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their their training and especially while engaging in in in in in their their their eld experiences serving clients that will foster their their their counselor identity process and also increase their their ability to to ethically practice ese relationships may include supervisors mentors colleagues peers counselor educators experts and even their own personal counseling Knowing that that developing professional counselor identity is is not something that that only occurs while you are a a a a a a a a CIT but is is a a a a a a a a lifelong process (Ronnestad and Skovholt 2003) may put one one at at ease It also reminds us that the same activities one one engages in in in in to to to form this identity will will mirror those one will will continue to to to engage engage in in in to to to strengthen that identity throughout his or her her career As such giving yourself permission to articulate where you you you currently stand in in in your your professional professional identity as a a a a a a CIT or or professional professional counselor to to others within the the profession profession allows you you to to to not only grow in your own self-awareness but also to to to be of of service in someone else’s growth process (Cureton et et al al 2019) One of of the greatest ways to to discover and cultivate one’s own professional counselor identity is to to to not only engage others to to to understand why they became professional counselors but to to to start serving within the the profession profession even while you are a a a a student not limiting oneself solely to one’s practicum and internship experiences In order
to discern how one aligns with the the profession profession and and cultivates their professional professional identity CITs
can get involved in in professional professional engagement and and advocacy activities that are congruent with their personal passions and interests (Prosek & Hurt 2014) Beyond the clinical arena this equates
to to getting involved in in in in in local outreach e e e e e e e e e e e e e e orts to to educate their communities in in in in in various areas of personal interest that would support one’s mental health wellness education and/or career success engaging in in consumer or or or or professional advocacy e e e e e e e e orts that support clients as as well as as the profession profession becoming involved in in in in legislative matters that directly impact the counseling profession and those it it serves partnering on on research projects writing articles becoming active in in in in in in counseling organizations presenting at at at at conferences participating in in in in in in accreditation processes tackling licensure portability issues teaching mentoring networking and and building bridges amongst mental health professionals and and even innovating new ways to to engage the profession profession of of of counseling In order
to to aid CITs
in in in in obtaining a a a a a a a way to to evaluate the the outward expression and development of of of their professional counselor identity Burkholder (2012) outlined a a a a number of of of re ective questions that can guide one in in in in in in thinking through how their professional training knowledge base personal attributes and preferred work environments
may come together in in authentic service to to to the the the counseling profession Ultimately one hopes to to to reach a a a a a a a a a place in in in in which the the natural expression of of self and and one’s calling overlaps with the the counseling profession so so excellently that studying and and practicing counseling feeds one’s soul in in in in in in a a a a a a a a way that that engaging solely in in in in in in another profession would not not (Adams & Doss 2011) While I I am am still in in in process as I I I I further develop my own professional counselor identity I I I I now feel like I I I I have have the the the tools necessary to to discover the the the unique contributions that I I I I have have been equipped to to o o o o o o o o o o er er to to the the counselor profession I I hope that you feel the same Dr Daphne L Blick Washington LCPC NCC ACS BC-TMH BCPCC
Fall 2019 20 CHI SIGMA IOTA EXEMPLAR