What will you do to establish your identity as a professional counselor?

BENCHMARK PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AND CREDENTIAL PAPER ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
The purpose of the Benchmark Professional Identity and Credential Paper Assignment 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.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Read the assigned required readings to date, and search the LU Library and/or professional counseling association websites (e.g., ACA and its divisions; your state’s professional counseling association) and review at least the course textbook and 2 articles that support your work in this paper.

Step 2: Write a 5–7 page paper following the sections below and supported by the information reviewed. Your paper must be in current APA format using professional guidelines (including running head, a title page, abstract, headings, and a reference page). The abstract must provide a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper 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:

• The Importance of Professional Identity (40 points) – in approximately 3 pages, discuss the following prompts supported by the course material and any additional research:
o The Necessary Components for Professional Identity
 Include at least 3 components that are necessary for professional counselor identity.

o Ethical Spiritual/Religious Integration as a Component of Professional Counseling Identity
 Include a brief descriiption of what is meant by the integration model, specific ways that professional counseling can be integrated with a Biblical worldview, and specifically how ACA Code of Ethics Code A.4.b guides professional counselors in ethical spiritual/religious integration.

o The Challenges to Professional Identity
 Describe at least 2 potential challenges that the field of professional counseling is experiencing related to professional counseling identity.

• Professional Identity Development Plan (20 points) – In approximately 1 page, discuss the following prompts:
o What are your motivators to become a professional counselor?

o What will you do to establish your identity as a professional counselor?

o Identify 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.

• State Credential Plan (15 points) – Review the state counseling licensing board’s website for the state you intend to seek licensure in following graduation: . Copy and paste the table below to complete the state credential plan according to your state’s counselor requirements as stated on the state’s board of counseling website:
(My state is Virginia)
Credential Paper Chart Template:
State:
Website for State’s Counseling Board:
Academic Requirements: Number of total hours in Master’s program.
Academic Requirements: Specific course content requirements (e.g., human growth and development, ethics, multicultural, etc).
Academic Requirements: Supervised clinical experience (i.e., fieldwork/practicum/internship): What are the total hours needed?
Does your state require additional coursework/hours than what is required to complete the LUO CMHC program? If so, what is needed?
POST MASTER’S Requirements: What are the total hours needed before applying for independent licensure?

POST MASTER’S Requirements: What licensure exam(s) are required?

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