Professional Identity As A Professional Counselor

The purpose of this paper is to review my professional identity as a Marriage and Family Therapist and to reflect on my developing beliefs within my selection of the counseling profession. My professional identity is beginning to be developed throughout my education with Liberty University. I will address the Marriage and Family Therapist professional counselor role and how this position differs from social workers, clinical psychologists, and professional counselors. By reviewing the differences in counseling positions, I will be able to express the differences from my previous experiences with pastoral counseling, and outline what my

A strong professional identity allows individuals to establish a strong sense of self before assisting clients with their personal identity. It is important that we know who we are and what we have to offer the counseling profession. Having a strong professional identity allows counselors to emerge from school and go into the work setting with a sense of pride and confidence about their defining role in the counseling profession. If the professional identity is not developed early in the learning process, it leaves the identity to be established within the workplace. Having a strong professional identity communicates to others that you are competent and that your services are important. Better outcomes in the counseling process occur when the counselor is viewed as

The American Counseling Association website defines professional counseling as “a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.” As the counseling profession has grown and the demand has increased over the years there has been some confusion of what the difference is between counseling and psychotherapy. Sharf (2012) reports, often times

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

Professional identity has become a necessary concept to employees who are working in a health and human-serviced environment because it comprehends the image and perceptions of individuals that has based on the way she/ he performs a job or operates within their career field (Brott & Myers, 1999; Smith & Robinson, 1995). Therefore, in nursing occupation, professional identity is considered to be the most important concept that to prove their patients their skills and knowledge in their field. This essay further focuses on the precise definition of professional identity as well as nursing identity, the key industry and quality agencies and association that set standards, guidelines, and codes of practice in nursing and how industry and professional agencies monitor the quality of care and services in professional nursing.

Counseling is a tool that is widely used by many people. Merriam Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary defines counseling as advice and support that is given to people to help them deal with problems, and make important decisions. This paper examines the career of a Licensed Professional Counselor, the education requirements, certification and licensure levels or requirements, salary, and the future of this profession.

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.

On a bright and crisp morning of March 25, 2015, I interviewed Joni Roche and learned what a typical day was like for this Professional Counselor. Mrs. Roche has owned her own practice for nearly eighteen years and has truly loved every single part of it. Mrs. Roche has received a Master of the Arts degree and is a Licensed Profession Counselor and a Nationally Credited Counselor. During my interview with Mrs. Roche, I truly learned so many things from different counseling techniques, what it is like to have a private practice and the good and bad things counseling comes with that people do not necessarily speak about.

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

Dollarhide, C.T., Gibson, D.M., & Moss, J.M. (2010). Professional identity development: A grounded theory of transformational tasks of new counselors. Counselor Education & Supervision, 50.

Nuekrug, E. (2014). A Brief Orientation to Counseling, Professional Identity, History and Standards. Brooks/Cole Cenage Learning.

I am currently in my final year studying a Bachelor of Business majoring in Management and Logistics. I completed my high school education at a well respected school in Brisbane and received good grades, however, I was unsure of what career path I wanted to follow. I was accepted into a Bachelor of Business but deferred University to work as a retail assistant and travel. I decided to change my course of action and applied for a position for a Bachelor of Nursing. I was accepted and completed 1.5 years of the degree. However, as we run a family business, a dealer of new and used commercial trucks and trailers, my father encouraged me to transfer back into a Bachelor of Business to further my education as a business graduate. Once I transferred into the Bachelor of Business program, I commenced work as a Store Person in one of our warehouses. As I furthered my education and sustained unrelated injuries, which prevented me from working in the position, I was transferred into the Parts department to work as a Parts Administration Assistant. I soon moved down the Gold Coast and transferred from Nathan campus to Gold Coast campus to continue my studies. I commenced a new position as Online Store Coordinator and Marketing Assistant at our Yatala branch.

The beginning section of the book describes the challenges counselors face in dealing with clients. (1). Moving from Two Areas of Competence to Three (2). Blurred Personal-Professional Distinctions (3).Expanded Definitions of Training (4). Confronting Dominant Views of Mental Health (5). Establishing a Scientific Base (6). Defining Relevant Ethical Standards (McMinn, 2011). After mapping out the challenges facing interdisciplinary integration, McMinn first divides his renowned book into eight rewarding chapters including summary and reflection following each of them. He also uses vignettes in order to ask his readers”What if this Happens” scenarios (McMinn, 2011)

The field of family therapy, particularly the approach of systemic family therapy, is popular not only in the United States but also all across Europe. While this course was designed for future family therapists in the U.S., this paper tries to identify characteristics and differences of the profession’s European counterpart. Several noteworthy differences in degree and educational requirements were identified as well as the professional associations which are responsible for practitioners in Germany and Europe in general. However, it is important to state that the main principles of both the American and European family therapy profession are similar, if not identical, which illustrates the interconnectedness of professionals across the world. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to identify ways of developing a professional identity and promoting professional development throughout and beyond graduate studies in the field of family therapy.

Licensed professional counselors have a unique occupation in that not only do they interact with their clients on a highly personal level, but they also momentarily share their client’s burdens, worries, and concerns. This vicarious aspect of counseling creates the possibility for a counselor to continue sharing the client’s troubles long after the session has ended. According to Norcross and Guy (2007), “The person of the psychotherapist is inextricably intertwined with treatment success” (p. 2) meaning that if we desire more positive outcomes than negative ones we must figuratively become one with our clients. Due to this fact, “self-care is not simply a personal matter but also an ethical necessity, a moral imperative” (p. 6). If we fail to leave work at work at the day’s end, then other facets of our lives are in jeopardy of becoming tainted.