"It's like he'll be there for you": Middle School African American Males' Stories of Effective Professional School Counselors

In this phenomenological study, a sample (5) of adolescent middle school African American males discuss the characteristics their professional school counselors demonstrated that made them feel supported and nurtured. Themes were generated from data in a larger study where participants articulated that effective school counselors were humane professionals who, among other things, made themselves available to students, and were knowledgeable about those students. Following the findings, recommendations for professional school counselor educators and pre-service school counseling students are provided. The manuscript concludes with the limitations of this study and suggestions for future research. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]