Academic Writing: Reflections from Successful Counselor Educators

Twelve counselor educators were interviewed to learn what developmental and educational experiences help counselors become successful writers. Qualitative analysis resulted in 4 themes that revealed the important role of certain personal qualities as well as the support of others. Recommendations for becoming a successful writer are provided. ********** Writing is an essential, and often creative, component of the work of counselor educators, who are required to publish as a part of their job requirements. Ramsey, Cavallaro, Kiselica, and Zila (2002) found that counseling faculty identified publishing journal articles and other written works as two of the three "most important activities for tenure and promotion decisions" (p. 47). Although limited attention has been given in the counseling literature to the writing process for either faculty or counseling practitioners, Morss and Murray (2001) noted, "It is 'absurd' not to study the real writing process of writers" (p. 36). Although writing is a developmental skill that individuals learn throughout their education, writing for publication is not the same as writing a case note or writing an assessment report. A review of the counseling literature revealed a variety of articles that addressed technical (e.g., grammar, organization of content, revising and editing) aspects of writing. For example, Kline and Farrell (2005) identified ways to avoid common problems found in manuscripts submitted to the journal Counselor Education and Supervision. Additionally, Brewer, Marmon, and McMahan-Landers (2004) provided suggestions for writing, including choice of topics, paragraph construction, and grammar. Others have written about format and stylistic concerns (Davis & Sink, 2001) and the use of reviewer feedback (Ashford, 1996; Ginter, 2003; Smaby & Crews, 1998; Smaby, Crews, & Downing, 1999). Niles, Akos, and Cutler (2001) supported the need for technical writing skills. They interviewed prominent counselor educators and found that participants emphasized the development of technical writing skills as important to their scholarly success. Nevertheless, Ashford (1996) cautioned that individuals who focus solely on the technical aspects of writing without attending to the process of writing might be less successful. She described the process of writing as including elements such as when and where authors choose to write, making time to write, determining with whom to write, and motivation. Each of these elements relates to humanistic concepts of choice, autonomy, and self-understanding. Ashford (1996), Henson (2001), and Ginter (2003) also discussed the importance of individuals identifying why they choose to write. Henson suggested that people often write to share their ideas with others or to gain a better understanding of a concept. Supporting this view, Ashford (1996) noted, I write because I want to say something: to create a message that is clear, pleasing to my ear, and meaningful to me and, I hope, to others. I write because I have an urge to create. I also write because my livelihood depends on it. (p. 119) Also important to the process of writing is identifying reasons why people are unable to write. In a survey of 50 contributors to a psychotherapy journal, participants reported the following obstacles: (a) personal apprehensions about writing, (b) problems with organizing and conceptualizing their ideas, and (c) limited resources to help with the writing process (Dies, 1993, p. 244). Numerous suggestions have been made regarding how to address common writing obstacles. For example, Salomone (1993) addressed writer's block, procrastination, and other common writing problems and offered advice for structuring the writing experience. Although the literature addresses the technical aspects of writing, little has been written about the process of writing, and individuals outside of the counseling profession wrote most of that. …