Substance use disorders (SUDs) are highly stigmatized health conditions, exhibiting significant disparities in prevalence at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities (Eisenberg et al., 2022; Jones et al., 2021; Wakeman & Rich, 2018). This pervasive stigmatization represents a profound social injustice and public health crisis, necessitating attention within the counseling field (Muncan et al., 2020). This Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) study investigated counseling students' perceptions of people with SUDs and the influences of these attitudes and beliefs. Ten masters-level counseling students matriculated in one of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) programs participated in this study, wherein data were collected though demographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The research team reached consensus on six domains, 15 categories, and 38 subcategories through rigorous data analysis. The research findings were interpreted within the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework (Stangl et al., 2019) as well as Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Systems Theory. This study revealed the substantial impact of earlier life experiences on counseling students' attitudes and beliefs toward people with SUDs, and the remarkable influence of counseling programs in destigmatizing these perceptions. The implications of these findings are presented within the broader context of counselor education and supervision across diverse settings and specialties. The implications for social justice are presented alongside recommendations for future research within the counseling field, with the aim of advancing collective efforts toward addressing and destigmatizing SUDs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]