Professional Counselors: Defining a Unique Identity within the Profession as it Relates to the Role of Effective Professionals
Since the inception of the counseling profession, scholars, practicing counselors, and counseling students often wrestle with the difficulties of creating a professional identity among the human service occupation. There is a direct conflict between the roles of a professional counselor as it overlaps with that of other clinicians and the apparent lack of research that directly defines and identifies the unique position of a counselor. It is important both to the profession as a whole and to each individual counselor to discover and develop a sense of professional identity; the implications of which that will become beneficial clients as well (Hanna & Bemak, 1997).
In defining a professional identity, it is imperative that counselors understand and further advance the knowledge of key philosophies that clearly characterize the counseling occupation including wellness, resilience, and prevention. Resilience and prevention are two primary goals that professional counselors often wish to cultivate within their clients. Prevention is tantamount to healing and recovery and works with resilience in order to keep clients on an optimal path for a high quality of life; one that integrates a mind, body, and spiritual connection.
Moreover, wellness focuses on one’s general well-being. Counselors advocate a holistic examination or self-awareness and self-actualization for their clients, lending itself to the improvement of both basic and complicated functioning. It is theorized that wellness aids in providing foundational techniques for assessing clients, understanding their developmental counseling students often wrestle with the difficulties of creating a professional identity among the human service occupation. There is a direct conflict between the roles of a professional counselor as it overlaps with that of other clinicians and the apparent lack of research that directly defines and identifies the unique position of a counselor. It is important both to the profession
In defining a professional identity, it is imperative that counselors understand and further advance the knowledge of key philosophies that clearly characterize the counseling occupation including wellness, resilience, and prevention. Resilience and prevention are two primary goals that professional counselors often wish to cultivate within their clients. Prevention is tantamount to healing and recovery and works with resilience in order to keep clients on an optimal path for a high quality of life; one that integrates a mind, body, and spiritual connection.
Moreover, wellness focuses on one’s general well-being. Counselors advocate a holistic examination or self-awareness and self-actualization for their clients, lending itself to the improvement of both basic and complicated functioning. It is theorized that wellness aids in providing foundational techniques for assessing clients, understanding their developmental counseling students often wrestle with the difficulties of creating a professional identity among the human service occupation. There is a direct conflict between the roles of a professional counselor as it overlaps with that of other clinicians and the apparent lack of research that directly defines and identifies the unique position of a counselor. It is important both to the profession
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