Topics 5, 6, & 7: Professional Identity, Experiencing CBT Self-Reflection, & Ethical Considerations {by 7/10}
Based on the readings due this week consider the following discussion point: (1) When you hear the words “professional identity,” what comes to mind? Is this something you have ever thought about before? Who/what has most influenced your professional identity development? (2) What technique/exercise from Bennett-Levy et al. (2015) provided you the most insight about yourself as a person or therapist (please only share information within your range of comfort; if it helps, focus on process rather than content)? Explain. (3) Based on Table 2.2, what best ethical practice do you think is the most challenging to uphold (either for yourself or other professionals)? Explain.
Your original post should be posted by the beginning of class 7/10. Post your two replies no later than 7/12. *Please remember to click the “reply” button when posting a reply. This makes it easier for the reader to follow the blog postings.
***We will hold off on Non-Therapy Duties for next class (7/17) (along with what therapists don’t talk about).
Dr. Adam M Volungis 
Jul 08, 2025 @ 23:27:00
Question 1
To me, professional identity means the person who you in your career. The person that you are at work at times may not align with your identity as a friend, family member, etc. all the time – even if we work in a field that does align with our personal identity. For example, as a clinician our professional identity may vary from the person we show up as to our friends and families due to the boundaries we have with our clients. I had begun to think about my professional identity in college when working as a lead in a retail store for merchandising. I was the face at my store for several things and needed to think about how I would present myself/who I was working wise. Although that job is completely unrelated to clinical work, developing my professional identity early supported me in developing
it to what it is now and in my current workplace as a case manager and soon to be clinician. Having a supervisor at my first job (my general manager) that emphasized professional identity and how you present yourself at work helped me with this so much. I started at that job at 16 with severe social anxiety and worked my way up to a leadership role within 2 years due to her support. Although I left that job 3 years ago to go into behavioral health, having that growth so early has afforded me so many opportunities in my current job which I am very thankful for. Since then, having a supervisor who helps develop/cultivate a professional identity has been important to me.
Question 2
Of the Bennett-Levy Modules, I found Module 4 regarding Identifying Unhelpful Thinking & Behavior to be the most helpful. As a perfectionist, I hold a great deal of NATs and have found using techniques such as downward arrow and thought records helpful since being in this program. This has also supported me in using these tools with clients.
Something helpful that I found that I have not utilized yet is selective attention and maintenance cycles. The reflection question I found the most thought-provoking was “Think about your current caseload and bring to mind one of the clients with whom you are having the most difficulty. How might the maintenance cycles you have identified in yourself have an effect on your attitude and/or behavior with this particular client” (Bennett Levy et al., 2015, 118). This made me think about the example I utilized for my maintenance cycle and how it may impact work with clients. Knowing this information, I can work toward reframing my maintenance cycle and being more aware of it in sessions.
Question 3
Of the ethical practices listed on Table 2.2 (Volungis, 2022), I believe one practice that may be difficult for some providers is working beyond areas of expertise. This is especially if working in settings where the clinician has less control over the clients on their caseload. For example, working in
residential, school, or hospital settings. With long waitlists and limited resources in these settings, it can be more challenging to refer to a different clinician either by choice or organization policies.
Side Note – I am looking for a partner for the presentation.😊 I am open to doing any topic but am most interested in 1) Government Agencies, 2) Doctoral Programs, 3) Inpatient Settings. My email is Rachel.marsh@assumption.edu if interested in working together🙂
References
Bennett-Levy, J. Thwaites, R., Haarhoff, B., & Perry H. (2015). Experiencing CBT from the
inside out: A self-practice/self-reflection workbook for therapists. Guilford.
Volungis, A. M. (2022). Becoming a Mental Health Counselor: A Guide to Career
Development and Professional Identity. Rowman & Littlefield.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 14:09:54
Hi Rachel,
Great post! For question #2, although I did not pick this one, I definitely agree – I think for both ourselves and our clients this can be one of the most useful tools to help break the cycle of unhelpful thinking/behaviors. This is a critical, needed step for awareness of ourselves and the world around us. Once we are able to help clients understand errors in their thinking, it becomes easier to implement changes or reach levels of acceptance needed to improve.
Jul 13, 2025 @ 15:07:09
Hey Rachel,
I totally agree with your answer for prompt #3. I think that in settings where productivity is pushed and where resources are slim, it is easy for clinicians to be assigned clients with multiple diagnoses that they may not be fully competent to work with. I think this is a downfall of the mental health field, particularly community mental health. Typically, clients receive this care at a much lower cost or for free because they need these services. In order to address this issue, community mental health centers should have access to specialized clinicians with proper training, or appropriate specialty care should be provided elsewhere at an affordable cost.
Jul 09, 2025 @ 13:18:56
1 ) Two things come to mind when I hear “professional identity”. The first is the clinician’s theoretical orientation. Their orientation is core to how they practice and should inform most aspects of treatment. The second thing that comes to mind is adherence to ethical guidelines. Ethics is the foundation of practice, even more so than theoretical orientation. Before all else, a clinician should be adhering to ethical codes and guidelines. Unfortunately, not every clinician operates ethically, with many cutting corners. Ethics is a key element of what sets different clinicians apart. I haven’t ever considered my professional identity explicitly but I have thought about the elements which build it (i.e., ethics).
