ABSTRACT
With an increased need for counselors across the country, there is a corresponding need to recruit and retain quality graduate students in counseling programs. Using bell hooks’ framework of beloved community, this conceptual article explores how to develop a sense of belonging in counselor education among students of diverse identities inside the classroom as well as in other aspects of program culture. Practical application strategies for classroom policies and procedures, advising, orientation, and broaching expectations and identities are discussed.