Rate My Professor Elif Balin

Elif Balin is an Associate Professor of Counseling in the Department of Counseling at San Francisco State University, where she serves as the Coordinator for the Career Counseling specialization. She earned a B.A. from Boğaziçi University in Turkey, an M.S. in Psychological Counseling and Guidance from Middle East Technical University, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision with a graduate minor in Women’s Studies from Pennsylvania State University. Before her academic career in the United States, Balin worked as a school counselor and educator in K-12 public, military, and private international schools in Turkey. She also held professional certification training and experience in career counseling there. Upon moving to the U.S. in 2008, she served as a full-time career counselor and instructor at Penn State Career Services, teaching courses including Effective Career Decision Making, Counseling Skills and Process, and Introduction to Women’s Studies. Subsequently, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Services and Leadership at Rowan University from 2015 to 2016 before joining San Francisco State University in 2016.

Balin’s academic interests center on career development among international students and recent immigrants, multicultural and international competencies of college career services centers, and curricular innovation in career counseling through experiential learning. She employs transnational feminist, narrative, and strengths-based approaches to connect mental health and work experiences. Her scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed publications such as “An exploration of cultural competence in career services with international students” (2024), “Who seeks career counselling? A prospective study of personality and career variables among Swiss adolescents” (with A. Hirschi, 2010), “Working with International Students in the U.S. and Beyond: A Summary of Survey Research by NCDA International Student Services Committee” (2016), and “University Career Services Centers in Turkey: A sequential mixed-method study” (2021). Balin has earned the NCDA Presidential Recognition Award (2023), Excellence in Scholarship Award from San Francisco State University’s College of Health and Social Sciences (2022), and Professional Service and Leadership Award from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (2021). She has provided leadership as co-founding chair of the NCDA International Student Services Committee (2013-2015), current leader of its Research and Writing Team, chair of the ACES International Student and Faculty Interest Network, and board member of the California Career Development Association.