Professional Identity of Counseling: A Template for Action

Abstract

Dialogue regarding the professional identity of professional counseling continues to increase and momentum continues to build around efforts to promote broader recognition of the counseling profession. This article outlines a template for action by which the profession may continue to move forward in its quest to be fully recognized as a viable force in mental health treatment. The authors recommend five methods to comprehensively promote professional counseling. These methods include: Capitalizing on faculty hiring practices to transmit professional identity, harnessing legislative strength, reconciling our humanistic roots, promoting title ownership, and conducting research that articulates the profession’s strengths.