Interview : Comparative Interview Paper Essay

As the standards of the counseling profession are continuously being shaped, I desire to play a role in the educating

For my In-Depth Interview paper, I chose to Interview my co-worker Senada Cufurovic whom I work with at Bank of the West. Senada finds herself culturally diverse as being from another country and culture. As long as I have known Senada from working with her for the past two years, I have never been able to get to know her background from where she came from until this opportunity to interview her came up.

*For the purpose of this assignment and to keep the privacy of participates, the interviewee will be addressed as such, or as Person A.

This paper will provide the reader with a reflection of my professional identity. This will focus on the role of a professional counselor and the differences between a professional counselor and other related professionals. It will also integrate how religious and spiritual beliefs can impact professional counseling. It will summarize my beliefs and values and what I plan to do so that I will not impose my beliefs on clients. Also, I will reflect on what I have learned during this course and how it will impact my future as a counselor.

CW is a 49-year-old female who lives in Kingston, PA. She currently lives with her husband and two children. She is employed as nurse at First Hospital, in Kingston, PA. CW recently began a new job in a different department of the hospital. CW expressed that throughout her adult life, raising her family is most important to her. She is focused on accomplishing her roles of being a wife, mother, nurse, and daughter. She likes to be social and meet new people. CW values her independence and finds every job that she is involved in to be important. She dislikes people who put other people down. Overall CW values her family and hard work ethic.

“Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education and career goals” (Kaplan, Tarvydas, & Gladding, 2014). This definition comes from the 20/20 consensus that set out to come to an inclusive definition of the counseling field. Coming up with a profession wide definition of counseling helps unify, and better advocate for legislative needs of the field. My professional identity as a counselor is helping individuals process their problems and help them become a more autonomous fully self-actualized person. Knowing that the person coming to you for counseling is the best expert on themselves. Allows for a strong therapeutic alliance and the best possible

S is a 59 year old African-American female born and raised in Anson County who has attended several institutes of higher learning. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Secretarial Administration from Barber-Scotia College, she later received special education teaching licensure from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Because of her love for learning, S has also taken online classes through the University of Phoenix. She has been a secondary special education teacher for three years and currently works with 8th graders at Anson Middle School.

Many people ask themselves throughout their working career, “what do I want to be when I grow up.” My answer has never wavered since writing a career research paper during my junior year of high school: to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. This career aspiration has been predominantly motivated my desire to help other individuals. Caring and the desire to help others, as well as my community, is the motivation behind my desire to enter this field. When thinking about the need for counselors I initially think back to times of loneliness I experienced when I was younger.

A definite and comprehensive professional identity is essential for counselors to understand their own identity as Licensed Professional Counselors and communicate this identity with other professionals and the public. The ability to understand and communicate this is particularly necessary for people with whom they interact with on a daily basis. A professional identity concerns both a personal and an organizational

The varying state licensure criteria can make it challenging to transfer licenses, but it is not an insurmountable obstacle. I possess all the essential resources needed to cultivate my professional identity as a counselor. Being a recipient of counseling services from a licensed professional counselor myself, with aspirations to enter the counseling field in the future, I hold a deep admiration and respect for this profession. The program's demanding and specific educational prerequisites have significantly contributed to this sentiment. Each aspect plays a role in shaping my professional identity as a counselor.

Counselors may struggle with forming their identity since it is a controversial topic in the field. It has become controversial due to counselors not being able to understand how to express their professional identity. Counselors may find themselves blending certain identities of similar fields and this may become confusing. When experiencing a professional journey it becomes a reflective process of what it means to be in the field of counseling. It is also important to consider professional identity from a multicultural perspective.

My grade level is 7.2 because I need to use another type of words. Also, because I need to read more.

Counseling has been a vital part of my life since childhood, guiding me through challenges and life transitions, and helping me become the person I am today. Now, I am excited to have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience to become a counselor myself. While my career aspirations have spanned various fields, from artist to teacher, I have found my definitive calling in the mental health field. I feel passionate that becoming a counselor is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the world while engaging in work that deeply resonates with me. Following my degree, I aspire to work as a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in children and adolescents, applying modalities including play therapy, expressive arts therapy,

The role of a counselor takes on many different forms, and it is a very important career, because it helps people make better life choices. The personal values we have, and also how we view the world, can help shape the type of counselor we will be. I will take a self-reflective view of what I hold dear, and also explain how my personal experiences have led me to chose a career in this particular helping profession. I will also describe the differences between the professional counseling, and other helping professions, such as social work for an example. I also will look at how accreditation, licensure, and certification, are important in defining what a counselor is, and does.

What do you consider to be your most important accomplishments on the job since your last review?