Embracing Counsellor Professional Identity Work: Experiential Accounts of Transformation and Transition

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  • Kate Gignac Acadia University
  • Nicola Gazzola University of Ottawa

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Keywords##common.commaListSeparator##   counsellor identity##common.commaListSeparator## professional identity work##common.commaListSeparator## identity construction##common.commaListSeparator## professional regulation 

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This case study examines how counsellors navigate and negotiate the construction of their professional identity amid unfolding legislation set to regulate the helping professions. Ten counsellors—students, novice level, and experienced practitioners—were interviewed. The data were subject to analysis using a thematic network method designed by Attride- Stirling (2001) that resulted in five themes: (a) identity challenges and ensuing tensions, (b) facilitators of identity construction, (c) meaningfulness and sensemaking at the heart of identity work, (d) counsellors embracing their identity building, and (e) transmitting core elements and dimensionality of counsellor identity. Implications of the overall findings for counsellors and counsellor training are discussed.

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  • ##submission.authorWithAffiliation##

    Faculty of Education

    Professor (Part-Time)

    Kate Gignac recently completed a PhD in counselling at the University of Ottawa. Her research and practice interests include professional identity issues, fostering researcher-practitioner alliances, supervision training, and advancing counselling evaluation models. 

     

  • ##submission.authorWithAffiliation##

    Faculty of Education

    Professor (Assoc.)

    Nick Gazzola is a professor of counselling at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on professional issues for counsellors, including clinical supervision, therapist self-doubt, and professional identity. He is a licensed psychologist in the province of Quebec.

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2018-07-30

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##issue.vol## 52 ##issue.no## 3 (2018): Regular Issue

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Articles/ Articles

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Copyright is retained by the Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

##submission.howToCite##

Embracing Counsellor Professional Identity Work: Experiential Accounts of Transformation and Transition. (2018). Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 52(3). https://dev.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/rcc/article/view/61173