Abstract
The field of psychology required multicultural training to prepare psychologists to work effectively with and adequately address the needs of diverse and minoritized populations. Considering globalization, the increase in international migration rates, the position of the United States on the world stage, and the anticipated shifts in U.S. demographics (Colby & Ortman, 2015), U.S. trained psychologists will increasingly engage with immigrant populations and other factors related to the international context in their various professional roles. It remains unclear, however, what training psychologists are receiving related to this content in their multicultural training. This study aimed to explore the presence of internationally related content of multicultural/diversity-focused course syllabi in U.S. based counseling psychology programs accredited by the American Psychological Association. Fifteen Directors of Training (DoTs) provided 23 syllabi from their programs and answered a brief questionnaire regarding multicultural training, immigration, and the international context. A content analysis of the syllabi revealed that internationally related content was present in every course but that this presence was highly variable across courses. Generally, internationally related content appeared most often in required readings and content specific to immigrants (i.e., immigrants and refugees), and immigration was present across several syllabi, but references to the international context were rare. Responses from DoTs also revealed variability in the inclusion and centrality of internationally related content across programs. The results displayed inconsistency surrounding internationally related content within multicultural courses and counseling psychology programs. Implications for future counseling psychologists in practice and research are discussed.