I think what has influenced my professional identity most so far has been this program and the people in it. CBT is the foundation of this program and is in every course we take. Compared to other more eclectic programs, we have been taught to think like cognitive behavioral therapists since day one. Building one’s professional identity is something that occurs over a lifetime, but I feel we’ve gotten a head start here. Something I’ve appreciated about the format of this program is that you have classes with mostly the same people each semester, allowing you to get very close to one another. During internship especially, it was nice to have classmates at all different placements sharing their knowledge and holding each other accountable to be the best therapists we can be.
2 ) I found the most insight from module 5, using cognitive techniques to modify unhelpful thinking and behavior. I tend to catastrophize so modifying my thoughts is something that I’ve gotten very good at, however, I haven’t spent much time looking at the underlying patterns behind those thoughts and why they persist. It was interesting making a formulation for myself instead of a client for a change. When looking at maintaining factors, I found (unsurprisingly) that my avoidance behaviors have been a strong reinforcer.
3 ) Among the listed best ethical practices, I think that utilizing evidence based practices is one that’s challenging for many to uphold. Many of the clinicians I have worked with were either only doing talk therapy or using practices like EFT tapping with their clients. I feel this also bleeds into issues with informed consent. When therapists use methods that aren’t evidence based without disclosing it to the client or when they falsely claim it is effective, the client is unable to weigh the risks and benefits of treatment, preventing them from providing informed consent.
For me personally, the thorough documentation practice is most difficult. When I first started my internship, I wasn’t given much guidance on what documentation needed to be completed and felt very lost trying to keep up with all of it. I developed a checklist to keep me on track, writing down the various pieces of documentation we needed, when they were last completed, and how frequently they need to be redone.
Jul 12, 2025 @ 16:40:58
Hi Meghan,
Thank you for sharing a thoughtful reflection. I appreciate your acknowledgment of how much our graduate training program has shaped your developing identity, and I feel the same way. Being part of a CBT-focused program provides a strong foundation, and I appreciate how you acknowledge that identity formation is a lifelong process. I also agree with you that we are fortunate to have a strong starting point.
Concerning best practices, your mention of non-evidence-based techniques being utilized without informed consent is an important point. I completely agree with you that when clinicians present specific methods as effective without disclosing their limitations, it undermines the client’s autonomy. I believe informed consent is not just paperwork, but it is an ethical stance of transparency and respect. Thank you for a great post!
Jul 09, 2025 @ 13:36:51
Upon hearing the term “professional identity,” I tend to most associate it with competence, status, experience, and educational background. This is a concept that I have given a lot of thought to, especially in how it pertains to my own development as an up-and-coming mental health counselor. Building and developing my professional identity has been a process that I have been undergoing ever since I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in mental health; as early as my freshman year of undergrad. Now that I am nearing the end of my graduate studies, my professional identity is much more developed and “fledged out” than ever before. My overall experience in and knowledge of the clinical field is extensive and I have had many opportunities over the last year to apply what I have learned in practical settings. I owe a lot of the credit to my professors and peers at Assumption University, as well as my clinical supervisor at my internship site. I am confident that my professional identity will continue to evolve as I begin to work towards licensure and beyond.
In regards to the Bennett-Levy Modules, I found Module 4 (Identifying Unhelpful Thinking and Behavior) to be the most insightful. During my internship, I often found myself internalizing every aspect of my clients’ reactions, tones, or overall engagement in session as a reflection of my ability to provide quality therapy. As such, I was more prone to ruminating on aspects of sessions that I felt could have gone better, especially if my clients presented as especially slow to warm up or hesitant to engage. I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on these situations and reminding myself not to take how my clients present personally, but this is something that I anticipate I will need to continue to be mindful of as I continue my career. If not attended to or managed properly, this is undoubtedly something that could lead to increased feelings of burnout.
Demonstrating caution with social media is a particularly relevant ethical practice in this day and age that is imperative for counselors to adhere to. While I myself do not anticipate that I will encounter too many obstacles in regards to my social media presence, since I am a fairly private person in general, I know that this is definitely something that I should be aware of as my status as a mental health counselor becomes a more central component of my identity in general. Solely having a LinkedIn account or other professional social media presence will likely be what my social media usage evolves into as I get older and more enmeshed in my identity as a mental health counselor. Being cautious about one’s social media presence is an ethical practice that can relate to many of the others that were listed on Table 2.2 as well, such as being cautious with self-disclosure, understanding multiple relationships, and protecting confidentiality.
Jul 09, 2025 @ 21:31:25
Lindsey, I totally agree with what you said about professional identity! I think we owe so much of our current professional identity to our professors, each other, and those we work with, which is honestly a beautiful thing! I feel like in our time at Assumption one thing that has been stressed on numerous occasions is that we should always remain willing to learn from others and seek consultation when it comes to our cases. It truly is how we will continue to develop our professional identities, our areas of expertise and our craft overall. It has been a pleasure to watch all of us grow throughout this program!
