The development of school counselor identity

The purpose of this study was to propose a grounded theory that contributes to understanding school counselors' professional identity development. The study explored school counselors' professional interactions as defining experiences in their identity development The qualitative research design consisted of two studies using a purposeful sampling of school counselors (n=10). Data were collected through qualitative interviews, participant questionnaires, and observations in the schools. A set of rigorous coding procedures (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) guided the data analyses to develop theoretically informed interpretations of the data. The basic problem grounded in the data was the counselor's need for personal guidelines (ie., self-conceptualization) as a meaning-making framework in carrying out the professional role. It was found that school counselors utilize personal guidelines through a process identified as the blending of influences involving four phases and related strategies: (a) structuring as defining and rating; (b) interacting as managing and responding; (c) distinguishing as advocating and accounting; and (d) evolving as sustaining and intertwining. Each strategy was described in terms of activities performed when carrying out the role. The process takes place as a dynamic interplay within the contexts, conditions, and phases when performing in the role. Involvement in the process was unique to each school counselor