Home

Hello. My assigned textbook is “Introduction To Counseling Integration of Faith, Professional Identity, and clinical Practice” written by Robyn Simmons, Stacey Lilley, and Anita Kuhnley
The purpose of the Benchmark Professional Identity and Credential Paper Assignment is to:
 Articulate your understanding of the current trends in professional counselor identity and
identifying your own professional development plan.
 Teach you how to access and use the Liberty University Online Library.
 Correctly identify scholarly sources appropriate for use in professional papers.
 Define plagiarism and demonstrate use of Turnitin software in order to check your own
papers for plagiarism throughout your program.
INSTRUCTIONS
Be sure to review Steps 1 – 11, including the addition of the Turnitin reflection page.
Step 1: Read the assigned required readings to date. You may find Chapter 2 of your textbook
particularly helpful.
Step 2: Read two of the following articles listed under the Benchmark Professional Identity
and Credential Paper Resources on the Benchmark Professional Identity and Credential
Paper Assignment page:
 Evaluating Independently Licensed Counselors’ Articulation of Professional Identity
Using Structural Coding
 Interstate Licensure Portability: Logistics and Barriers for Professional Counselors
 Advocating for Educational Standards in Counselor Licensure Laws
 Chi Sigma Iota Chapter Faculty Advisors’ Experiences of Professional Counselor
Identity
Step 3: Write a 5-7 page reaction paper on the information reviewed. Your paper must be in
current APA format using professional guidelines (including running head, a title page, abstract,
headings, and a reference page). The abstract must provide a brief, comprehensive summary of
the contents of the paper in 150–250 words. Note: the title page, abstract, and reference page do
not contribute toward the page requirement.
Divide your paper into the following sections:
 Summary – Synthesize and integrate the main points of the textbook readings and articles
in 2 ½ -3 pages, using the second level headings listed below.
o The Importance of Professional Identity
o The Necessary Components for Professional Identity (within this section, also
address ethical spiritual/religious integration.)
o The Challenges to Professional Identity
 Professional Identity Development Plan– In ½-1 page, discuss the following:
o What are your motivators to become a professional counselor?
What will you do to establish your identity as a counselor?
o Identify potential challenges that may present barriers to your success
(academically, personally, or professionally) and name at least two strategies for
how you will manage those barriers.
 State Credential Plan – Copy and paste the Benchmark Professional Identity and
Credential Paper Chart Template into your paper (be sure to include a page break)
after the last section. Complete the plan according to your state’s counselor requirements
as stated on the state’s board of counseling website.
 Summary and Reactions to Turnitin Report (*See Steps 8-11)
Step 4: Submit your paper via the Benchmark Professional Identity and Credential Paper
Assignment – DRAFT link.
Step 5: Wait until the link indicates that Turnitin has analyzed your paper and prepared a report.
Step 6: Open the Turnitin report. Evaluate the report. You will notice that Turnitin often matches
on headings, titles, and references. If you see matches on entire sentences or paragraphs that are
not enclosed in direct quotation marks, then you have unintentionally plagiarized. You will need
to go back and re-write those sections in your own words.
Step 7: Return to your original paper and revise as needed.
Step 8: Add a section on your paper entitled “Summary and Reactions to Turnitin Report.” In
this section, summarize the results of your Turnitin report in 1-2 paragraphs. Address each of
the following: summarize the results of your Turnitin report; interpret the report using the
information from the Turnitin webpage to support your interpretation (this content should be
cited); answer what your results indicate and give your reactions to the report which include the
limitations of Turnitin.
The Turnitin webpage is found in the week’s assignment module just below the “Benchmark
Professional Identity and Credential Paper Resources” where it says “Note: Your assignment
will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. For more information about
Turnitin, click here links.”
Step 9: Save your paper as a Microsoft Word document using your name and assignment title
(e.g., Doe_J_assignment_1).
Step 10: Submit the final paper using the Benchmark Professional Identity and Credential
Paper Assignment – FINAL link.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. It is
understood that the Credential Chart table may raise the percentage since much of this
information is taken from the online source. Make sure that you have included the board website
in the relevant section of the table and provided the information in your own words as much as
possible.