Cultural Identity Development: A Necessary Component of Professional Identity Development

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

— Psalm 13:14-16 (NIV)

I love Psalm 139. It gives me great peace. It’s a peace that comes with knowing the One who created me, the One who knows me through and through. It gives me peace to know all the days of my life were written before one was manifested. Psalm 139 reminds me of the beginning, where my life began. So, when I think of where I am now, of who I am and what I do, I know that regardless of circumstances or paths I take that may or may not be in line with God’s will, He knows me and the outcome. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. This knowledge is too wonderful for me, but it is grounding and like an anchor to my soul.

Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican civil rights activist, stated, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.” One of the Lost Boys of Sudan states it this way, “Because as you know, a people without a culture is like a human being without land” (as quoted in National Geographic’s Sense of Place and Community). This is significant for everyone. I believe it is especially significant for professional counselors. Its significance is revealed as we journey through life in the knowledge of who we are; why we were created; how we interact with others, ourselves, and God; how we work and live our lives each day. Our culture influences and shapes us. Culture impacts how we relate to our clients and colleagues. Culture impacts how we identify ourselves as individuals and professionals, even when we try to deny its influence.

Professional identity development is often an overlooked aspect of growing as a licensed counselor. We tend to fall into the professional role as a counselor without giving thought to how we have developed and have been shaped along the way. What factors contributed to this idea of becoming a counselor? How has faith contributed? Who were the people, places and things that marked our path? Once the decision was made to become a counselor, what was the journey? Who were our mentors, cheerleaders, coaches, friends, and peers? During her TEDx talk, Stacey Powers shares how we need these five people to be happy (see Stacey Flowers, “Five People You Need”). We need to consider these things as we contemplate our development as successful and fulfilled professional counselors.

The American Counseling Association (2014) states five core professional values as components of professional counseling:

• Enhancing human development throughout the life span;

• Honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach in support of the worth, dignity, and potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts;

• Promoting social justice;

• Safeguarding the integrity of the client-counselor relationship; and

• Practicing in a competent and ethical manner. [ACA 2014 Code of Ethics]

Each section (A–F) of the ACA Code of Ethics includes cultural awareness and advocacy. Without this component we cannot practice competently and ethically as professional counselors. I believe this means for us to grow in our professional identity development we must take the time to assess, understand, and embrace our own cultural identity development. Honoring diversity, supporting the worth, dignity, and potential of our clients in their uniqueness based on their social and cultural contexts, must begin with us embracing the same for ourselves.

My understanding based on the cultural mandate (Gen. 1:26; Micah 6:8; Rom. 12:3–8; Gal. 3:28) given in Scripture, and based on the ACA Code of Ethics, brings me to the conclusion that our cultural identity development and professional identity development cannot be separated. They are intricately linked and cannot be separated if we are committed to being competent and ethical counselors. With faith and spirituality, we can be as faith-filled and spiritual as we are willing depending on our level of commitment to a life of prayer, time with God, serving others, etc. We must ask of ourselves what kind of Christian we desire to be for the sake of Christ and his work? And what kind of counselor do we desire to be for the sake of Christ and his work? George Barna, in his book Maximum Faith (2013), states how our decision and how far we go on the path to live out our faith towards wholeness in Christ are up to us. We develop, mature, and are transformed over the life-span of our journey in faith. Identities change and develop over the life span; and we place different levels of importance on different aspects of our identity in the growth process.

According to Helms (1995), every human being, regardless of race or ethnicity, develops a cultural identity. SAMHSA (2014) states, “Cultural identity describes an individual’s affiliation or identification with a particular group or groups. Cultural identity arises through the interaction of individuals and culture(s) over the life cycles” (36). I appreciate this model adapted from SAMHSA, as I reflect on the correlation between cultural and professional identity development: 

Cultural competence has evolved into more than a discrete skill set or knowledge base; it also requires ongoing self-evaluation on the part of the practitioner. Culturally competent counselors are aware of their own cultural groups and of their values, assumptions, and biases regarding other cultural groups. Moreover, culturally competent counselors strive to understand how these factors affect their ability to provide culturally effective services to clients. (SAMHSA, 2014, 36–37) 

D'Andrea & Daniels (2001) and Hays (2008) give us acronymic models of assessment of cultural influences designed to provide a deeper knowledge and understanding of self and clients. They purport their models help counselors develop hypotheses and ask questions. D’Andrea & Daniels’s RESPECTFUL Model considers the following influences: 

Religion/Spirituality; Economic class; Sexual identity, Psychological maturity levels; Ethnic/Racial identity; Chronological developmental challenges; Trauma and other threats to well-being (“t” and “T”), Family background; Unique physical characteristics; and Location of residence/language.

Hays developed the ADDRESSING Model, which is practitioner-oriented and entails personal and interpersonal work: Age; Developmental and/or other disabilities; Religion/spirituality; Ethnic/Racial identity; Socioeconomic status; Sexual orientation; Indigenous heritage, National origin, Gender.  

Using either one of these models we can reflect on the impact each influence has had on our lives over our life span and can reflect on clients’ experiences with certain incidents over their life spans. We can then take time to evaluate our development based on various racial identity development and other models (i.e., Fowler (2008), Faith Identity Development Stages; Professional Identity Models and Styles, etc.)

According to Gibson et al (2010), the process of professional identity development occurs over the span of one’s entrance into a graduate degree program and graduation. Coppock (2012), describes the following as factors influencing personal professional development:

• Teaching

• Mentors

• Supervisors

• Participation/membership in professional organizations

• Adherence to governing requirements (i.e., ACA, CACREP, NASW)

• Time

• Cultural Identity – Informs our personhood and how we relate to self and others.

• Coursework that introduces students to professional counseling prior to the master’s program 

Whitehead (2017) admonishes that professional identity development requires looking at yourself and identifying personal beliefs, values, and assumptions, and how they may have influenced your decision to become a counselor, as well as how they impact you in the counseling room. It requires examining your role and adherence to ACA standards for professionalism. It involves looking around and observing what others are doing and/or not doing, and connecting with others, joining associations, and more. Finally, it involves staying focused on the process of professional development. Whitehead (2017) exhorts,  

but think about how you arrived at your personal identity. It was not something that just grew overnight; it was a process that developed over your lifespan and remains continuous. Developing your professional identity is going to unfold in the exact same way, as a process.

We are in process; not one of us has “arrived”. My prayer is that we who have been called by our Lord and Savior to join him in his work with his people, will allow ourselves to consider all aspects of our creation (Gen. 1:26; Ps. 139) and culture, and will continue to grow in our professional identity development, practicing in a competent and ethical manner, for the sake of His name and glory.