counseling mainly involves collaboration with professionals in other disciplines, and examining the positioning, identity,

and uniqueness of counseling psychologists is crucial for interdisciplinary collaboration (Dollarhide et al., 2023). The field

of counseling is flourishing in Taiwan and becoming more sophisticated, as evidenced by the large number of professional

counseling associations and diverse range of counseling communities. However, it lacks a core identity, and the public does

not understand the profession because of the vast number of titles in it, such as psychological coach, art therapist or career

counselor. Therefore, this study explored the development of the core professional identity of counseling psychologists

by examining the obstacles to their professional development and their professional identity at each stage of professional

development. The findings of this study contribute to the cultivation of talent in counseling psychology.

Professional identity is essential for the development of a professional counselor and is influenced by their values, attitudes,

and philosophy toward their profession (Bruss & Kopala, 1993; Woo & Henfield, 2015); their self-awareness (Coll et al., 2013);

and the development of their relationships with professional communities (Luke & Goodrich, 2010). The professional identity

of counseling psychologists also reflects their counseling knowledge and skills, job scope, professional training, certification,

and professional growth (Kuo et al., 2018; Limberg et al., 2013; Mellin et al., 2011). Interdisciplinary interactions constitute

another crucial factor that affects the professional identity of counseling psychologists. Characteristics that are different from

other professions could facilitate professional collaboration and the development of professional identity (Klein & Beeson,

2022; Kuittinen et al., 2014; Myers et al., 2002; Reiner et al., 2013). In other words, counseling psychologists first identify with

the knowledge and skills of counseling, then confront their personal values within the shared values of counseling (the core

professional identity). Finally, counseling psychologists use their professionalism through systematic collaboration to appreciate

the uniqueness of counseling among other professions.

The professional development of counseling psychologists involves multiple stages. Jorgensen and Duncan (2015)

conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with counseling instructors enrolled in Master’s programs and identified

three stages in the professional development of counseling: stagnation, adjustment, and stability. The professional identity of

counselors is different at different stages of their development, and counselors in each stage have a specific mission. Gibson

et al. (2010) discovered that the three main tasks of professional identity were defining counseling psychology, internalizing

responsibility for professional growth, and developing a systemic identity. During the pursuit of the aforementioned aims,

counseling psychologists face obstacles, which can originate from personal factors, supportive professional networks,

systems, institutions, and cultural norms and practices. Personal factors include individual capabilities, traits, attitudes toward professional identity, professional burnout, and any experiences prior to professional counseling education (Ding, 2021;

Dollarhide et al., 2023). A supportive professional network refers to the support system formed as a result of interpersonal

relationships in the professional setting and includes peers, supervisors, and professional communities. A lack of positive

feedback from peers, supervisors, or school teachers can hinder individuals from developing a confident and integrated identity

(Mecadon-Mann & Tuttle, 2023). Obstacles arising from systems, institutions, and the culture are related to gaps between

theoretical knowledge and practical implementation, blurred boundaries of professional collaboration, and the compatibility of

cultural background contexts in professional development and learning environments (Gibson et al., 2010; Heled et al., 2022;

Kuo et al., 2022; Lambie & Williamson, 2004; Mellins et al., 2011; Skovholt & Rønnestad, 2003).

Although various studies have explored the development of professional counseling psychology, few have done so in the

context of Taiwan. This study adopted an empirical approach to examine the development of the core identity among counseling

psychologists, obstacles to such development, and the uniqueness of their professional identity in different stages of their

professional development.

We conducted 13 focus groups and invited 73 participants. Grounded theory was employed as a qualitative approach for

data analysis. The participants were counseling psychologists at different stages of their professional development, namely,

graduate school trainees who have not obtained a counseling psychologist license, novice counseling psychologists who have

held a license for up to 5 years, intermediate counseling psychologists who have held a license for 5–10 years, and experienced

counseling psychologists who have held a license for more than 10 years.

The results demonstrated that the challenges faced by graduate school trainees included administrative work burden,

negative supervision experience, gaps between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation, and concerns over

unlicensed practices and the job market. These challenges impeded the development of their professional identity. The

professional identity of graduate school trainees was characterized by a reflection of their training for counseling psychologist

licensure and an expansion of professional autonomy and confidence, which were both conducive to the development of

professional identity. Novice counseling psychologists struggled to confirm their professional uniqueness during systematic

collaboration. This struggle and the disappointment over the practice of the professional community hindered the development

of their professional identity. The characteristics of their professional identity were defending their professional identity and

expertise, reflecting on their professional role and ethics, developing their individual counseling style, and identifying with their

professional community. Intermediate counseling psychologists transformed difficulties into responsibilities. Their professional

identity was tied up with what the foundational knowledge that they had acquired and transitioned from focusing on the interests

of the professional community to those of the society. The characteristics of their professional identity included developing

skills for secondary specialization, establishing and engaging in systematic collaboration, and reflecting on their professional

identity in terms of collective interests. The professional identity of experienced counseling psychologists was oriented

toward diversity, inheritance, and advocacy. Their professional identity was characterized by a recognition of the limitations

of professional counseling training, establishment of diverse work patterns, reflection of counseling, subjectivity of cases, and

lifelong development and learning.

The theme of the professional identity of graduate school trainees and novice counseling psychologists was “Difficulty,”

whereas that of intermediate and experienced counseling psychologists was “Responsibility.” The difficulties faced by graduate

school trainees stemmed from the professional training system as well as chaotic current practices and future development.

Both difficulties originated from their surroundings. Novice counseling psychologists carried a relatively negative perception

for professional communities. At the start of their career, they struggled to find their position in systematic collaborations

and were disappointed that professional communities could advocate for them but chose not to. Intermediate counseling

psychologists divided the responsibility of their professional identity between themselves and the public. They continued to

develop their sense of professionalism to fulfill their responsibility and mission of providing mental health services to the

public. Unlike intermediate counseling psychologists, the responsibility of experienced counseling psychologists was not to

engage in professional development but rather to develop the profession of counseling by playing multiple roles, such as those

of supervisors and trainers. They also transitioned from public service providers to advocates for relevant systems.

The results of this study revealed the characteristics of different professional development stages, which may help novice

counseling psychologists in their early stage of licensure preparation to exhibit professional behaviors in a confident manner akin to that of experienced practitioners. Accordingly, novices can gradually become unique counselors equipped with

secondary expertise that shifts their focus from their own employment rights to the rights of the public and society. This study

also proposed suggestions for academic training, practical work, systematic collaboration, and future research.