acculturation
How individuals adapt to a new culture (Berry, 1995)
104 und/grad students, Midwest univ. (Sullivn & Kashubeck-West, 2015)
Acculturative stress = accult stressors leading to lowered mental health status
& Berry’s Acculturation modes
Maintain relation to own culture:
relation to host culture: integration assimilation
separation marginalization
Lower Accul Stress =
Integration mode
Broad based social support, esp. host nationals

6. Psychological adjustment –
Factors that contribute to adjustment and different phases of cultural adjustment (Mesidor & Sly, 2016)
Culture adjustment
Social adaptation –
predicting factors are (per Zhang & Goodson(2011) meta-analysis );
stress,
social support,
English proficiency,
region/country of origin,
length of residence in the United States,
acculturation,
social interaction with Americans,
self-efficacy,
gender,
and personality
Academic adjustment –
language, education system, financial, evaluation
Psychological adjustment –
loneliness, culture shock, somatic complaints such as headaches, anxiety, relationships

7. Support & Acculturative Stress:
152 international students Midwestern Univ (Bai, 2016)
Highest accul stress level;
MidEast (but other studies = Asians)
Cen/Sou America
Africa
Among all the variables, perceived support from school was the only significant predictor of acculturative stress
Psychological symptoms: (Poyrazli, 2015)
198 international students at Penn State
Academics (71%)
Career (60%)
Stress (43%)
Depression/Anxiety (34%)

8. Help-Seeking, Stigma, Worldview
Only about 2% of international students seek psychological services (Poyrazli, 2015)
Stigma: (Crocket & Hays, 2011; Onabule & Boes, 2013)
Largely negative or neutral connotation of “counseling” based on home culture
But, positive experiences with academic advisors, faculty, friends
Home culture stigma around psy disturbance

9. Likelihood to Seek Counseling: (Onabule & Boes, 2013)
18 int’l students, focus group & survey
Most would use counseling center for crisis, if they knew about it
Western myths
Cream of the crop
Wealthy families
Experienced travelers
Never use counseling services
Seeking counseling peaked at 6mo and 4yr
Counselor-specific factors that increase likelihood:
friendliness, approachability, welcoming, warm, supportive

10. Outreach Recommendations
Presence at int’l student gatherings, clubs, orientation (Poyrazli, 2015)
Brochure directed at int’l students (Poyrazli, 2015)
Psy symptoms/concerns of int’l students
Summary of services that address these
Collaborate with advisors, faculty, int’l student office staff (Crocket & Hays, 2011; Poyrazli, 2015)
Info sessions and indiv/group sessions where int’l students frequent (Crocket & Hays, 2011)
Support groups instead of one-on-one sessions (Crocket & Hays, 2011)
Culturally appropriate services & MC competent counselors (Hwang, Bennett, & Beauchemin)

11. Summary International Students’ challenges and help-seeking patterns
Effects of acculturation stress
Help-seeking patterns
Effects of Western influences on shaping help-seeking tendencies
Resistance toward seeking help
International students’ worldview toward American therapy and the counselor
Social and cultural factors that influence help-seeking behaviors
Cultural Stigma Towards mental illness
Elements of outreach programming and therapeutic alliance with international students
awareness and authentic relationship
professional knowledge and awareness
minimize biases and stigma towards mental illness and seeking mental health services
mental health help-seeking outreach or workshop for international students