The lived experiences of Black women in CES doctoral programs during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Black women in counselor education and supervision (CES) programs have historically been underrepresented in the scholarly literature, making it vital to understand how this group of women cope with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and understand Black women's lived experiences in CES doctoral programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Husserl's phenomenological approach served as the conceptual framework for this research study. Semi structured interviews were conducted with nine Black women enrolled in CES doctoral programs having at least 6 months to 5 years of engagement in their program. The data were analyzed using the modified van Kaam 7-step method as outlined by Moustakas. Results indicated that while Black female CES doctoral students faced challenges and barriers in their programs during the pandemic, success and supportive factors continue to contribute to their efforts to be fully committed to their programs. The results may contribute to positive social change by providing higher educational institutions, counselor educators, and counseling professionals with information to consider fostering diverse and culturally specific resources, increase an understanding of historical factors affecting current challenges during the pandemic, and create ways to build relationships with Black students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)