Also, I resonated with your commentary on the Bennet-Levy modules. I have found myself doing the same after sessions that may have not met my own anticipations or with some of my on-call crisis responses that did not result in perfect resolution. I think for all of us it is important to remember what is within our power as clinicians and the fact that we are working with individuals who contribute a great deal to the dynamics within, and the success of, their own therapy. Sometimes these variables are extraneous and we cannot always adjust for them, but what we can do is focus on the roots of what we have learned and support our clients the best we can.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 14:02:25
Hi Lindsey,
Thank you for your thoughtful post! I like how you broke down professional identity, it is definitely a combination of these things nor is it simple. Like you said, I think it is something we have all been considering for some time as we navigate what we want for our future careers. On a separate note, I also shared demonstrating caution with social media for one of the most challenging ethics to uphold and I enjoyed your unique perspective on this – we must be incredibly mindful of self-disclosures and protecting confidentiality.
Jul 11, 2025 @ 15:25:09
Hi Lindsey,
I agree that Social media can be a great tool to for connection and advocacy, especially in trying to market yourself in the future. But it can definitely open doors of concern regarding ethical issues if not careful. Social media can actually self-disclosure information about yourself that clients/coworkers can later find that could actually raise concern. I know that this is something that I need to be mindful as I am someone who is interested in doing social media in the future. I think it just a helpful reminder to be intentional about how we use it and ensure that we do aligns with ethical standards in protection for yourself and clients.
Jul 14, 2025 @ 13:53:31
Hi Lindsey,
I appreciate your thoughts on social media today and how that can be en ethical concern as counselors. I too have considered how my social media can impact my career, and believe that in society today this is an important aspect to take into consideration. I have always been a user of many social media platforms and think that reflecting on this further will be helpful for me also
Jul 09, 2025 @ 21:24:31
(1) When I hear the words “professional identity”, I see this as the way in which we define ourselves as clinicians, outside of our own personal lives, and specific to our work experience. I do believe that professional identity can be influenced by personal values, but it is specifically the way in which we think about ourselves in relation to our work and what we believe we contribute to the field. This goes beyond your list of work experience and your curriculum vitae, and integrates our own beliefs about the work we do, how we do it and the meaning made from the experience. I feel like my personal professional identity has been influenced greatly by the clients I have worked with and the theoretical backgrounds provided to us through our academic training. I have interpreted many experiences working with cases through a trauma informed lens and I have found a great deal of satisfaction in implementing interventions in treatment that improve trauma symptoms for my clients. I find that my professional identity continues to be shaped by my experiences with my clients and I find that even the smallest “wins” with clients fuel my desire to continue learning more and specialize my training.
(2) The techniques that I found especially helpful in the Bennett-Levy handbook were the strategies for Identifying specific problems, utilizing a Visual Analogue Scale and developing a list of strengths of my own that I go back to when I am experiencing or interacting with my specific problems. I find that when I am overwhelmed with situations or am experiencing distress with the work, my first thoughts are not always complete thoughts about the problem at hand, but a general cognition of “this is too much” or “this is overwhelming, I am stressed”. I found that defining the problems more specifically as prescribed by Bennett-Levy, that this is a good practice to have most of the time when dealing with a stressor, as it allows us to mentally problem solve and center back in on my own strengths that are specific to the situation. One area that I found to be a reflective moment for me was being prompted to consider safety behaviors. Obviously this is something we do frequently with clients, by for myself, Identifying safety behaviors is challenging. For me, because of my desire to hold on to safety behaviors for a sense of security, I find myself being overly communicative with my supervisor or coworkers, and when I take the time to really reflect on this, I find that part of why I do this is a way of protecting myself, attempt to shield myself from scrutiny later on (whether that is a realistic appraisal is TBD) and to make it so that I am not the only one sitting with my intense information that is overwhelming me. While this is important to do in our field, rely on others for supervision and support, I find that sometimes I jump to this before allowing myself to sit in the discomfort of situations. Utilizing the strategies in the Bennett-Levy handbook allowed me to reflect on this.
(3) Specific to my current role and position as a mental health service that is paid for by DCF and their funding sources, I have personally struggled with the ethical practice of ensuring avoidance of abandonment. In the table, abandonment is described as when counselors inappropriately end counseling and do not give the client enough time to find a new counselor and time to process the ending of the therapeutic relationship (Volungis 2022). With my service I provide right now, the funding is discussed in utilization reviews, and sometimes, despite preparation with strong clinical reasoning for extending the service, the funders will decide a discharge date that we may not agree with. This has happened to me and has placed me in a position of feeling like I did not do my ethical duty, but needed to abide by the process as stated by my agency. I think for many of us, working within an agency that has strict policies on termination following no shows, or for other reasons, we may deal with this ethical dilemma.
Jul 12, 2025 @ 13:58:35
Hey Maura,
As someone who has never thought about professional identity too much, and went on a ideological tirage about how individual character is essential to professional identity, I really appreciated your definition and reasoning. What really spoke to me was the “meaning made from the experience,” that’s a bar. Counting the small “wins” and maintaining that desire to continue learning is powerful and really does speak to your professional identity, in the best way possible.
