Introduction to the Special Issue on International Counseling

Counseling has had a long history of global expansion (Gerstein et al., 2009a), and, over the past decades, it has become a worldwide profession (Hodges, 2025). In its 2022 world mental health report, the World Health Organization acknowledged positive worldwide societal changes that have occurred over the past 20 years, including an increased understanding of mental health issues, the use of international frameworks for improving mental health, and the development of mental health guidelines and policies in many countries. However, the World Health Organization also discussed the high level of mental health concerns in all countries and the need for additional changes. One of their recommendations was to increase the number of culturally competent mental health workers who, ideally, “belong to the same community as the people served and adapt treatment to incorporate local cultural aspects and beliefs” (p. 133). Consequently, there is a strong need...