Professional Identity Paper
The Professional Identity of a Counselor-in-Training
COUN5004
The Professional Identity of a Counselor-in-Training
What is professional identity? Is it the philosophies that a professional holds regarding their profession? Is it the roles and characteristics that are required in a listing of their job description? Or is it related to the resources available for a working professional to continually develop their skills within their profession? Professional identity is all of these things. According to Healy and Hays (2010):
Professional identity is the result of a developmental process that facilitates individuals to reach an understanding of their profession in conjunction with their own self-concept, enabling them to articulate their role, philosophy, and approach to others within and outside of their chosen field (paragraph 1).
As a professional-in-training develops and puts into practice the philosophies, roles, and characteristics of their profession, along with seeking out the opportunities and resources to progress the understanding of their career, an identity will emerge and grow. This identity will help to define them as a working professional. Counseling philosophies guide the professional counselor to help his or her client make the best decisions in life. These philosophies can be termed as wellness, resilience, and prevention. According to Sweeney (2008, paragraph 3), “Professional counselors seek to encourage wellness, a positive state of well-being, through developmental, preventive, and wellness-enhancing interventions.” Resilience and development are very closely tied to each other because when an intervention is not working as planned, the counselor needs to be resilient with the client as well as seek out a new way of helping them grow toward physical, mental, and social wellness. The philosophy of prevention in counseling is knowing when to intervene when the client is heading down a path that leads away from wellness.
COUN5004
The Professional Identity of a Counselor-in-Training
What is professional identity? Is it the philosophies that a professional holds regarding their profession? Is it the roles and characteristics that are required in a listing of their job description? Or is it related to the resources available for a working professional to continually develop their skills within their profession? Professional identity is all of these things. According to Healy and Hays (2010):
Professional identity is the result of a developmental process that facilitates individuals to reach an understanding of their profession in conjunction with their own self-concept, enabling them to articulate their role, philosophy, and approach to others within and outside of their chosen field (paragraph 1).
As a professional-in-training develops and puts into practice the philosophies, roles, and characteristics of their profession, along with seeking out the opportunities and resources to progress the understanding of their career, an identity will emerge and grow. This identity will help to define them as a working professional. Counseling philosophies guide the professional counselor to help his or her client make the best decisions in life. These philosophies can be termed as wellness, resilience, and prevention. According to Sweeney (2008, paragraph 3), “Professional counselors seek to encourage wellness, a positive state of well-being, through developmental, preventive, and wellness-enhancing interventions.” Resilience and development are very closely tied to each other because when an intervention is not working as planned, the counselor needs to be resilient with the client as well as seek out a new way of helping them grow toward physical, mental, and social wellness. The philosophy of prevention in counseling is knowing when to intervene when the client is heading down a path that leads away from wellness.
References: American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (2014). Professional Development. Retrieved from http://schoolcounselor.org/ Chan, F., Chronister, J., Catalana, D., Chase, A., Eun-Jeong, L. (2004). Foundations of Rehabilitation Counseling. Directions of Rehabilitation Counseling, 15,1-11. Retrieved from https://wcmdemo7.sfsu.edu/sites/wcmdemo7.sfsu.edu.counseling/files/Foundations%20of%20Rehabilitation%20Counseling.pdf Goss, S., & Anthony, K. (2009). Developments in the Use of Technology in Counseling and Psychotherapy. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37, 3, 223–230. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu/ehost/detail?sid=14577397-2463-461c-9ad5-1c6e04d72a64%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=103&bdata=JnNp dGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=43388322 Healey, A. L., & Hays, D. G. (2010, June). Defining counseling professional identity from a gendered perspective: Role conflict and development. Manuscript submitted for review. Retrieved from http://www.shsu.edu/piic/DefiningCounselingProfessionalIdentityfromaGenderedPerspecti- ve.htm House, R. M., & Hayes, R. L. (2002, April). School Counselors: Becoming Key Players in School Reform. Professional School Counseling, 5. Retrieved from http://www.biomedsearch.com/article/School-counselors-becoming-key-players/86059885.html Krauskopf, C. J., Thoreson, R. W., & McAleer, C. A. (1973). Counseling psychology: The who, what, and where of our profession. Journal Of Counseling Psychology, 20, 370-374. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=5cf36666-0a56-4692-830c-748983002b6f%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4112&bdata=JnNpdG U9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=psyh&AN=1974-03246-001 NAADAC. (2013). Professional Development. Retrieved from http://www.naadac.org/professionaldevelopment OSPI, State of Washington. (2014). Certification To Apply for a Residency ESA Certificate. Retrieved from http://www.k12.wa.us/certification/ESA/Residency.aspx Sweeney, T. J. (2008). Wellness Counseling: The Evidence Base for Practice. Journal of Counseling & Development, 482-493. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/219029297?accountid=27965