As for struggling with ensuring avoidance of abandonment … that’s a tough one. I really feel for all counselors and folks working in your specific area and having to deal with funding cuts that lead to premature discharge. Obviously, it is not your fault for the bureaucratic decisions that lead to these unfortunate terminations, but it sucks nonetheless.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 03:46:41
1 ) When I hear “professional identity” I think “What? I don’t know.” I can’t say that this is something I’ve ever thought about too much prior to our readings. Outside the context of our reading, I would say its an extension of someone’s personal identity within a professional space. The level of dedication one allocates towards their personal pursuits and goals, their work ethic and integrity, as well as their commitment towards being responsible and what their values are, all speak to an individual’s character, and to be more precise – their identity. In other words, it is hard for me to understand someone’s “professional identity,” without having some idea of what kind of person they are beyond their professional accreditation. Just because you take a tractor onto a racetrack, it doesn’t make it a race car. Now, I understand this question is getting at something more concrete, but my personal interpretation still stands. How someone pursues their educational pursuits, licensure, and experiences dictating their scope of practice, influences their “professional identity.” Yes, the degree someone holds, their experience, their ethical infractions or lack thereof ideally, all speak to their professional identity, but it is still their content of character that informs me best of their identity. However, we rarely get to know that much about anyone, so I guess I would primarily focus on licensure credentials, areas of expertise, graduate program, and modality of therapy for “professional identity.” I would say the two biggest factors that have influenced my professional identity would be my professor’s professional experiences and personal takes on our field, along with my internship experience. Both factors have led to me reflecting on what kind of counselor I want to be, and what kind of work I want to do. In sessions I would remind myself of the lessons my professors have tried to impart on me – like don’t be a crappy therapist with no treatment plan. And in class, I would reflect on my cases when the lecture material reflected something relevant to my internship.
2 ) The module that stood out the most for me and had me reflecting the most was Module 3 – Using Behavioral Activation to Change Patterns of Behavior. I think it provided the most insight because it reminded me of how much I struggle with behavioral activation, which has informed me of my approach in using it with clients. Monitoring behavior and then working towards changing it can be hard work, and like I said, this is something I’ve struggled with, so whenever I’ve had clients struggle with it as well, I’ve felt empathetic to their struggle. In those particular cases something that I’ve done with my clients, and ironically not with myself, is really take the time to identify what’s making adherence to the homework difficult and getting in the way of modifying their behavior. More often than not, breaking down activities and behaviors into smaller and more manageable steps has helped the most. Exploring difficulties and gaining further insight on the avoidance of necessary or pleasurable activities has also helped and strengthen our therapeutic bond, as their struggles are often shared.
3 ) I’m going to have to go with “Only Practice in Area of Expertise.” It’s not like there aren’t challenges with some of the other best ethical practices but given how busy a lot of community health centers are and how big the demand for mental health professionals is in general, I imagine this would be the more difficult ethical practice to uphold for a lot of professionals. I think large caseloads, limited resources, and a desire to help those in need, can result in professionals venturing beyond their areas of expertise. Additionally, limited training and relying on “the same old” assessments and interventions, or sticking to an organizations “preferred” style of treatment, all can contribute to professionals not upholding this ethical practice, which I have witnessed.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 10:31:34
Jul 10, 2025 @ 11:23:25
Discussion for 7/10
When thinking about the terminology, ‘professional identity’, the first thought that comes to mind is how an individual presents themselves both in and out of the workplace. A professional identity reflects the individual’s ability to demonstrate their competency in their field as well as their overall drive and passion for their work. I suppose I have thought about my own professional identity briefly, as I am still navigating what exactly I would like said identity to look like. I have held many different positions in which I was forced to quickly create a professional identity at a young age and to be honest my lack of experience and maturity really hindered my ability to do so adequately. It was my observation of my supervisor at my internship that really helped me understand what it means to have a professional identity, without minimizing one’s own identity. While we must maintain boundaries and a professional manner with our clients, it is also important to still include aspects of our original selves in these interactions, may that be through humor, creativity, or just basic interests. I hope to take this new found knowledge and use it to my full advantage in developing myself into becoming the professional clinician I would like to be.
Out of all the modules presented by Bennett-Levy, I found that module five “utilizing cognitive techniques to modify unhelpful thought patterns and behavior” to be the most helpful. I have a bad habit of allowing my own cognitive distortions to get in the way of many aspects of my life, work and school included. As a result I have found that my avoidance of stressful activities (such as homework assignments and training for work) often lead to an increased state of dread and anxiety as I still have the responsibility of completing these activities and end up creating a smaller window of time in which I can complete them.
After looking at the table of best ethical practices, one I believe that may be difficult to uphold would be only practicing in areas of expertise. I think that this ethical practice sounds a lot more simple than it is, in that we all say “well of course I am only going to practice in areas that I know well”, but there are many different factors that could impact their ability to do so. I personally reflect back to a client at Devereux with a clear cut diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and how the clinician assigned to the client at the time did not have any training in DBT but took the client on anyways and attempted to engage them in “Devereux DBT”, which is not a real thing obviously and as I’m sure many of you can guess, did not benefit the client in anyway whatsoever. This clinician was unaware of what true DBT programs entail, the extensive work, and necessary availability outside a typical 9-5 on the therapists end; it was honestly a really bad look. We assume that we will not stray away from evidence based treatment that we excel in, but I think it is really easy to want to try and work with a client even if we may not have the experience needed to provide them the best level of care.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 12:34:14
When I think of professional identity, I think of competence, humility, confidence, and experience. I started thinking more about professional identity when I started my internship. I thought a lot about what type of therapist I wanted to be and how therapists and fellow interns at my internship placement conducted themselves and what positive qualities they exhibited. I also saw how these qualities impacted the rest of the office and contributed to a professional and positive atmosphere. Additionally, there are a few professors here that have influenced my professional identity development. They’ve challenged me and helped prepare me for both my internship and for my next job after graduation.
