Professional Identity Paper

When most people think of substance abuse and addiction counseling they often only think of the 12 step program or alcoholics anonymous. The truth is that an addiction counselor must have a vast knowledge in the

Professional identity develops during the course of two to four years one devotes acquiring the master’s degree required for licensure as a professional counselor. Professional identity in general has been defined as “the possession of a core set of values, beliefs, and assumptions about the unique characteristics of one’s selected profession that differentiates it from other professions” (Weinrach, Thomas, & Chan, 2001, p. 168). A

Substance abuse counseling is the profession that I will be pursuing upon my completion of my educational requirements needed

Although professional standards were promoted throughout the 20th century in a wide range of settings (Centore & Milacci, 2008), it has only within the last quarter century or so that the counseling profession established a formal entity called the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in 1981 for this purpose (Adams, 2006). A year later, the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC) was established in 1982 to provide accreditation standards for counselor education as well as a method of assessing educational knowledge (Adams, 2006). In this regard, Juhnke (2009) reports that, "The NBCC was established through the American Counseling Association (ACA) in 1982. The reason for NBCC's original existence

A professional has specialized skills and knowledge that required independent learning and effort on their part to attain. They engage in a process of constant evaluation and improvement. A professional makes decisions based on their dedication to the craft and not the current circumstance.

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.

The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) is an organization of professionals who focus on addiction counseling. The NAADAC prides itself on four main roles: professional development, public engagement, professional services and to communicate its mission. The organization will aide in professional development by providing the most current education and training to ensure counselors are adopting the newest evidence based practices in their work (Tuohy, C., n.d. para. 2). NAADAC also provides mentorship and a career path, which are always essential for continued growth. While the NAADAC is directed towards addiction professionals; The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) supports school counselors. The ASCA also provides assistance in professional development as well as mentorship for its members. By providing annual conferences, webinars, specialist training to one-day workshops, the ASCA is committed to the professional development of its members (n.d. para 2). Both of these organizations provide publications that administer the latest knowledge regarding the organization and profession. Although a membership fee is required for both of these associations, the benefits make it well worth it.

Professional identity is the persona assumed by one who holds expertise or specialised knowledge (Dadich 2015). It can also be defined as morals, beliefs that an individual feel. Specific to nursing, professional identity is to provide quality care for patients and to ensure a safe environment for others. For the nursing profession, there are a set of guidelines, codes of conduct and codes of ethics nurses need to follow to ensure the best care is given and provided for others. There are three main agencies who nurses need to follow; these are the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and The National Safety and Quality Health Standards (NSQHS).

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is the division of the American Counseling Association (ACA) that supports the development of professional school counselors. It published the ASCA National Model (2012), which provides a framework for a comprehensive school counseling program that includes four quadrants: Foundation, Delivery, Management, and Accountability. The National Model also offers a detailed account of the role, function, and competencies of professional school counselors. It specifically addresses how the proper use of professional school counselors and implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program can enhance the education of the whole student at the elementary, middle, or high school level (ASCA,

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.

Broadly, identity is said to be a “self-concept,” or the progressive, cognitive portrayal that one usually holds of his or her self (Markus & Wurf, 1987). The research of identity and how identity is formed has been contemplated in lieu of multiple angles of a human experiences (Baxter, 2011). Professional Identity is a personal professional self- concept based on factors such as beliefs, attributes, values, motives, and experience (Ibarra, 1999; Schein, 1978). In any career it is important for an individual to have his or her own professional identity to be able to bring something to their profession. As a social worker professional identity is very important to be aware of, because when the worker is aware of his or her identity it can effect them as workers and how they improve, support, and work with their patients.

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.

Within this section, the responses from the four questionnaires returned will be shared and discussed. This is a small sample and all are based within one establishment so it is important to remember that the findings may only be applicable to this establishment and are not intended to be a generalisation or evidence about the development of professional identity in all schools.

For as long as I can recall people have been asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” the idea that our professional label defines us as individuals has been hardwired into our brains. More often than not I catch myself speaking about my job, don’t get me wrong I am passionate about what I do, but it is exactly that what I do, not who I am.

Counselor education programs (CEPs) prepare students to serve as competent clinicians who are capable of working with different populations (e.g., substance abuse or mental health) in an array of clinical settings (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2015). Many CEPs begin with focus on knowledge-based material and offer relevant course work to address identified areas of competencies such as ethics and multicultural sensitivity. CEPs then integrate the skills based component that has an emphasis on providing supervised practicum/internship experiences (CACREP, 2015). During practicum and internship, counselors-in-training, referred to here as supervisees, start the process of linking knowledge to skills by working clients with real clinical concerns.