Professional Counselors Identity

Events That Have Influenced The Development of Professional Counselors Identity

The specific events that went on to impact the development of professional counselors identity took place over the span of two years. Kaplan and Gladding (2011) authored a monograph that outlined the future of counseling. This monograph, coupled with a review of counseling trends data, went on to inspire a collective of counseling professionals that worked to produce a comprehensive strategic plan titled the Future of Counseling: The 20/20 Principles for Unifying and Strengthening the Profession (Kaplan & Gladding, 2011). This document, and collaboration amongst counseling organizations and professionals, became important because of its ability to unify the
Aristotle first identified wellness as someone who does not overindulge; while health and wellness were later approached as the body and mind being separate entities. Fortunately, health and wellness went on to be viewed in a more holistic way with the physical, mental, and social state of a person being developed by the counselor; with the concepts of spirituality and the terms, prevention and resiliency, being added later in time (Mellin, Hunt, Nichols, 2011; Meyers and Sweeney, 2008). Overall, the evolution in these key philosophies maintain a consistent approach: it is the belief that the counselor’s role is to provide guidance; all philosophies have maintained a belief in methods that can either prevent dysfunction or there are methods that can be used to assist the client in moving back toward wellness, thereby believing in the resiliency of the individual (Meyers and Sweeney, 2008; Rak and Patterson,
The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) was established in order to accommodate this growing population. In 1977, AMHCA held their first annual conference. During another conference held the same year, the organization held several competency-based workshops and discussed issues concerning licensure, third-party payments, how counselors should treat special populations in the settings they found themselves working within (William, 1985). The AMHCA went on to establish the “Blueprint for the Mental Health Counseling Profession” in order to provide direction in this growing field. As AMHCA continued to grow in membership, the association was able to institute certification for counselors; publications that included a newspaper and journal; and a history of strong leadership that increased the association’s visibility (William, 1985). Finally, the 1990’s ushered in a major influence amongst the many counseling associations due to mental health counselor’s unique skills and approach, overall contributions and impact on clients’ mental health and well