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A conceptual matrix for the development of professional identity as a counselor educator is presented as a method of promoting self-management for doctoral-level counselor education students. Seven areas of intentionality are discussed, suggested activities are provided in each category for a 4-year program period, and implications for current and aspiring counselor educators are presented. ********** A number of counselor education students enter the doctoral-level training program with some degree of professional experience. This professional experience may be in the counseling field, or it may be in another related field such as educator or community officer. In the transition from community professional to student to university professional, it is essential that counseling students maintain contact with the professional piece of their career identity (Johns, 1996). Furthermore, it is important that counselor educators, as well as students, understand the implications of the dynamics within these transformations (Skovholt & Ronnestad, 1995; Wilkins, 1997). Advisers to counseling students and other department members assist students who are transitioning toward the professorate. Too often these advisers rely solely on their own experiences or use literature from various noncounseling disciplines, because there is little literature in the counseling field regarding this transition process (Warnke, Bethany, & Hedstrom, 1999). Principally, counseling students are responsible for their own educational experience, and by actively monitoring and shaping their own journey, they will engage in self-management opportunities that will ultimately increase possibilities for success in the academy. Elements of self-efficacy theory illustrate this point. People are not merely ill-fated spectators to external events or internal psychological forces, but, rather, they are enthusiastic creators through self-reflection and self-regulation, as well as through goal articulation and plan development (Lent & Maddux, 1997). Entry-level students with professional experience possess a broad array of skills that they bring with them into the counselor education training program. These skills often include organization, time management, coordination, consultation, intervention, and a sense of professional identity that has fostered self-confidence. The decision to enter a counseling program often emerges from the desire to enhance both personal and professional growth. The self-empowerment and the motivation demonstrated in the decision to enter the advanced degree program may be minimized or repressed as the community professional assumes the student role. This minimization may occur when students enter a social context that triggers the releasing of personal power to authority figures. One example of this is when the decision-making stage of this process is initially relinquished to doctoral-level faculty (Warnke et al., 1999). The beginning of the graduate student experience may be especially trying for students. Research indicates greater attrition when expectations of the new student and faculty are mismatched (Hoskins & Goldberg, 2005), and it is typically in the early stages of the program that the student initially becomes aware of such expectations. It is also at the beginning of the program when a student is often faced with the challenge of new values and priorities (Kerlin, 1995). This challenge of aligning personal values with that of the academy may lead to a sense of losing oneself (Dryden & Feltham, 1994; Dryden & Thorne, 1991; Nyquist & Manning, 1999). Developing a strong social network may help alleviate some of this feeling of disconnection. Important variables for positive socialization include the degree to which the student feels competent, the degree to which the student understands what is expected (Hoskins & Goldberg, 2005), and the degree to which the student feels accepted and supported by peers and faculty (Bauer & Green, 1994; Hodgson & Simoni, 1995; Schlosser & Gelso, 2001). …

It is difficult to continue working in the area of social justice and equal rights for any length of time without a vision for the future that inspires hope and continued activism. Without a vision of a just and equitable future for all, it is also difficult, if not impossible, to successfully accomplish goals for social justice and freedom. Those of us who worked to prepare this special issue propose a vision of a just and equitable future and suggest that creating this vision needs to be a continued, collaborative effort engaged in by women and men of all races, cultures, classes, and orientations for the good of all and the survival of the planet. This vision was inspired by Patricia Lynn Reilly's (1999) woman-affirming book and poem Imagine a Woman in Love With Herself by bell hooks's (2000) thoughtful treatise Feminism is for Everybody, and by countless other works from the pioneering women and men who write and work in the area of women's human rights and social justice. We gratefully acknowledge their contributions and encourage all readers to actively imagine and create this vision of a just and equitable future. Imagine a Future Imagine a future in which all girls and boys are able and encouraged to form an identity free of sexist, racist, classist, ableist, and heterosexist prejudices and expectations; in which all girls and boys are equally supported to explore their emotional, relational, spiritual, cultural, intellectual, and vocational needs, talents, and capacities; and a future in which all girls and boys, women and men, feel safe and free from exploitation, violence, and victimization and are encouraged to thrive within environments of mutual respect and encouragement. Imagine a future in which all women and men are equally supported in their desires for meaningful, sustainable work and healthy relationships; in which all women and men are given equal opportunities to fulfill their vocational, relational, cultural, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional needs, talents, and capacities; and a future in which all women and men receive an equitable and livable wage for the work they do and in which paid or unpaid work with children and older adults is acknowledged and rewarded as vitally important to the sustainability of our future. Imagine a future in which parents consciously decide to have children and willingly share in the fulfillment of the responsibilities inherent in those choices and a future in which all children are parented with love, respect, and non-violent discipline--where parent and child relationships are free from verbal, physical, sexual, and emotional exploitation and abuse and where children are encouraged to make healthy choices and learn from the consequences of their choices. Imagine a future in which all women and men acknowledge the privileges that are awarded to them on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, and ability and strive to ameliorate those privileges by continuing to increase their understanding and to work diligently for the equal rights and just treatment of all. Imagine a future in which multiple and global views and perspectives are brought into decision-making processes and in which truly representative circles of participants take the time necessary to explore diverse perspectives and to provide a thoughtful and creative basis for making meaningful decisions that support, respect, and encourage the rights of all. Imagine a future in which the world is seen as an extension of our personal communities and resources are shared and distributed rather than coveted and confiscated, and a future in which we all become more aware of the choices we make and how those choices affect the lives and well-being of others around the world. Imagine a future in which our environment, the earth, air, water, and all of its creatures and resources are protected from exploitation and abuse, and in which sustainable and collaborative relationships are established that honor and acknowledge the life force in all sentient beings. …