不同發展階段諮商心理師的專業認同之探究

Professional Identity of Counseling Psychologists at Different Stages of Professional Development

本研究旨在瞭解臺灣諮商心理師不同專業發展階段之專業認同。研究招募碩博士受培訓者、新手諮商心理師、潛力諮商心理師和資深諮商心理師進行了13場次、共73位參與者的焦點團體訪談，以質性研究取向的紮根理論進行資料分析。研究發現：（1）碩博士受培訓者在實習制度、督導經驗、實習的學用落差和對就業市場的擔憂面臨專業認同的阻礙，其透過反思諮商心理師考照認證課程之訓練和開展專業自主性與自信來發展專業認同；（2）新手諮商心理師在專業界線模糊和專業社群中感到失落方面面臨專業認同阻礙，其專業認同特徵為捍衛專業身份與能力、反思專業角色及轉往認同專業社群；（3）潛力諮商心理師認同諮商專業知識基礎，從專業社群步向社稷人群，將困境轉化為責任。其發展特徵包括次領域專業發展、建構系統合作並以大我思考專業認同；（4）資深諮商心理師的專業認同走向多元角色、傳承和倡議，看見專業訓練的侷限性，建立多元工作模式並反思諮商專業與個案之主體性，並終身發展與學習。碩博士受培訓者和新手諮商心理師專業認同主題以「困境」呈現，而潛力諮商心理師和資深諮商心理師專業認同主題則強調「責任」。最後，本研究提出學術培訓、實務認同、系統合作和未來研究之建議。

