Becoming a Professional,
Being a Professional

“No man [translation: person] ever reached excellence in any one art or profession without having passed through the slow and painful process of study and preparation.”(Horace)

Join Professional Associations

Join professional associations. Students pay reduced fees.
Read association journals & newspapers.
Attend annual conferences.
Maintain membership throughout your career.
Work toward leadership roles in these organizations.
See sidebar for links to national & state associations.

Attend Conferences and Workshops

Attend conferences and workshops to:
Increase your knowledge/skills.
Gain Continuing Education Units.
Expand your network of colleagues.
Explore employment opportunities.
Discover new resources.

Extend your knowledge/skills to others by:
Presenting at conferences.
Offering workshops via educational/professional organizations.

Graduate students can talk with advisors about attending &/or presenting at conferences.

Contact the Center for Continuing Studies for continuing education credits at Lewis and Clark College's Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Our alumni can receive a 10% discount for the Center for Continuing Studies' non-credit/CEU classes offered at L&C.

Network

View professional gatherings as opportunities to meet new colleagues. Networking is a way professionals connect with colleagues for mutual benefit. Even if introducing yourself to a stranger isn't easy for you outside the parameters of a counseling relationship, stretch your comfort level. Professionals attending the same event are generally receptive to contact by those in attendance. Make a point of extending your network at each event. Ask those you meet whom else they recommend you talk to; ask if you can indicate they suggested you call.

Volunteer with Community Services

Early in a career, assisting others as a volunteer is a way to increase people skills, while contributing to social wellbeing. It's also a reality check regarding career goals. Even later, when fully employed as a professional, it's gratifying to continue some pro bono work. After retirement, professionals often increase their volunteerism; they offer understanding & expertise developed through a lifetime of experience.

Prepare for the NBCC Exam

Graduate students can take the NBCC Exam (NCE) in the last year of their Masters degree program. Students who choose this early exam option should complete courses central to the exam prior to testing.

Exams are given in Portland, Oregon, at Lewis and Clark College in April and at Portland State University in October.

Students have found study groups to be an effective way to review material for the exam. Study manuals are advertised in the ACA monthly newspaper and are listed on NBCC's website. The Counseling Psychology Department has purchased a few copies of study guides for use by our students who are preparing for the exam. The guides can be checked out for four days. Contact the CPSY department directly to inquire about the study guides. cpsy@lclark.edu

Seek Post-Masters Supervision

Candidates for licensure need to receive qualified supervision. Agencies sometimes are able to offer supervison for employees working toward licensure. Candidates not receiving licensure supervision at work, as well as those who begin private practice prior to licensure, will need to hire supervisors. Usually approximately 2 years of full time counseling is needed before accruing enough supervised hours to be eligible for licensing.

In Oregon, supervisors must be licensed & have 30 clock hours of supervision training. The Oregon Board's website details complete supervisor qualifications.

See sidebar for information about Licenses and Certification and links to relevant agencies.

Maintain Professional Liability Insurance

Many professionals maintain their own professional liability insurance, in addition to the coverage that employers might offer. Often they continue with the same insurer that provided insurance during their internship(s) (although at a higher rate). Those who are undecided might find it helpful to consult with professionals who have been practicing for a number of years.

National professional associations usually offer information about professional liability insurance. Many professional organizations also offer premises liability insurance for those in private practice.
See sidebar for links to professional associations.

Private Practice Tips

The American Counseling Association has partnered with R.J. Walsh, NCC, LCPC & N.C. Dasenbrook, LCPC (>50 years combined experience in mental health, including >30 years in private practice) to offer bulletins on private practice topics, Private Practice Pointers. The copyrighted material should not be reproduced without ACA's permission.

Other websites we should include here?

Please send annotated links to cpsycpr@lclark.edu

Alert: Education Students

Education students who inadvertently entered this CPSY career website, click here to exit CPSY Career and Professional Resources and return to the education career site.
We suggest you bookmark the career website most relevant to your professional interests. Best wishes from CPSYCPR. Thank you for entering a career in service to others.