Professional Identity and Credential Paper Instructions

The purpose of the Professional Identity and Credential Paper is to:

• Articulate your understanding of the current trends in professional counselor identity and identifying your own professional development plan.
• Teach you how to access and use the Liberty University Online Library.
• Correctly identify scholarly sources appropriate for use in professional papers.
• Define plagiarism and demonstrate use of SafeAssign software in order to check your own papers for plagiarism throughout your program.

Be sure to review Steps 1 – 11, including the addition of the SafeAssign reflection page.

Step 1: Read the assigned textbook readings for this week.

Step 2: Access Jerry Falwell Library; retrieve and read one of the following articles:

Burns, S., & Cruikshanks, D. R. (2017). Evaluating independently licensed counselors’

articulation of professional identity using structural coding. The Professional Counselor,

7(2), 185-207.

Elliott, A., Bohecker, L., Elliott, G. M., Townsend, B. J., Johnson, V., Lopez, A., . . . Roach, K.

(2019). Interstate licensure portability: Logistics and barriers for professional

counselors. The Professional Counselor, 9(3), 252-266.

Lawson, G., Trepal, H.C, Lee, R. W., Kress, V. E. (2017). Advocating for educational standards in counselor licensure laws. Counselor Education and Supervision, 56, 162-176.

McKinney, R., West, E., Fye, M., Bradley, R., & Storlie, C.A. (2018). Chi Sigma Iota chapter

faculty advisors’ experiences of professional counselor identity. Journal of Counselor

Leadership and Advocacy, 5, 56-70.

Step 3: Listen to one of the following podcasts:

Shook, M. (Producer). (2017, February 8). What Makes a Counselor a Counselor? Professional Identity and Other Musings with Carl Sheperis [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from http://wp.me/p7R6fn-8u*The views in this podcast do not

necessarily reflect the views of Liberty University

Shook, M. (Producer). (2019, August 6). EP137: What On Earth Shall We Call Ourselves? Challenging the NCC/LPC/LMHC Acronym Soup with Donna Sheperis [Audio Podcast].

The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://thethoughtfulcounselor.com/?p=227330. *The views in this

podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Liberty University

Shook, M. (Producer). (2019, September 24). EP143: Developing a Professional Identity – A Reflection with Robyn Trippany Simmons, Meagan Thompson, and Hayley Rose [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://thethoughtfulcounselor.com/?p=227416. *The views in this podcast do not

necessarily reflect the views of Liberty University

Step 4: Write a reaction paper on the article. Your paper must be in current APA format (including running heads, a title page, abstract, and reference page). The abstract must provide a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the articles and podcast in 150–250 words. Note: the title page, abstract, and reference page do not contribute toward the page requirement.

Divide your paper into the following sections and headings:

• Summary – Synthesize and integrate the main points of the textbook readings, article, and podcast in 2 ½ -3 pages, using these subheadings:
• Professional Identity Development Plan– In ½-1 page, discuss the following:
• State Credential Plan – Copy and paste the chart which follows these instructions into your paper (be sure to include a page break) after the last section. Complete the plan according to your state’s counselor requirements
• Summary and Reactions to SafeAssign Report (*See Steps 8-11)

oThe importance of professional identity

oThe necessary components for professional identity

oThe challenges to professional identity

oWhat are your motivators to become a professional counselor?

oWhat will you do to establish your identity as a counselor?

oIdentify potential challenges that may present barriers to your success (academically, personally, or professionally) and name at least two strategies for how you will manage those barriers.

Step 5: Submit your paper via the SafeAssign draft link by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday of Module/Week 1.

Step 6: Wait until the link indicates that SafeAssign has analyzed your paper and prepared a report. If you are uncertain about this step, see the website on SafeAssign in the Reading & Study folder of Module/Week 1.

Step 7: Open the SafeAssign report. (Again, if you are uncertain, see the directions on using SafeAssign referenced above.) Evaluate the report. You will notice that SafeAssign often matches on headings, titles, and references. If you see matches on entire sentences or paragraphs that are not enclosed in direct quotation marks, then you have unintentionally plagiarized. You will need to go back and re-write those sections in your own words.

Step 8: Return to your original paper.

Step 9: Add a section on your paper entitled “Summary and Reactions to SafeAssign Report.” In this section, summarize the results of your SafeAssign report in 2-3 paragraphs. Then, interpret the report. What do your results indicate? Why? What are your reactions to the report?

Step 10: Save your paper as a Microsoft Word document using your name and assignment title (e.g., Doe_J_assignment_1).

Step 11: Submit the final paper using the second assignment link. This assignment will be submitted via Tevera. Please note that you will also upload it to the Blackboard classroom.

Submit your final assignment by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module/Week 1.

State and website:
What are the academic training requirements: (include the number of hours in program; specific course content/titles, and number of hours in practicum/internship)
What are requirements for post-master’s supervised clinical experience: (i.e., number of client contact hours, or MFT, number of relational hours); number of total hours; number of supervision hours; specific requirements of supervisor)
What examination(s) are required:
What is licensure title: (e.g., LPC, LCPC, LMHC, LMFT, etc. – please write out the full title as well as initials):
Is license tiered and if so, what are titles and requirements (e.g., LPC, LPC-S):
What is the scope of practice (i.e., what can and cannot be done by a licensed professional):
Identify two counseling organizations you wish to join.