Various studies have explored the professional identity of counseling psychologists. The current practice of psychological counseling mainly involves collaboration with professionals in other disciplines, and examining the positioning, identity, and uniqueness of counseling psychologists is crucial for interdisciplinary collaboration (Dollarhide et al., 2023). The field of counseling is flourishing in Taiwan and becoming more sophisticated, as evidenced by the large number of professional counseling associations and diverse range of counseling communities. However, it lacks a core identity, and the public does not understand the profession because of the vast number of titles in it, such as psychological coach, art therapist or career counselor. Therefore, this study explored the development of the core professional identity of counseling psychologists by examining the obstacles to their professional development and their professional identity at each stage of professional development. The findings of this study contribute to the cultivation of talent in counseling psychology. Professional identity is essential for the development of a professional counselor and is influenced by their values, attitudes, and philosophy toward their profession (Bruss & Kopala, 1993; Woo & Henfield, 2015); their self-awareness (Coll et al., 2013); and the development of their relationships with professional communities (Luke & Goodrich, 2010). The professional identity of counseling psychologists also reflects their counseling knowledge and skills, job scope, professional training, certification, and professional growth (Kuo et al., 2018; Limberg et al., 2013; Mellin et al., 2011). Interdisciplinary interactions constitute another crucial factor that affects the professional identity of counseling psychologists. Characteristics that are different from other professions could facilitate professional collaboration and the development of professional identity (Klein & Beeson, 2022; Kuittinen et al., 2014; Myers et al., 2002; Reiner et al., 2013). In other words, counseling psychologists first identify with the knowledge and skills of counseling, then confront their personal values within the shared values of counseling (the core professional identity). Finally, counseling psychologists use their professionalism through systematic collaboration to appreciate the uniqueness of counseling among other professions. The professional development of counseling psychologists involves multiple stages. Jorgensen and Duncan (2015) conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with counseling instructors enrolled in Master's programs and identified three stages in the professional development of counseling: stagnation, adjustment, and stability. The professional identity of counselors is different at different stages of their development, and counselors in each stage have a specific mission. Gibson et al. (2010) discovered that the three main tasks of professional identity were defining counseling psychology, internalizing responsibility for professional growth, and developing a systemic identity. During the pursuit of the aforementioned aims, counseling psychologists face obstacles, which can originate from personal factors, supportive professional networks, systems, institutions, and cultural norms and practices. Personal factors include individual capabilities, traits, attitudes toward professional identity, professional burnout, and any experiences prior to professional counseling education (Ding, 2021; Dollarhide et al., 2023). A supportive professional network refers to the support system formed as a result of interpersonal relationships in the professional setting and includes peers, supervisors, and professional communities. A lack of positive feedback from peers, supervisors, or school teachers can hinder individuals from developing a confident and integrated identity (Mecadon-Mann & Tuttle, 2023). Obstacles arising from systems, institutions, and the culture are related to gaps between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation, blurred boundaries of professional collaboration, and the compatibility of cultural background contexts in professional development and learning environments (Gibson et al., 2010; Heled et al., 2022; Kuo et al., 2022; Lambie & Williamson, 2004; Mellins et al., 2011; Skovholt & Rønnestad, 2003). Although various studies have explored the development of professional counseling psychology, few have done so in the context of Taiwan. This study adopted an empirical approach to examine the development of the core identity among counseling psychologists, obstacles to such development, and the uniqueness of their professional identity in different stages of their professional development. We conducted 13 focus groups and invited 73 participants. Grounded theory was employed as a qualitative approach for data analysis. The participants were counseling psychologists at different stages of their professional development, namely, graduate school trainees who have not obtained a counseling psychologist license, novice counseling psychologists who have held a license for up to 5 years, intermediate counseling psychologists who have held a license for 5-10 years, and experienced counseling psychologists who have held a license for more than 10 years. The results demonstrated that the challenges faced by graduate school trainees included administrative work burden, negative supervision experience, gaps between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation, and concerns over unlicensed practices and the job market. These challenges impeded the development of their professional identity. The professional identity of graduate school trainees was characterized by a reflection of their training for counseling psychologist licensure and an expansion of professional autonomy and confidence, which were both conducive to the development of professional identity. Novice counseling psychologists struggled to confirm their professional uniqueness during systematic collaboration. This struggle and the disappointment over the practice of the professional community hindered the development of their professional identity. The characteristics of their professional identity were defending their professional identity and expertise, reflecting on their professional role and ethics, developing their individual counseling style, and identifying with their professional community. Intermediate counseling psychologists transformed difficulties into responsibilities. Their professional identity was tied up with what the foundational knowledge that they had acquired and transitioned from focusing on the interests of the professional community to those of the society. The characteristics of their professional identity included developing skills for secondary specialization, establishing and engaging in systematic collaboration, and reflecting on their professional identity in terms of collective interests. The professional identity of experienced counseling psychologists was oriented toward diversity, inheritance, and advocacy. Their professional identity was characterized by a recognition of the limitations of professional counseling training, establishment of diverse work patterns, reflection of counseling, subjectivity of cases, and lifelong development and learning. The theme of the professional identity of graduate school trainees and novice counseling psychologists was ''Difficulty,'' whereas that of intermediate and experienced counseling psychologists was ''Responsibility.'' The difficulties faced by graduate school trainees stemmed from the professional training system as well as chaotic current practices and future development. Both difficulties originated from their surroundings. Novice counseling psychologists carried a relatively negative perception for professional communities. At the start of their career, they struggled to find their position in systematic collaborations and were disappointed that professional communities could advocate for them but chose not to. Intermediate counseling psychologists divided the responsibility of their professional identity between themselves and the public. They continued to develop their sense of professionalism to fulfill their responsibility and mission of providing mental health services to the public. Unlike intermediate counseling psychologists, the responsibility of experienced counseling psychologists was not to engage in professional development but rather to develop the profession of counseling by playing multiple roles, such as those of supervisors and trainers. They also transitioned from public service providers to advocates for relevant systems. The results of this study revealed the characteristics of different professional development stages, which may help novice counseling psychologists in their early stage of licensure preparation to exhibit professional behaviors in a confident manner akin to that of experienced practitioners. Accordingly, novices can gradually become unique counselors equipped with secondary expertise that shifts their focus from their own employment rights to the rights of the public and society. This study also proposed suggestions for academic training, practical work, systematic collaboration, and future research.