SCHOOL OF COUNSELING’S KEY PROFESSIONAL DISPOSITIONS

Counselor educators are obligated to “provide students with ongoing feedback regarding their performance throughout the training program” (2014 ACA Code
of Ethics, F.9. Evaluation, and Remediation). This feedback ensures that counseling graduates demonstrate both knowledge and skill across the curriculum as
well as professional dispositions. These are defined as “the commitments, characteristics, values, beliefs, interpersonal functioning, and behaviors that influence
the counselor's professional growth and interactions with clients and colleagues” (2016 CACREP Standards, p. 43). The School of Counseling identifies ten (10)
Key Professional Dispositions that students who are most suitable for the profession consistently demonstrate (Bogo et al., 2007): Engagement, Accountability,
Relationships, Sensitivity, Impartiality, Discipline, Awareness, Growth, Communication, and Congruence. These key professional dispositions are defined as
follows:
RESPONSIBILITY
1. Engagement: The student punctually attends scheduled meetings, actively contributes to required academic settings, and promotes other
students’ learning.
2. Accountability: The student accepts personal contributions to academic, skills, and comportment deficiencies and acts responsibly to enhance
professional effectiveness.
FITNESS
3. Relationships: The student professionally interacts with others and effectively navigates interpersonal differences.
4. Sensitivity: The student attends to the feelings, experiences, and perceptions of others and consistently honors their autonomy.
5. Impartiality: The student displays contextual and cultural competency by valuing the fundamental rights, dignity, and worth of all people. This
includes respect for age, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, sexual orientation, marital/partnership status, language
preference, socioeconomic status, veteran status, immigration status, or any basis proscribed by law or as defined by potential clients’
experience.
MATURITY
6. Discipline: The student exhibits the ability to control personal stress, self-disclosure, and excessive emotional reactions that interfere with
professional functioning.
7. Awareness: The student manifests alertness of how personal beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors affect others and uses sound judgment to
assess situations properly.
8. Growth: Student exhibits a willingness to engage in self-examination, challenge assumptions, and integrate feedback to reach an acceptable
level of competency.
INTEGRITY
9. Communication: The student displays a respectful tone and uses open, honest, and accurate statements in dealing with others.
10. Congruence: The student demonstrates the ability to acquire and integrate ethical codes, accreditation standards, and institutional policy into
one’s repertoire of professional behavior in all settings.

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 SCHOOL OF COUNSELING’S KEY PROFESSIONAL DISPOSITIONS
To align with accreditation standards that necessitate “counselor education program faculty systematically assesses each student’s professional dispositions
throughout the program” (2016 CACREP Standards, p. 17), the School of Counseling created a Student Development Assessment (SDA) based upon the
published counseling-related literature. The SDA serves to assist students in achieving program outcomes and assisting faculty in determining specific assistance
provided according to the 2016 CACREP Standards and the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics.
Program faculty in the School of Counseling use the following scale on the SDA to formally evaluate a counseling student’s ability to demonstrate the required
Key Professional Dispositions:
• 0 = ABSENT: the student does not demonstrate the expected competency – remediation is strongly recommended.
• 1 = INCONSISTENT: the student intermittently demonstrates the expected competency – but this irregularity is within normal student
growth and development.
• 2 = CONSISTENT: the student frequently demonstrates the expected competency – fitness for practice is recommended.
The SDA is administered at multiple points in each counseling student’s specialization program of study (POS):

M.S. in Clinical Mental Health COUN 6316 COUN 6250 Group Pre-Practicum 1 Pre-Practicum 2 Field Experience
Counseling (CMHC) & Dual Techniques of Process and (CPLB 601L) (CPLB 602L) (each course; four
Degree (CMHC & SC) Counseling Dynamics in Dual Degree)

M.S. in School Counseling (SC) COUN 6302S COUN 6320S Pre-Practicum 1 Pre-Practicum 2 Field Experience
Counseling Group Counseling (CPLB 601L) (CPLB 602L) (each course)
Techniques in and Guidance in
Schools the Schools

Ph.D. in Counselor Education COUN 8125 CES Residency 1 CES Pre-Practicum CES Pre-Practicum COUN 8890
and Supervision (CES) Teaching in (RESI 8801C) 1 (CPLB 802L) 2 (CPLB 803L) Doctoral
Counselor Practicum
Education

In addition to these program benchmarks, students in the School of Counseling are expected to conduct themselves professionally and
respectfully at all times, both when interacting with the university community and when representing the university at events outside the
institution (see Walden University’s current Student Professional Conduct Policy in the Student Handbook). Accordingly, counselor education
faculty may also use a Student Concern Referral (SCR) to formally evaluate a student’s professional dispositions at any time during their POS (to
learn more read Section 3: Expectation of Students in the current Counseling Student Program Guide). The table on the next page provides
behavioral examples of the School of Counseling’s Key Professional Dispositions:

