As counselors, having a professional identity is important. From identifying as counselors to advocating for clients and from social justice to improving public perception of the field, a professional identity is important in the development of counselors and the counseling profession. Unfortunately, many counselors are appeased at stopping at advocating for clients and specific community needs and fail to continue on to advocating for the field as a whole. According to Reiner and colleagues (2013), the chances of the counseling profession receiving equal treatment and recognition as a mental health discipline is dependent on the professional identity and willingness to advocate for the field of counseling professionals. Counselors must remember that it was only a short time ago (approximately 50 years) that counselors did not even have the name of “professional counselor” and the field of counseling did not exist (Myers et al., 2002; Sweeney & Sturdevant, 1974). Much work is still needed regarding advocacy for the counseling profession and field. License portability (Eissenstat & Bohecker, 2018), credentialing, presenting as a unified profession (Eissenstat & Bohecker, 2018; Myers et al., 2002), and improving public perception (Eissenstat & Bohecker, 2018; Myers et al., 2002) are part of the short list of areas where the counseling profession is fighting for recognition and equal treatment as a discipline. More involvement is needed in local, state, and national counseling boards, committees, legislative processes, etc. A sense of urgency and necessity of advocacy for the profession is imperative. We must develop a sense of obligation and desire to serve the profession as an act of advocacy.
