Objectives

  • Become familiar with some definitions of counselor identity from the counseling literature.
  • Get acquainted with common themes related to counselor identity, such as professional competence, professional community, and professional self.
  • Learn about Martin Heidegger's philosophical anthropology of the human person and how it can expand our understanding of counselors' professional identity.
  • Be introduced to the idea of professional competence as related to counselors' beliefs and attitudes, knowledge of the profession's history, and professional skill set.
  • Learn about the importance of belonging to a professional community and collaborating with other related helping professionals .
  • Understand the basic tenets of ethical behavior.
  • Integrate prior understanding with the knowledge acquired in this chapter.
  • Use  moral principles to conceptualize an ethical dilemma.
  • Identify an ethical dilemma within the context of an ethical decision-making model.