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 SCHOOL OF COUNSELING’S KEY PROFESSIONAL DISPOSITIONS
PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIORS INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIORS INTRAPERSONAL BEHAVIORS
1. Respect the privacy and confidentiality needs of others. 1. Respect the autonomy and beliefs of others and refrain 1. Exhibit awareness of personal beliefs, values, needs,
2. Understand and maintain the ethical guidelines for from imposing one’s personal beliefs on others. strengths, and limitations and understand their potential
counselors as published by the University and the 2. Exhibit sensitivity to the individual and cultural identities influence on personal and professional performance.
profession. of others and display cultural competence by acting 2. Accept responsibility for actions and problems.
3. Engage actively in learning, training, and experiential respectfully and skillfully in interactions with others. 3. Manage personal mental health, emotional problems,
processes and opportunities for personal and 3. Communicate with academic leadership, faculty, clients, stress, and interpersonal issues effectively.
professional development. and colleagues respectfully and professionally using 4. Demonstrate personal and professional integrity in
4. Prioritize the welfare of clients over self-interests when appropriate verbal and non-verbal language. stated thoughts and actions.
providing professional services. 4. Exhibit awareness of and respect for appropriate 5. Maintain openness to and respect for differences in
5. Remain open to ideas, learning, and change. interpersonal boundaries. ideology.
6. Fulfill obligations promptly, consistently, reliably, and 5. Establish and maintain effective and functional 6. Communicate information truthfully and accurately.
according to expectations stated by program faculty, relationships personally, professionally, and therapeutically. 7. Participate in self-reflection and self-exploration.
academic leadership, or supervisor. 6. Demonstrate genuineness, empathy, and interest in the 8. Exhibit maturity and professionalism in reactions and
7. Cooperate with remediation plans and endeavor to welfare of others. behaviors.
adjust or improve behavior. 7. Act with an awareness of how personal actions affect 9. Refrain from allowing the use of behavior- or mind-
8. Engage in productive supervision and consultation with others. altering substances to impede professional functioning.
colleagues and peers. 8. Display sensitivity to the feelings, thoughts, and needs of 10. Solicit, consider, and respond thoughtfully to
9. Maintain sensitivity to role differences and power others. constructive feedback from others.
dynamics that may exist in relationships and settings and 9. Act with professionalism appropriate to the situation or 11. Manage emotional reactions adeptly and exhibit
manage them appropriately. setting. emotional self-control.
10. Follow the procedures and policies of the graduate 10. Support the individual rights and dignity of others. 12. Take responsibility for appropriately fulfilling personal
program. 11. Respond to discomfort and difficult circumstances with and emotional needs.
11. Seek professional consultation about recognized areas of thoughtful consideration for self and others. 13. Examine personal reactions.
personal growth. 12. Maintain awareness of power and privilege dynamics on 14. Use organized reasoning and good judgment to assess
12. Engage effectively as a team member, supporting the various levels. and respond to situations.
efforts of the institution, agency, or workgroup. 13. Resolve interpersonal conflicts with superiors and 15. Value self as a person of worth and dignity.
13. Expand professional knowledge related to clinical work colleagues in a timely and professional manner. 16. Manage personal wellness physically, spiritually,
and client cases independent of course requirements. 14. Interact with appropriate assertiveness and emotional psychologically, and socially.
14. Maintain a professional appearance (including hygiene control. 17. Exhibit behaviors and express thoughts and feelings
and attire) appropriate for the setting. 15. Provide helpful, nondefensive feedback to others when that are genuine and congruent with intrapersonal
15. Support the learning process of others. asked or when appropriate. experience.
16. Use technology appropriately and ethically in all 16. Work cooperatively and collaboratively with others 18. Act consistently and reliably.
situations while respecting others who are present or across multiple settings. 19. Manage ambiguity and uncertainty appropriately.
affected. 20. Demonstrate flexible, adaptable, and solution-oriented
17. Advocate for the advancement of and excellence in the thinking.
profession. 21. Express thoughts and feelings effectively both verbally
and in writing.
Adapted from Homrich, A. M., DeLorenzi, L. D., Bloom, Z. D., & Godbee, B. (2014). Making the case for standards of conduct in 22. Participate in personal growth and self-development
clinical training. Counselor Education & Supervision, 53(2), 126-144. doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6978.2014.00053.x activities.

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