Navigating multisystemic issues: a qualitative exploration of school counsellors’ consultation experiences with immigrant parents

School counsellors play a vital role in fostering immigrant students’ development through consultation services. However, counsellors often face significant challenges in delivering these services to immigrant families. This study explored school counsellors’ experiences in their consultation roles, focusing on their challenges, competencies, and needs. A qualitative research methodology using a phenomenological approach was employed. Twelve school counsellors (nine females and three males) participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews containing six open-ended questions. The results yielded three overarching themes: complexity of addressing immigrant parents’ consultation needs, facilitating support resources, and school counsellor competencies and areas of need. The findings identify the multifaceted and multisystemic issues counsellors face, and counsellors’ assets and needs to provide better consultation services for immigrant families. The findings are discussed based on the literature and several implications are provided for school counsellors, administrators, communities, governmental institutions, and counsellor educators.