Publishing in Peer-Reviewed Journals: An Opportunity for Professional Counselors

Abstract

Publish or perish is a common edict strongly established in higher education. Faculty are expected to engage in scholarly activity such as presenting at conferences, conducting research, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals to ascend in rank and achieve tenure. Thus, publishing is often discussed as an endeavor of academics. However, publishing is not relegated to the ivory tower or to those employed in higher education settings. Authoring a manuscript and publishing can be a meaningful process for counselors and supervisors as well. A few authors have provided reasons why clinicians should publish (cf., Chookrakuttil, 2018; Marusic, 2003; Schein et al., 2000). Though these manuscripts were written and published for a medical readership, I see the content as applicable to professional counselors. In this editorial, I aim to provide a brief overview of reasons to publish for a readership of professional counselors. Contributing to the knowledge base of professional counseling is one reason a counselor may pursue publication. This contribution can be a manuscript that captures practice-based evidence or a uniquely integrated therapeutic approach with a particular client population. A counselor can also author a manuscript that challenges, critiques, compares, and assimilates knowledge which can lead to improvements in clinical care (Chookrakuttil, 2018). Second, a counselor could consider publishing as a meaningful form of communication within the counseling profession. Marusic (2003) contended knowledge connects by methods of communication and the greatest part of communication takes place with journals. In this form of professional communication, it is important to consider which voices are represented and not represented. Because editors can only publish from manuscripts submitted to a journal, published manuscripts become voices represented and heard through publication. The voices of those who have not authored or submitted manuscripts are indirectly excluded and absent from this form of communication. The voices of counselors and supervisors should be a part of this form of professional communication, but this does not occur if clinicians do not submit manuscripts for publication. Third, those in clinical practice have a responsibility (Chookrakuttil, 2018) and moral obligation (Schein et al., 2000) to share their knowledge with their peers. This responsibility also JOURNAL OF PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING: PRACTICE, THEORY & RESEARCH 2022, VOL. 49, NO. 2, 61–62 https://doi.org/10.1080/15566382.2022.2157595