Clinical supervisors’ ethical and professional identity behaviors with postgraduate supervisees seeking independent licensure

Daniel R Cruikshanks,Stephanie T Burns,Peter Walla

doi:10.1080/23311908.2017.1373422

Daniel R Cruikshanks, Stephanie T Burns + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2017.1373422

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Abstract

AbstractIn addition to state laws, the counseling profession’s code of ethics and training standards stipulate that counselors clearly uphold ethical standards and identify with a distinct professional counselor identity. We investigated 411 postgraduate counseling supervisees’ experiences with ethical and professional identity development during supervision in the US The results of the survey indicated that supervisors do not directly and consistently pass a professional counselor identity to the supervisee. However, supervision encompassed ethical considerations. Study results are not a reflection of nor the sole responsibility of supervisors. The counseling profession must also assume responsibility for these outcomes and better support counseling supervisors in passing a counselor professional identity from the supervisor to the supervisee. Additional research could determine how to support supervisors in passing a counselor professional identity to the supervisee during supervision.

Highlights

States in the US require post-degree supervision for graduates of counseling programs to secure an independent counseling license, develop a counselor professional identity, and promote ethical practice (Barnes, 2004; Britton, Goodman, & Rak, 2002; Pearson, 2000)
About half of supervisees reported supervisors were very clear in their language about their professional identity and that in discussions of cases and professional issues articulated the distinctive approach that counselors would take when working with the client’s concern
The academy, state counseling licensure boards, and professional counseling organizations have focused on counselor professional identity for decades in (Burns & Cruikshanks, 2017)

Summary

Introduction

States in the US require post-degree supervision for graduates of counseling programs to secure an independent counseling license, develop a counselor professional identity, and promote ethical practice (Barnes, 2004; Britton, Goodman, & Rak, 2002; Pearson, 2000). The American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics (2014) and Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2015) 2016 Standards require that counselors meet ethical as well as professional identity development guidelines during training and after graduation. These requirements exist because counselors without a strong professional counselor identity gravitate toward other mental health professional identities and struggle to identify what distinguishes the unique roles and responsibilities of professional counselors (Hansen, 2003). Mellin, Hunt, and Nichols (2011) found counselors across subspecialties naturally defined the profession of counseling as distinct from other mental health professions by being grounded in a developmental, preventive, and wellness orientation Out of all the literature published on the composition of the unique philosophy of the profession of counseling, Healey and Hays (2012) most succinctly define it as focusing on normal human development, prevention, wellness, advocacy, and empowerment. Mellin, Hunt, and Nichols (2011) found counselors across subspecialties naturally defined the profession of counseling as distinct from other mental health professions by being grounded in a developmental, preventive, and wellness orientation

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