Work-Life Balance for New Counselor Educators: Recommendations From Experienced Counselor Educators

Transitioning from a doctoral program into a full-time counselor education position can be challenging. With multiple and competing professional demands that include teaching, research, supervision, and service, new counselor educators may struggle with adopting their new professional roles and competing personal responsibilities. The literature on work-life balance (WLB) focuses on the experiences of counselor educators on defining and obtaining WLB; however recommendations for future professionals in achieving WLB is not presently available. This qualitative study explored the transcription reflections of 27 counselor educators regarding their recommendations for new professionals in achieving WLB. For this study, WLB is the ability to manage both personal and professional responsibilities while maintaining life satisfaction. Participants addressed three major themes: challenges, strategies utilized, and recommendations for future professionals. Subthemes included time management, conflict, other people’s expectations of productivity, professional strategies, personal strategies, individual strategies, professional recommendations, personal recommendations, and individual recommendations. The themes obtained from this study are relevant for WLB research, academia, and new professionals. Recommendations for administrators and counselor educators are included.