PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY PAPER INSTRUCTIONS

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to encourage critical thinking and reflection on your developing beliefs and identity regarding professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, or human services. This is both a reflection and professional paper so you need to include professional references for your assertions.

Instructions: Depending on your degree program, choose professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, or human services as your identity. Your paper should be 8-10 pages, (excluding abstract, title page, and reference page), written in current APA format, and include a title page, abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, and reference page. Your paper should be well thought out; demonstrate critical thinking, self-evaluation, and application; and should include at least 3 professional sources. Divide the body of your paper into the following sub-headings making sure to address all questions for each section:

Section I: Professional Counselor Role

• What is the role of the Professional Counselor (or Marriage and Family Therapist, or Human Services Worker) and how is it distinguished from other fields of counseling including social work, psychiatry, pastoral counseling, and psychology?

• How will the professional counseling you are going to be providing in the future differ from counseling you have provided in the past?

• What and/or who motivated you to choose counseling/marriage and family therapy/human services?

• What will you personally gain from counseling individuals, families, and/or groups?

• What does professionalism look like in the field of counseling? What professional behaviors, dress, and attitudes are associated with the profession of counseling? How will you exhibit professional behavior in your new career?

Section II: Religious/Spiritual Beliefs and Counseling

• What are some of the religious/spiritual beliefs you developed growing up?

• What are some of the beliefs you developed in terms of right and wrong behavior?

• Given your beliefs/values, what populations or presenting concerns in counseling might you have difficulty counseling? (Divorce,

pre-marital sex, same-sex relationships, etc.)

• How might you bring your beliefs to counseling without imposing them?

Section III: Course Experience and Summary

• What have you learned in this course about being a professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, or human services worker that you are going to take with you?

• Based on all you have learned about yourself this term, how well do the requirements, traits, and values for being a counselor fit with who you are and what you value?