Coming to the United States from Romania—from a continent that has experienced important economic and social transformations after the historical movements in 1989–1990—is a big challenge for me, as a person, as a counselor, and as a counselor educator. In my part of the world, countries are changing their shape, social systems are breaking down, and people are forced to learn new ways to adjust to completely different lifestyles. The situation is more dramatic in the former communist countries (where I am from), where a centralized economic and social system has been transformed into an economic system based on free trade and private property.

Learning about counseling and working with professionals and educators in the field here has made me clarify some things related to the Romanian counseling professionalization process. It is as if now I have the big picture instead of focusing on small aspects.

Coming here was also an opportunity for me to start thinking and acting globally. I learned that along with focusing on a specific goal (like a good, but isolated master’s program in counseling), a long-term innovation might be creating a European (and international) network involving the available institutional and human resources, for exchanging experiences, students, professors, literature, and so on.

I realize now that beyond the necessary financial support, what Romania (and some other southeastern European countries) need in terms of developing the counseling profession is learning from other advanced countries’ experiences. Importing expertise is not enough and can be harmful, when trying to place that expertise in another culture, with different values and traditions. Instead, adapting public policies, standards, ethics, and strategies for enhancing the counseling profession can be the key for successful development. Educational programs, university exchanges, seminars, workshops, and other educational events can be organized. It was this idea that inspired me to organize the first international career counseling conference in Romania, which will take place in May. A special GCDF¹ day will be arranged—with a panel discussion involving specialists from Romania, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany, and China.

Being among the professionals here at NBCC is an opportunity of a lifetime. I have been fortunate to witness great changes such as the growth of NBCC International, the implementation of the IVC (International Vanguard of Counsellors) Web page, and the expansion of the NBCC and NBCC International programs around the world. I have also had the chance to learn more about practical aspects of the counseling process and of counselor education from top professionals.

I am grateful to the counseling community here, both counselors and counselor educators; they are warm, open, and ready to help. Many of them have donated books for Romania, which is an important thing for a country that has just begun creating its own literature in the field.

I am ready to go back to Romania and start advocating for a national counseling credential in a country where the status of the counseling specialist is not well defined. I strongly believe now that a Romanian Counseling Association can help the profession grow, and I want to help create one. I also plan to redesign the career counseling master’s program, which I designed two years ago, to meet international standards in the field and especially to introduce a concept not yet in practice in Romania: a supervised internship for future counseling professionals.

It has been wonderful to work for NBCC at a time when the internationalization wave has sparked changes in policies and mentalities. It is a rare moment and a unique learning experience for me.