Abstract

Recently increasing efforts have been made to explore and conceptualize from the developmental perspective the process in which counselors come to achieve professional competency over an extended period of time after the completion of graduate-level training. In Korea, however, studies concerning counselor development are lacking. The purpose of this study is twofold. One is to introduce Western counselor developmental models and to critically review their contributions and limitations. The other is to discuss the necessity of developmental studies involving Korean youth counselors and to offer some suggestions for future research endeavors. In this article, the meaning and the implications of the developmental perspective in the area of counselor education and training are discussed. Some major Western counselor developmental models are described and their contributions and limitations are discussed. Also reviewed are a few studies which attempted to investigate developmental differences among Korean counselors. Finally, the necessity of research interest and endeavors to explore and understand the experiences and developmental paths of Korean youth counselors is discussed along with some suggestions for such research endeavors.