An Emergent Theory of Gatekeeping Practices in Counselor Education

This article summarizes findings from a qualitative study involving 8 counselor educators who taught in master's programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Data analysis revealed an emergent theory of gatekeeping practices that includes 4 phases: preadmission, postadmission, remediation plan, and remediation outcome. The authors detail each phase and relate this process to counselor education. They outline implications of the findings for standards proposed by CACREP (2009) and American Counseling Association (2005) guidelines and offer suggestions for future research.