PROFESSIONAL IDENITY & DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1
Benchmark Professional Identity and Professional Identity Development Plan
COUC 500 – Orientation to Counselor Professional Identity and Function
Dr. Maranda Griffin
January 28th, 2023
PROFESSIONAL IDENITY & DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2
Abstract
For many students the journey to becoming a professional counselor does not start with the first
class of the formal education needed to meet the requirements of for licensure. Instead, it often
starts with a desire to help others based on their individual experiences, memories, crises,
success, and failures that everybody will most likely encounter as they grow. This paper
summarizes key points learned about the professional identity of counselors. It encompasses the
importance of professional identity, the necessary components for professional identity and the
challenges to professional identity. Also included is a small portion of the developmental plan I
have started to put into place in my own journey to developing and codifying my professional
identity.
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Summary
Graduate students who are also counselors in training have many tasks before them when
navigating a new career field. There is much more to becoming a licensed counselor than just
graduating from a master’s program at an accredited university. From the first classes taken a
student counselor in training must understand the relationship of counseling to the other
professions that make up the mental health field, the history of counseling as a profession, and
the requirements that are necessary not only to graduate, but also to obtain licensure in the state
the new professional wishes to practice. This can seem overwhelming at first. This paper seeks
to summarize what has been learned to this point about how crucial developing a professional
identity is, the necessary components for professional identity and the challenges to professional
identity.
The Importance of Professional Identity
Reading academic text, journals, and articles it becomes increasingly clear the
importance of making the initial strides to developing a strong professional identity in counseling
as early as possible. To develop a professional identity, it is important to know what counseling
is. The accepted definition by the American Counseling Association (ACA) is “Counseling is a
professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish
mental health, wellness, education, and career goals” (ACA, 2010, para. 2). Having a strong
professional identity allows the counselor “to educate the public, advocate for the profession,
advance the counseling field through research and scholarly activity, promote client welfare, and
advocate for the populations that counselors serve” (Simmons et al., 2020). A deep personal
identity by a counselor will also make their work a part of who they are and influence the way
they provide services their clients. Professional organizations joined, the edecational standards
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of the formal education programs choosen, the professions code of ethics, accepted standards of
practic, specific state requirements to get licensed, national examinations passed as we become
professional counselors will help define our professional identity. (Simmons et al., 2020).
The Necessary Components for Professional Identity
Professional identity for counselors evolves over the course of their careers. However,
the foundation usually begins during graduate level counseling formal education. The Council
for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) provides
accreditation to education programs that meet high standards set by the profession. CACREP’s
common core form the foundation for the professional identity of all counselors (Simmons et al.,
2020). These core areas as defined in section two of the 2016 CACREP standard are professional
counseling orientation and ethical practice, social and cultural diversity, human growth and
development, career development, counseling and helping relationships, group counseling and
group work, assessment and testing, and research and program evaluation (CACREP, 2016).
Once counselors in training move on from their education programs, get licensed, and
start practicing they will continue to develop and refine their professional identity. This is a
never ending evolution of how a counselor sees how they fit into the profession, service their
clients, contiue to learn and grow, network with other mental health professionals, and advocate
for clients and the counseling profession. A great tool to help a counselor articulate their
professional identitiy to others is by using the One-Minute Counselor Professional Identiy
Statement. This was introduced by Stephanie T. Burns (2017). The statement will allow
counselors to discuess seven key areas in appropriately 150 words (Burns, 2017).
Communicating using this method in a single statement ensures that counselors incorporates all
the major components of professional identity as established by counseling literature and the
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connections between them (Burns, 2017). It consists of seven steps which are listed in appendix
A.
The Challenges to Professional Identity
There are many challenges today for counselors who are trying to develop their
professional identity. These include multiple professional associations, varied requirements for
professional licensing and certifications, and no singular education standard (Simmons et al.,
2020). Also of great concern to many counselors are the barriers to license portability between
states. This is further complicated by the public using the term counselor in a non-clinical way
when it is used regarding other vocations such as financial counselor, camp counselor, lawyer
etc. (Simmons et al., 2020).
Even practicing counselors have trouble relaying their professional identity when
communicating to others about their occupational roles (Burns & Cruikshanks, 2017). This was
shown when over 54% of surveyed counseling students, licensed counselors, and counselor
educators did not use the word counselor or counseling once when discussing their occupational
roles (Burns & Cruikshanks, 2017). From this one piece of research alone it is clear why the
counseling profession is struggling to find a common national standard that puts it on par with
other professionals such as doctors, lawyers, psychiatrist, nurses, etc.
License portability is a barrier for all professional counselors who wish to relocate and
practice in a different state. This is due to each state having different standards, requirements,
and regulations that are governed by the laws and statutes of said state. These state license
differences can result in a financial stress, loss of income while waiting for licenses to be
processed in new states, having to get more formal education due to lack of semester hour
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requirements of master’s degrees, possibly having to get more unpaid supervision hours, taking
different exams, getting proof of prior experience and supervision hours (Elliott et al., 2019).
Professional Identity Development Plan
Text
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State Credential Plan
State and website: Georgia, https://sos.ga.gov/board-professional-counselors-
social-workers-and-marriage-family-therapists;
https://rules.sos.ga.gov/GAC/135-5
What are the academic
training requirements:
(Include the number of hours
in program; specific course
content/titles, and number of
hours in practicum/internship)
Master’s degree or higher from a CACREP or CORE
regionally accredited program in clinical counseling or
counseling psychology. Min 60 semester hours. With both a
practicum and supervised internship totaling minimum of 600
hours.
