1. 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
Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

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

3. 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)

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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