I found module 3, identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior, to be the most insightful. I think this module highlighted how it can be easy as a clinician to help our clients identify their cognitive distortions, assumptions, and unhelpful behaviors. However, it can be difficult for us to practice what we preach. Additionally, I found the exercise, my selective attention, to be really helpful for reflecting on my time at my internship placement.
I think the most challenging best ethical practice to uphold would be “only practice in area of expertise”. Specifically, I could see this being difficult to do when we are first starting out and need experience. In order to get to the point of having areas of expertise, we need to get a significant amount of experience. As the table mentioned though, supervision would be necessary. This may also be difficult in areas where available therapists are limited. Ultimately, it would depend on a case by case basis.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 12:55:26
Hi Alyson,
I couldn’t agree more with how you said it can be difficult for clinicians to practice what they preach and apply some of the techniques they use with clients on themselves. This serves as a great reminder of how we as clinicians should take plenty of time throughout the day, whether that be at work in between sessions or at the end of each day, to be mindful of how we’re feeling and do whatever necessary to mitigate some of our unhelpful thoughts that may be contributing to any negative feelings as best as possible. The notion that we can’t effectively advocate for others until we ourselves are properly accounted for is especially true in our line of work, and I myself am a firm believer in ensuring that I am “good to go” before I’m ready to dedicate myself to my clients’ needs.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 12:39:49
1. Generally, professional identity refers to how people perceive themselves in their professional roles, encompassing their values, skills, ethics, and other characteristics within their respective fields. In the realm of counseling, professional identity comes to mind as how a counselor or clinician defines themselves in connection with their work, guided by the ethics, core values, and roles of the profession. For example, the counselor often commits to adhering to confidentiality, respecting clients, advocating for clients, utilizing evidence-based practices, continually learning through supervision, and attending professional organizations.
Previously, I learned about professional identity when I studied the course “Social Science Profession” at the BA level. However, I have thought about it more profoundly when I have opportunities to study in this program and participate in internships as part of a master’s program.
Regarding professional identity development, I am mostly influenced by all past and current professors whom I have had the opportunity to learn from, and the graduate training program. These people and experiences have helped me discover more about the meaning and values of professional identity development as a mental health clinician.
2. I found Module 5, “Using Cognitive Techniques to Modify Unhelpful Thinking and Behavior,” to be the most insightful about myself as a person and a therapist. Whenever I have unhelpful thoughts, I often try to use cognitive techniques to modify them and consider what I could think or do that would be more helpful, rather than focusing on myself or my issues. This helps me gain lessons and experiences in life rather than lose them. As a future therapist, this module reminds me of the importance of using cognitive restructuring techniques, as even minor adjustments in thought patterns can lead to meaningful changes in behaviors and emotional states for clients. It helps them not to focus on the things that hold them back by using cognitive techniques.
3. As a clinician, I think “Only practice in the area of expertise” may be the most challenging for other professionals to uphold, since therapists can be pressured between their internal desire to help and work with clients on issues for which they are not fully trained. It may be hard to know what to do when professionals are in situations where clinicians are asked to have multiple roles, especially for those in the early stages of their careers. Therefore, it is essential to cultivate self-awareness, assess our competence, seek supervision, and commit to lifelong learning.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 12:49:37
Hi Han,
I found it interesting that you mentioned only practicing within areas of expertise as the most challenging for other professionals to uphold. You brought up a perspective that I hadn’t considered when I was reading the chapter; specifically that some clinicians may feel pressured to see certain cases through that require interventions that are beyond their training. It can be difficult to recognize when additional supervision or trainings are necessary, so your emphasis on dedicating oneself to lifelong learning is well-put.
Jul 12, 2025 @ 21:39:34
Hi Han,
I can certainly relate with my professors and other colleagues having an impact on my professional identity. I had one professor in undergrad that really impacted not only what I wanted to do with my career but also how I viewed the mental health field and finding my why to working in this area. She really allowed me to embrace my values leading me to where I am now.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 12:53:32
1- Some things that come to my mind hearing “professional identity”. 1st I think of how our own ethics, values as well as theoretical approaches all converge into how we show up as clinicians. I believe it’s more than just a “role”. This is to me more like a steadily evolving identity which will guide our decision-making as well as our boundaries. I began to shape my own identity professionally a while before I began graduate school while working in a crisis setting and running a gym. Both these settings taught me how to structure when under pressure and also how to show up for others with perseverance and honesty. However, through this graduate program, particularly my internship and my supervision I feel it started to refine what kind of therapist that I want to be. Being a single dad has certainly influenced this as well as showing me how important it is to be compassionate, as well as having boundaries and being available and intentional.
2- From Bennet Levy et al (2015) module 4 identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior gave me the most insight. The idea of “maintenance cycles“ really stood out to me. It stood out because it really helped me to examine how my perfectionism and responsibility patterns in my own life can subtlety impact my own therapeutic presence. For example, if I was to over identify with a client who was struggling or I was to feel like I have to “fix“ things too quickly. This could create undue pressure in the room, even if it is unspoken it would show up in other subtle ways. Going through the module really helped me to take a step back and assess not just what I’m thinking, but how these thoughts could show up behaviorally to others.
