| Graduate students consistently report mental health concerns at higher rates than the general public (Evans et al., 2018; Levecque et al., 2017; Satinsky et al., 2021). This risk may be further exacerbated for students in helping professions due to the inherent challenges they encounter upon beginning clinical work (Rønnestad & Skovholt, 2003; Rosenthal et al., 2021; Rummell, 2015). Despite these risk factors, there remains little research examining the impact of academic training processes on counselor-in-training (CIT) mental health. Using the grounded theory procedures outlined by Corbin and Strauss (2015), this study proposes a model to explain the process of CITs with mental health concerns successfully completing practicum. This model provides insight into the difficulties that contributed to participants’ mental health concerns during early clinical training experiences, as well as the supportive factors that helped them to be successful despite these concerns. By understanding the mental health of CITs at the start of clinical training, educators and supervisors will be better equipped to support students in moving through this process and fulfill their ethical obligations to promote social justice and monitor for and prevent CIT impairment (American Counseling Association, 2014). |