A current debate is raging in professional counseling associations surrounding the issue of professional identity of counselors.

The American Counseling Association (ACA) is working on 20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling (click here for more information on the 20/20 Vision). If you review the vision that is presented in the hyperlink, you will notice that the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), a division of ACA, is one of three groups that have not signed on to this mission.

As I understand it, the crux of the matter is found in the first of the seven basic principles:  Sharing a common professional identity is critical for counselors.

ASCA leadership is wary of signing a document that does not indicate how this professional identity is defined.  This concern is spelled out in a letter sent to the 20/20 Delegates by the ASCA Governing Board informing them of their concerns.  Click here for the letter.

ASCA promotes an identity that recognizes professional school counselors as educators first while ACA promotes an identity for school counselors as counselors first.

An educator first identity provides school counselors with the credibility necessary to sit at the table with other educator professionals to discuss meaningful reform and relevant curriculum that includes a comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program. A counselor first identity provides the counseling profession with a larger voice of counseling members to move legislation through that impacts the welfare of clients and students as well as their families and communities.

What are your thoughts on a common professional identity as critical for counselors? Do you think that a single common professional identity is critical to the counseling profession? What resolutions do you see in this debate that is causing friction within our profession?