Developing Your Professional IdentityOverviewBecause few undergraduate programs offer courses in counseling, one of the areas in which new counselors and therapists struggle is that of developing a professional identity. This course has provided the basic ideas and practice exercises that you need to begin developing your own professional identify. The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to describe the role and function you envision for yourself as a counselor, to distinguish yourself from other helping professions, and to explain how you will find the resources to assist you in continuing to develop your capabilities. Take advantage of this opportunity to think through where you are headed, both in your program and in your career.While you are expected to support your ideas with evidence from the professional literature, it is understood that you are beginning a new professional journey, and there may be some areas in which research alone cannot determine your personal direction. Acknowledge any uncertainty in your personal direction and challenge yourself to express the reasons for that uncertainty.DirectionsOrganize your paper into the following five topic areas:Specialization within the field of counseling: State your specialization and explain how your role differs from counselors in other specializations. Take time to define, as specifically as possible, the areas in which you would like to focus your practice.Counseling philosophy: As a counselor/therapist-in-training, describe how you integrate the concepts of wellness, resilience, and prevention into your approach in your identified specialization. Dig deeper and explain the assumptions you are making that help you see a connection between counseling theory and your practice. Licensing and certification: Describe what you have learned about state licensure and certification requirements for your specialization and explain how your coursework plan aligns with these requirements. Identify any areas in which you have found a state requirement that you are not certain will be met by your coursework and describe how you will take action to resolve this uncertainty.Ongoing professional development: Compare and contrast two professional counseling associations and assess how these organizations can help you conceptualize your professional identity and assist you in continuing professional development. Be specific about your areas of interest and provide examples of ways in which these associations can assist you.Impact of technology: Evaluate how technology might affect your clinical specialization, including assisting you in creating more efficient formats to help your clients, as well as raising ethical questions for you. As in other areas of the paper, provide specific examples.Reflection on Interview and u02a1 – Preliminary Conceptualization of the Counseling Field- How has your impressions of the field changed over the course. Explore specific concepts, terms, or areas of professional disposition that you have gained insight in.In each case, support your ideas with evidence from professional literature, including the assigned articles and those you found related to professional identity, key philosophies, and technology within counseling. Include what you learned from your Internet research on state licensure or certification requirements.Given the personal focus of this paper, it is appropriate to write in the first person (using the words I, me, and my, for example).Review the scoring guide given in the resources to make sure you understand how this assignment will be graded.Other RequirementsYour paper must meet the following requirements:Resources: Cite and reference at least three resources from the professional literature that you use as the basis of the information and ideas you provide.APA formatting: Resources and citations must be formatted according to current APA style.Font and Font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.Length of Paper: Doing a thorough job on this assignment is likely to require approximately 4–5 typed, double-spaced pages.SafeAssign: Submit a draft of your assignment to SafeAssign for review of proper citations and references. Then make necessary revisions before submitting your assignment for grading. Refer to the SafeAssign resources for guidance in accessing your feedback from SafeAssign, interpreting your report, and improving your writing and citations for your assignment.Once the paper is finalized and all edits have been made, submit your assignment for grading. Use the following file naming format: Your_Name_AssignmentNumber_AssignmentTitle (example: Ima_Learner_u10a1_ProfessionalIdentity).
cf_u10a1_paper_template.docx
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Running head: [BRIEF VERSION OF THE TITLE, ALL CAPS]
Example Title: Unit 10: Developing Your Professional Identity
Learner Name
COURSE NUMBER – NAME
Instructor Name
Date
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[BRIEF VERSION OF THE TITLE, ALL CAPS]
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Developing your Professional Identity
Start writing your introduction here (1–2 paragraphs). An effective introduction prepares
the reader by identifying the purpose of the paper and providing the organization of the paper.
Please double-space and remember to indent all paragraphs throughout your paper (not block
form!). Given the personal focus of this paper, it is appropriate to write in the first person (using
the words I, me, and my, for example). Unless required for the specific assignment, please do not
include a Table of Contents, as it is not APA style. Review paper guidelines on page
requirements and number of sources required (if provided). Unless citing a classic work, aim to
cite research articles and texts published within the past five years. Please use headings
throughout your paper that are consistent with the paper’s scoring guide (that way you ensure
you are adequately addressing all required areas). Remember to double space between
sentences.
When you finish writing your paper, re-read it to check for errors and make sure your
ideas flow well. A helpful tip is to read your paper aloud to yourself. If it does not sound right
to your ear- it is not working on paper! Please submit your papers to SafeAssign (link in the
course) to check for plagiarism. Also, remember as a Capella learner you have FREE access
through Campus to personal tutoring services with Smarthinking.com. If you cite Web sites,
please refer to your APA manual for appropriate citations and references.
Differences in Two Counseling Specializations
In this section, explain how one’s role in a particular counseling specialization differs
from the role of counselors in other specializations, clearly defining one’s own focus in practice.
For example, if a learner is a MFT learner, how is that role different from that of an MHC
learner? The discussion should be a minimum of 3–5 sentences and should include at least one
citation from your readings, applied in APA style.
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Integration of Counseling Tenets with Specialization
In this section, explain how the concepts of wellness, resilience, and prevention can be
integrated into a counseling approach in a particular specialization, identifying the assumptions
that connect the theory to practice. Learners must have references to the literature and consider
how these tenets would apply in a specialization from the FAF or professional interview
conducted and knowledge attained as a result. The discussion should be a minimum of 3–5
sentences and should include at least one citation from your readings, applied in APA style.
Coursework Align With Licensure and Certification
In this section, explain how a coursework plan aligns with licensure and certification
requirements for a particular specialization in a particular state, identifying any areas in which
the alignment is uncertain. Consider the rationale for choosing your respective program,
certification requirements in one’s state, and how to see further guidance. The discussion should
be a minimum of 3–5 sentences and cite where this information was obtained.
Professional Identity
In this section, assess the potential contribution of two professional counseling
associations to one’s professional identity, providing examples of the areas of expertise needed
from each association. Review the association Web sites available and consider one’s own
specialization and what can be gained from participation in the associations. The discussion
should be a minimum of 3–5 sentences and Web site citations completed in APA style.
Professional Development
In this section, assesses the potential contribution of two professional associations to
one’s continuing professional development, identifying at least two areas of particular relevance
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and personal interest. Review the Web sites and consider relevance for your own professional
development and interest. The discussion should be a minimum of 3–5 sentences and Web sites
citations completed in APA style.
Impact of Technology on Clinical Specialization
Evaluates how technology might impact a particular clinical specialization, providing
example of both benefits and challenges. Consider literature regarding technology and personal
comfort level to address this as a clinician. The discussion should be a minimum of 3–5
sentences and should include at least one citation from your readings, applied in APA style.
Conclusion
Please provide a conclusion that summarizes the main ideas of your paper.
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References (example)
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Gladding, S. T., & Newsome, D. W. (2010). Clinical mental health counseling in community and
agency settings (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
NOTE:
Consult your APA manual for proper examples on citing and referencing APA style. The
Capella Writing Center also has helpful tutorials. Below is a list of common errors; please pay
particular attention to:
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Indenting.
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Use of upper and lower case.
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Italics.
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Use of double-spacing.
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Comma/period placement.
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