3- In table 2.2 of Volungis (2022) of the best practices ethically one that I saw as especially challenging in particular for newer professionals is to work beyond your areas of expertise. I think this comes up actually a lot in settings in both the real world like in residential treatment or even school based counseling where higher caseloads as well as limited referrals can actually end up leading to pushing clinicians to see clients that are outside of their training or area of expertise. I’ve actually witnessed this first hand when I was at CHL for my internship and it’s not because of negligence. It seemed like it was more about systemic pressure. Saying that knowing our limits, I believe is definitely part of keeping ethical integrity which is something we must uphold. This is where consulting with others, ongoing training, and supervision really becomes safeguards against this. Having a strong professional identity in my opinion includes showing humility and knowing when to pause and just ask someone like a supervisor or another colleague for help. A second practice that I really find important is utilizing evidence based practices. As Dr. V’s book outlines clients have their own right to treatments that are backed by research and we are ethically bound as therapists to stay updated on the research. However, in some settings, I’ve noticed clinicians seem to rely more on rapport or “talk therapy” even when clients would benefit from a more structured style using practices like CBT, ERP, or ACT. I believe there’s a BIG risk if a therapist drifts too far away from evidence-based practices, even if it is well intentioned. To me that means continuing to study/keeping up on research, getting feedback, and tracking client outcomes in a way that holds you accountable.
Jul 12, 2025 @ 16:16:31
Hi William,
Thank you so much for sharing a thoughtful reflection. I really appreciate how you described professional identity as more than just a role, but rather an evolving sense of self that integrates values, ethics, and other aspects. It is interesting that you especially emphasize how it guides boundaries and decision-making over time. It is powerful to see that your work experiences in several crisis settings, internship experiences, and graduate studies have carried over into your identity as a clinician.
In addition, what you learned about maintenance cycles from Bennett-Levy’s work was particularly noteworthy. Your ability to relate your perfectionistic inclinations to how they might quietly manifest themselves in space, even without using words, demonstrates you have a high degree of self-awareness. This type of inside activity is what truly makes a therapeutic presence!
Jul 10, 2025 @ 13:50:26
1) When I hear the words “professional identity,” my mind goes to where you are currently at, where you would like to go, and our values/how we orientate ourselves within our careers which is based on our background contexts and experiences. I think there is often a disconnect between where we are currently at and where we would like to go (and I am sure many of us have felt this as we are only at the “starting line” of our professional development since our field, understandably so, requires additional learning/training). In result, I do not think are professional identity is necessarily defined by where we are at this point in time while it may be influenced by it. I think it is more related to what we value, what we hope to achieve, and our background contexts. Additionally, I think there are also obviously differences between our personal and professional identities. Although together they, amongst other factors, craft who we are as unique individuals which is why we are not identical to our professional or personal counterparts. This is something I have thought about before since I have frequently evaluated where I am at and what I would like to achieve based on my own personal factors. Main influences to my professional identity development include my academic and work experiences/observations, mentors (supervisors, professors, etc.), and friends/family.
2) The technique/exercise from Bennett Levy et al. (2015) that provided me the most insight about myself as a person/therapist was using behavioral activation to change patterns of behaviors (module 3). In Dr. Doerfler’s class last fall, we were assigned a behavioral activation/self-care plan. With the tracking, I had noticed positive changes and the simplicity allowed it to be something that I continued to easily maintain/looked forward to. I think initiating change can be one of the most challenging but highly rewarding things to achieve. Change does not necessarily have to be something big and of course we cannot always change a stressor (e.g. systemic issues). The bottom line is finding something that helps cope through life and brings us hope/pleasure while noticing things that may be perpetuating issues.
3) Based on Table 2.2, the best ethical practice I think is the most challenging to uphold is demonstrating with caution with social media. This is more in-general based upon observations (and not solely based on our profession) rather than personal experiences. Social media can be a double-edged sword in my opinion because on one hand, information disperses much faster than in the past (offering opportunities for learning quickly/connecting widespread), BUT it also offers opportunities for misinformation/taking information at face value. I think specifically in our field, I see numbers of providers posting and sometimes it can be helpful, but often times can be straight FALSE (e.g. if you like this color you have this disorder – like WHAT??). I think as professionals we need to be understand the power behind our words/perspectives since the influence is higher as “experts” in the field.
Jul 12, 2025 @ 14:19:52
Hey Gigi,
Purely for academic purposes, if my favorite color is … lets say green, what disorder would I have? Seriously, I want to know. But more to your point, I agree that social media can be a double-edged sword. However, I would argue that one edge is significantly sharper than the other and can lead to far greater impact. Unfortunately, the misinformative and exploitative side of it is sharper than the “Kumbaya” connective part of the blade. Is Kumbaya politically correct? Don’t cancel me, please. As I was saying, social media’s ability to spread misinformation and create maladaptive echo chambers seems to far outweigh the positives. I know research papers that investigate social media use love to throw in the old “but it can be a great tool for connecting people,” but after a while if all you ever do is throw in “it’s not that bad,” while continually exploring its negative impacts, then maybe it’s not that good? It’s giving Christopher Columbus apologist vibes circa early 2000s, no? All this to just underscore that as professionals, we must be extra cautious with our social media presence. Now I must go delete some old tweets.
