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Excellence in in in the the the Field—Diversifying the the the Profession: How Identity Negotiation Gets in in in the the the Way
Fall 2019
Dr Nancy E Thacker Iota Delta Sigma Chapter
As a a a a a a a a a a counselor-in-training a a a a a a a a a a dear mentor once said to to to me: “It seems like you you wear a a a a a a a a a a mask What does it take to to to let yourself be seen?”
I did not know then that this moment would lead me me to examining how marginalized counseling professionals (CPs) negotiate
their personal identities in in e e e e e e e e e e e orts to form professional identity It was a a a a a a signi cant moment in in my my journey to integrate my my diverse personal attributes with professional skills (Gibson et al al al al al 2010) I a a a a a a a a a a bisexual/queer White Appalachian cisgender woman was becoming a a a a a a a professional counselor Some
of of my identities hold signi cant privilege while others are marginalized within our professional environments I was unsure how to to bring complete authenticity into my role without risking either personal validation or professional success As an emerging counselor educator I I remained similarly uncertain but I I I I discovered I I I was not alone I I I learned our eld continually seeks to diversify (ACA 2014 CACREP 2015 Kaplan & Gladding 2011) and professional identity is is our mechanism to embody inclusion and unite with diverse CPs CPs (Woo et et et al al al 2014) Yet marginalized CPs CPs (i e e e e e e e e e e e racial/ethnic minorities women and LGBTQ+ individuals) often encounter adversity as a a a a a a result of of their personal identities (Bryan 2018 Haskins et et al al 2013 2013 Shillingford et et al al 2013) Adversity can move CPs to to negotiate
or or or suppress aspects of personal self to to to secure validation mentorship and opportunities necessary to to to form a a a a a a a professional identity When this occurs their abilities to to genuinely integrate diverse personal attributes with professional skills are inhibited and collective diversi cation is consequently hindered (Haskins et et al al 2013 Woo et et al al 2014) I recognized my story could speak to to this presenting problem But revolution comes from from collective voice and action I sought stories from from eight marginalized counselor educators who identi ed ed ed as racial/ethnic minorities women or or or LGBTQ+ to to understand the means and contexts in in which identity negotiation occurs A narrative thematic analysis allowed me to co-construct a a a a a a a a a composite retelling of lived experience with my participants In sum we we discovered personal attributes were not the active agents in experiences of of negotiation Rather participants negotiated aspects of of their race gender and sexual orientation depending on on on on on on the the context they inhabited Negotiation and its impact on on on on on identity were ongoing as 37 CHI SIGMA IOTA EXEMPLAR