What are requirements for
post-master’s supervised
clinical experience:
(i.e., number of client contact
hours, or MFT, number of
relational hours); number of
total hours; number of
supervision hours; specific
requirements of supervisor)
Two years of clinical experience with 2000 hours of hours of
directed experience, 70 hours of supervision, supervision
must be completed by a supervisor who is a Licensed
Professional Counselor must hold either a National Board of
Certified Counselors (NBCC) Approved Clinical Supervisor
credential or a Licensed Professional Counselors Association
of Georgia (LPCAGA) Certified Professional Counselor
Supervisor credential [ CITATION Rul22 \l 1033 ]
What examination(s) are
required:
NCE or NCMHCE through NBCC
What is licensure title:
(e.g., LPC, LCPC, LMHC, LMFT,
etc. – please write out the full
title as well as initials):
Licensed Professional Counselor
Is license tiered and if so,
what are titles and
requirements (e.g., LPC, LPC-
S):
Associate Licensed Professional Counselor (Holding a
master’s degree who has met academic training requirements)
Licensed Professional Counselor (After post-graduate
experience is attained)
What is the scope of practice
(i.e., what can and cannot be
done by a licensed
professional):
"Professional counseling means that specialty which utilizes
counseling techniques based on principles, methods, and
procedures of counseling that assist people in identifying and
resolving personal, social, vocational, intrapersonal, and
interpersonal concerns; utilizes counseling and psychotherapy
to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and recommend a course of
treatment for emotional and mental problems and conditions,
whether cognitive, behavioral, or affective, provided that the
counselor shall have training and experience working with
people with mental illness, developmental disability, or
substance abuse; administers and interprets educational and
vocational assessment instruments and other tests which the
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State and website: Georgia, https://sos.ga.gov/board-professional-counselors-
social-workers-and-marriage-family-therapists;
https://rules.sos.ga.gov/GAC/135-5
professional counselor is qualified to employ by virtue of
education, training, and experience; utilizes information,
community resources, and goal setting for personal, social, or
vocational development; utilizes individual and group
techniques for facilitating problem solving, decision making,
and behavior change; utilizes functional assessment and
vocational planning and guidance for persons requesting
assistance in adjustment to a disability or disabling condition;
utilizes referral for persons who request counseling services;
performs service planning; and utilizes and interprets
counseling research” (Definitions, 2022)
Identify two counseling
organizations you wish to join.
American Counseling Association
International Association for Resilience and Trauma
Counseling
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Reflections on Turnitin Results
Text
Conclusion
Text
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References
American Counseling Association. (2010). . Consensus definition of counseling
https://www.counseling.org/about-us/about-aca/20-20-a-vision-for-the-future-of-
counseling
Burns, S. T. (2017). Crafting a One-Minute Counselor Professional Identity Statement. Journal
of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy, 4(1), 66-76.
https://doi.org/10.1080/2326716X.2017.1284623
Burns, S., & Cruikshanks, R. D. (2017). Evaluating Independently Licensed Counselors'
Articulation of Professional Identity Uning Structural Coding. The Professional
Counselor, 7(2), 185-207. https://doi.org/10.15241/sb.7.2.185
CACREP. (2016). 2016 CACREP Standards. Section 2: https://www.cacrep.org/section-2-
professional-counseling-identity/
Definitions. (2022). . https://advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?O.C.G.A. § 43-10A-3
pdmfid=1000516&crid=3370ba4c-cbf7-40a2-8657-
3667e3a043d8&nodeid=ABRAAVAACAAE&nodepath=%2FROOT%2FABR
%2FABRAAV%2FABRAAVAAC
%2FABRAAVAACAAE&level=4&haschildren=&populated=false&title=43-10A-
3.+Definitions.&indicator=tru
Elliott, A., Bohecker, L., Elliott, G. M., Townsend, B. J., Johnson, V., Lopez, A., Horn, E. D., &
Roach, K. (2019). Inerstate Licensure Portability: Logistics and Barriers for Professional
Counselors. The Professional Counselor, 9(3), 252-266.
https://doi.org/10.15241/ae.9.3.252
Offical Code of Georgia Annotated. (2022).
Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia. (2022). Requirements for Licensure. Chapter
135-5.
Simmons, R., Lilley, S., & Kuhnley, A. (2020). Introduction to Counseling: Integration of Faith,
Professional Identity, and Clinical Practice. Kendall Hunt.
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Appendix A (Burns S. T., 2017)
Seven Steps to Creating a One-Minute Counselor Professional Identity Statement
Step 1. Defining the Audience/Role – Describe the auience hearing the One-Minute Counselor
Professional Identity Statement and the counselor’s role (stated in the future if a student).
Step 2. Defning Who – Describe the counelor’s name and license(s)/certification(s) (stated in the
future if a student).
Step 3. Defining What – Decribe the counceling profession’s unique occupational role,
philosophy, and professional approach.
Step 4. Defining Who and Where – Decribe the counselor’s typical cliet(s) and the typical
geographic regions served (stated in the future if a student).
Step 5. Defning What – Describe the scope of practice by describing the types of servies the
counselor provides clients (stated in the future if a student).
Step 6. Defining Why – Describe why clients would seek out the counselor’s expertise. What
common client concerns are addressed by the counselor? (stated in the future if a student)
Step 7. Defining How by Establishing Credibility – Describe why clients should seek the
conselor’s services and why other professionals should refer clients to the counselor.