Jul 12, 2025 @ 14:53:47
Hi Gigi!
I couldn’t agree more with your take on social media. It’s really concerning the amount of licensed individuals I see who have entire social media pages dedicated to spreading misinformation about the field. I think it starts off well-intentioned, them wanting to spread awareness about something, but then the pressure to continue to post in order to stay relevant online decreases how much they care about providing accurate information. I also see so many therapists in the comments of social media posts using their profession to increase their credibility on terrible takes. I saw a video of a kid crying about something and a girl in the comments goes “I’m a therapist and I can tell from his body language that he’s being abused”. WHAT?
Something I also see is a lot of apps who advertise on social media claim to do assessments for diagnosis, especially for PTSD. They always have yes/no questions like “do you think you experienced something traumatic but can’t remember?” or “do you jump at loud sounds?” It feels so gross because people flock to these apps seeking answers and just get taken advantage of.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 14:04:49
Jul 12, 2025 @ 15:10:23
Hi Angela!
You made a really good point about the scope of practice ethical issues which come up. As unfortunate as it is, there are huge waitlists to see therapists, especially in community health settings. I know that at my placement, we were often urged to take clients, even when treating them was out of our scope, in order to get them off the waitlist. As the clinician, you really feel bad saying no because if you don’t take them, who knows how long they’ll be stuck on the waitlist after that! I imagine that pressure is doubled if you’re a licensed clinician in a community health setting as there aren’t all that many (at least at my placement) who could take those with private insurance. I think the bottom line is that when someone (especially those who do not choose what clients go on their caseload) gets a case that’s out of their scope, the very bare minimum is to get additional supervision for guidance on how to proceed.
Jul 13, 2025 @ 15:09:15
Hey Angela, I really liked what you said about separating theoretical orientation from therapist style and values. That’s something I hadn’t really put into words before, but it makes a lot of sense. I also liked your point about clients needing to feel like they can “align” with their therapist. That’s something I think a lot of people overlook, especially when they’re first starting out. It’s not just about being clinical sounding its more about somebody who clients actually feel safe and secure with. Also I resonated with your insight from working with clients in substance use that stood out to me too. I’ve seen that same thing working in a TSS program at CHL , how changing behavior isn’t just about willingness, it’s about everything around them. Sometimes they’re doing the best they can in a really rough environment.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 14:06:09
Professional identity to me means the identity and person that you are in your career and workplace. I have thought about this before, as we all tend to hold different boundaries and standards for ourselves in the workplace versus in our homes or in the community with friends and family. In most professions, I think it is common to present ourselves differently. I think my coworkers and my classes have influenced my professional development the most. These resources have taught me the expectations in the workplace.
I found the module on identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior to be the most beneficial to me. Although this is something I have learned about in the program and often work to do in my own life with my own thoughts, this module provided much more insight.
I think that only working in your area of expertise may be the most challenging to uphold. Although I am pretty confident in my ability to identify what clinical services I am able to provide and which ones I am not, I do feel as though some workplaces may challenge clinicians to take on roles that they should not. I think it is important to be self-aware of your capabilities as a clinician, and utilize supervision to discuss whether or not you are doing the best for your clients.
Jul 12, 2025 @ 22:28:29
Hello Ashley,
I enjoyed reading your post! Specifically, I appreciate what you mentioned about professional identity and having a different presentation in your personal life. I totally agree that we have differing personalities in each setting. In any profession, but especially as clinicians, we have boundaries around the parts of our identity that we are willing versus unwilling to show to others. As clinicians, we need to be careful with self-disclosure. Although self-disclosure often means telling clients things about us, it can also mean showing certain parts of our personality/who we are. While we need to build relationships, we also need to ensure that boundaries are kept and not blurred.
I also appreciate what you brought up regarding practicing within your scope. I totally agree that many workplaces do expect clinicians to take on roles that are not consistent with their job description. This is where having boundaries is important as well and making it clear when you are uncomfortable with doing things outside your scope of practice. Utilizing supervision as you mentioned is a great way to discuss these concerns. It is also important to ensure that you have a supervisor who is going to both challenge you but also encourage you to stay within your scope of expertise.
Overall, great post. Keep up the great work!
Jul 10, 2025 @ 14:52:45
(1) When I hear the words “professional identity,” I often think about the type of therapist I want to be and what I want to specialize in. For instance, when thinking about professional identity, I think I want to be known as a competent and caring therapist who has the capability to help others. More specifically, I want to be a therapist who utilizes CBT and DBT to help clients who are struggling with intense mental health issues, such as personality disorders and trauma. I think the person who has most influenced my professional identity development is my undergraduate mentor, Dr. Carolyn Becker (you may have read her textbook if you took the trauma class). She embodies the type of therapist I want to be. She is someone who is confident and advocates for evidence-based practices within the field. She also practices what she preaches, especially the triad of self-care! Confidence and self-care is something that I have always struggled with, so envisioning myself being more like Dr. Becker is the motivation that carries me to enhance my professional identity.
