Pathways to Allyship in Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology: A Model for White Ally Development

In pursuit of racial justice, there is a need to understand how to engage in anti-racist allyship to reduce potential harm as experienced by the most vulnerable members within academia. In this study, we utilized grounded theory methodology to create a model of allyship based on the definitions and experiences of BIPOC counselor education and counseling psychology faculty members. Participants included 12 faculty members who identified as BIPOC and who could identify traits of White allies through existing relationships and experiences. Participants represented diversity in racial identity and academic rank and were selected through theoretical, purposive, and convenience sampling methods. Through constant comparison of the data, we developed a model identifying contextual processes and components of White allyship. The model demonstrates generative and restrictive pathways for ongoing allyship across the domains of Humility, Engagement, Impact, and Positionality. Implications for counselor educators, counseling psychologists, and researchers are presented.