Sowing professional identity among beginning counseling students A paper presentation at the Association for Specialists in Groupwork Convention – New York City, NY. January 30th, 2004. Kimberly K. Asner-Self Kasner@siu.edu Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Counselor Identity Development Pre-program Identified as a Helper and/or Wounded Exploration Integration Post-graduate, pre-full licensure.

Exploration Phases Counselor Education program Beginning Phase Intro classes (Foundations, Skills, Theories) Intermediate Phase Specialized exploration (group, school, couple and family, alcohol and drug, rehabilitation, professional membership Advanced Phase Application (Appraisal, Practicum, Internship, Thesis)

Counselor-in-training exploration -- characteristics Thinking is somewhat dualistic, student sees self as a student, not as a professional-in-training, often believes there is a “right” theory, helping profession and technique, philosophy, population, and style (Stoltenberg & Delworth, 1987) Exploration of self – history, values, environment, emotions, psyche, development, strengths, motivation Exploration of counseling profession – history, ethics, education, role, expectations, theory Exploration of helping as a broader conceptualization – avoiding professional identity foreclosure.

Homework Explained to the Class Use readings and homework as basis for class discussion, Designed to help you explore concepts and apply to self and others, Full credit if done thoughtfully and completely, partial if simply attended to, zero if not turned in, Not penalized for “wrong” answers, only effort level.

Homework Goals Self-Selection as a specialized helper Foster individual professional development by encouraging self-selection examining values and beliefs in a safe environment encouraging risk-taking through analysis and synthesis of theoretical viewpoints and integrating theoretical and personal awareness into nascent sense of professional development

Homework Goals (cont) Foster group professional development Facilitating a collaborative learning style Offering space and opportunity to develop more cognitively complex thinking (Duys & Hedstrom, 2000) Seed for future academic and professional development

Examples of Homework by Goal Goal 1: Self-selection Ethical case studies (2) Self-analysis as “helper” Family and cultural genogram Goal 2: Individual Professional Development All homework first done individually DSM-IV-TR Assignment (wellness/mental illness) Professional Licensure (education, requirements, professional ) Children’s Art (crisis intervention, suicide assessment, experiences of trauma, multiculturalism)

Examples of Homework by Goal Goal 3: Group Professional Development All homework discussed, processed by group Reinforce multiplicity of “correct responses,” intentionality, professionalism, support systems, resources, and networks. 6. Group dynamics Goal 4: Seeding for future exploration All homeworks throughout process