2) I really resonated with the practice on behavioral activation. I have become fully self-aware over the past two years how not engaging in activities, both essential and leisure, really negatively impacts my mental health. If I saw a client presenting with similar issues, we would go through and break down behavioral activation step-by-step, starting with activity monitoring and then behavior change. This is a task that is quite difficult to do. Change is hard! Practicing some of these techniques on myself proves exactly how difficult it can be when a client lacks motivation or struggles with change. I have a newfound understanding of the challenges that come with trying to change behavior, along with the significant benefits of behavioral activation.
(3) I think the most challenging ethical practice to uphold would be to practice within one’s scope of practice. I think this becomes pretty difficult in community mental health settings where you are assigned clients at random and they typically have more issues or issues to a greater extent than were outlined in the intake assessment. Practicing outside of one’s scope can also lead them to utilizing interventions that are not evidence-based or that they do not have the proper supervision and training to use. When resources are spread so thin and a client is in front of you who needs help, it can be hard to admit that you are not the right person to help them. I think this is why is is so important to have supportive colleagues and supervision that can hold you accountable and who you can refer your client to.
Jul 12, 2025 @ 22:38:17
Hello Taylor,
I enjoyed reading your post! Specifically, I appreciate what you mentioned about professional identity and the importance of having a mentor. I remember you speaking about Dr. Carolyn Becker in other classes – it just goes to show how great of a mentor she is for you! It’s amazing that you have someone that you can look up to so much and have a clear professional identity. I had a similar experience where my first supervisor (although an unrelated job) helped me develop my professional identity and gave me a clear idea of how I want to present myself in the workplace.
I also appreciate what you brought up in your discussion of behavioral activation and doing the exercises that we often encourage our clients to do. Doing these exercises as a client versus as a clinician are two completely different experiences. Doing these exercises from the clients perspective as you mentioned is helpful to see how factors such as motivation and change readiness can serve as barriers to completing exercises. And at the same time, knowing these things, we can support our clients in problem-solving and engaging in these activities.
Overall, great post. Keep up the great work!
Jul 13, 2025 @ 15:01:55
Hey Taylor, I really liked what you wrote. Especially how you described wanting to be known as a competent and caring therapist. That’s something I’ve thought about a lot too. It’s one thing to be knowledgeable, but to actually be effective and caring at the same time. Especially when working with tough cases like trauma and personality disorders that take a real level of presence and discipline. Your mentor Dr. Becker sounds like the kind of person I’d want to learn from too. The fact that she lives what she teaches that’s rare. I respect that you’re using her as a model, especially around self-care and confidence. I’ve struggled with both myself, and I know how much it takes to develop those from the inside out. Thank you for sharing this!
Jul 14, 2025 @ 13:34:05
Hi Taylor!
I love that you have a mentor that not only has taught you clinical skills, but personal ones as well. Self-care and what we do outside of work is just as much part of us as our work is. It is so important to know what your body and mind needs so that you can be present for others.
Jul 11, 2025 @ 00:25:19
Jul 12, 2025 @ 21:31:21
Hi Melanie
I appreciate your transparency on what you find challenging in terms of ethical practices. Being a “yes man” makes it challenging to say no especially as a new clinical. I can relate to wanting to do your best at work and show supervisors and colleagues that you can do these things but this can push us into a corner resulting in one taking on clients that we don’t have the skill sets for. It’s important to remember what’s best for the client should come first even if it feels like we might be disappointing others. Speaking up and out and setting boundary’s will not only protect us but also our clients.
Jul 14, 2025 @ 13:10:54
Hi Melanie!
I like how you described personality as “a combination of their values, beliefs, lived experiences, character, and knowledge”, as I believe that perfectly encapsulates the meaning. Translating this into clinical work can be difficult as we have to find a balance between professionalism and being ourselves. I find that being authentic is important and that others will respect you for who you are and that maintaining boundaries is equally as important.
Jul 11, 2025 @ 00:26:40
Jul 11, 2025 @ 15:41:51
Hi Mariana,
You are not alone in the area of self-disclosure. I think it also has to do with how we are taught early on, self-disclosure can be risky, so therefore we should be mindful, which results us to not even try often times. So when the opportunity comes up, I am not sure if you feel this but as me for, I start to question if what I said was too much, because if I don’t say anything at all then that can cause harm too. Sometimes I worry that I would take away from their experience, even though I have the knowledge in knowing what is appropriate to share or not. I agree that we just need to be mindful but also be human. So finding the right balance is something that I will also be working on too.
Jul 13, 2025 @ 15:13:40
Hey Mariana! I totally get what you’re saying in your response about self-disclosure. I feel like in grad school we are taught how dangerous it can be to self-disclose, so at the beginning of my internship I wouldn’t tell my clients almost anything about me. However, I started to feel more comfortable and realize how even the small things like saying “I also enjoy that hobby” demonstrates a basic understanding and interest in the client that they may not get elsewhere. It can definitely be hard to know when is the right time to self-disclose, but maybe it would be helpful to smart with small things that you can relate to your client with. Just don’t do what my coworker did and rant about your relationship or marital issues for 10+ minutes!
Jul 14, 2025 @ 13:51:35
Hi Rachel,
I appreciate your response to the second question! I did not pick this example for my answer, but I think you made an excellent point about how breaking the cycle can be important.