TPC Journal V7, Issue 2 - FULL ISSUE

194 The Professional Counselor | Volume 7, Issue 2 counseling program. To determine if different ACA regions obtained better ratings, we performed a Kruskal-Wallis test to see if our ratings varied based upon the state that issued the independently licensed counselor’s license. Finally, we calculated Cohen’s kappa to determine the interrater agreement between participants’ self-rating about identifying consistently as a counselor to others and our ratings of their description of their occupational role as a professional counselor to others. Results We identified six different ways (formulas) that independently licensed counselors communicate their professional role to others; a narrative description of each of the six formulas and their four corresponding sub-formulas follows. Table 1 outlines direct quote examples, including the number and percentage of participants using the six formulas and four corresponding sub-formulas. Additionally, Figure 1 displays graphically the total number of participants in each of the six formulas as well as the number of participants in each sub-formula a–d. As noted in the literature review, the counseling profession does not own specific techniques and tools, such as CBT, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM– 5 ). However, counselors articulating their counselor professional identity will likely refer to their connection to specific counseling tools and techniques to help others understand their services. Table 1 Direct Quote Participant Examples for Each of the Six Formulas With Corresponding Sub-Formulas n, % Formula Quotes 256, 54% Formula 0 No mention of the word counselor or counseling 164, 64% Formula 0a No title, ambiguous clients and/or techniques “A person who walks with a client to help achieve the specified goals of a client.” “I assess, diagnose and treat clients presenting mental health issues.” 51, 20% Formula 0b No title, specific clients and/or techniques “I am a psychotherapist for children 5–12 living in a psychiatric community residence.” “I assist people with disabilities with obtaining and maintaining employment.” 10, 4% Formula 0c Title, ambiguous clients and/or techniques “I am a mental health therapist working with children, adults, couples, and families.” “I am a program director and clinical supervisor at a mental health agency.” 31, 12% Formula 0d Title, specific clients and/or techniques “I am an In-Home Intensive Multisystemic Therapist working with willfully defiant adolescents and their families.” “I am a Unit Manager in a treatment center for adult male inmates.” 19, 4% Formula 1 Generic mention of the word counselor or counseling along with other terms such as therapist, psychotherapist, etc. 7, 37% Formula 1a Ambiguous title, ambiguous clients and/or techniques “I am a private practice clinician, counselor and therapist. I work in my community serving adults.” “I provide individual, group, couples, and family therapy to those seeking counseling.” 3, 16% Formula 1b Ambiguous title, specific clients and/or techniques “I am an independent clinician who works with people 15 and up doing individual and group counseling. I specialize in substance abuse, eating disorders, BPD, co-occurring diagnosis, and trauma.” “I work in a school setting as a mental health therapist. The school invites our agency in the building and we provide outpatient counseling to children.”