The Significance of a Professional Identity Formulation for School Counselors

(Jenlink, 2014, p. 196).

Introduction

Professional clarity has historically been a challenge for the school counseling profession. Despite the American School Counseling Association’s (ASCA) strong push to define our work and clarify our roles and responsibilities (e.g. ASCA’s National Model; ASCA’s Ethical Standards), the education world is often left with the question of “what exactly do school counselors do?”. I believe this is an important question and one that should be contracted between the school counselor and a school. We hold an array of skill sets that can be utilized in various forms throughout a school building and depending on the needs of the school, a counselor can function in different capacities. Putting aside the confusion of school counselors’ roles and responsibilities (what we do), I believe there is even greater need for school counselors to define their professional identity (who we are and how we do). It is that professional identity that will act as a roadmap for our roles and responsibilities, a means of helping us approach our students, families, and the community, a tool for formulating short- and long-term goals, and a way for the school community to know when they should turn to the school counselor.

When I think about professional identities, I am always taken back to my first day as a middle school counselor. I had just finished my master’s degree. I had countless hours of lectures, training, research, readings, and an internship – I thought I was ready. Immediately, I was asked to report to the orientation with hundreds of families; and unbeknownst to me, I was called up to the podium to talk about myself as the school counselor. I blanked. I didn’t know how to describe who I was or how I performed my role. To this day, I still don’t know what I said (it wasn't much) – but I know it was not my best moment. However, it did give me the opportunity to reflect. I questioned how I could be effectively utilized within the school building without a means to clarify, define, and explain my professional identity. It also called into question who I was at my professional core. As a new counselor, I had spent so much time learning about the profession, yet I paid little mind to carving out my own professional identity within the field. Today, I recognize the value of a professional identity and the need to formulate one as a new or seasoned professional.

This chapter will focus on the theoretical and practical components of a school counselor’s professional identity. We will dig through how and why there is significance in holding and implementing a professional identity. The objective is for a reader to end this chapter motivated to develop (or continue to develop) their own professional identity and gain an understanding of how it will support a school counselor intrapersonally and interpersonally.