Negotiating Professional Identity Development Across Contexts: A Collaborative Autoethnography

Authors

• Clark D. Ausloos, Oakland UniversityFollow
• Rebecca J. Vannest, Oakland UniversityFollow
• Hayley Ostlund, Oakland UniversityFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9348-8329

Author Biography

Clark D. Ausloos, PhD, LPC, LPCC, LSC, NCC, is an Assistant Professor in the Counseling Department at Oakland University. His research interests center on supporting non-dominant populations, particularly queer and trans youth, and enhancing cultural responsivity in counselor education preparation. Dr. Ausloos has authored numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts and delivered extensive conference presentations. He serves in multiple professional leadership roles, including as President-Elect of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE), in addition to maintaining an active clinical practice serving clients in Ohio and Michigan.

Document Type

Empirical Research Article

Keywords

collaborative autoethnography (CAE), counselor education, professional identity, mentorship, academic identity, doctoral student development, non-linear careers, counselor preparation, early-career faculty

Subject Area

Counseling, Counselor Education, Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling

Abstract

This collaborative autoethnography (CAE) explores how two counselor educators and one doctoral student navigate professional identity formation across three intersecting contexts: school counseling, clinical mental health counseling, and counselor education. Through critical reflection and collaborative analysis of focus-group data and individual reflections, we identify four themes: Career Flexibility & Adaptability, Identity Formation in Supportive and Restrictive Systems, Role Strain & Stigma, and Values-Driven Practices. Implications call for counselor education programs and higher education systems to embrace multiplicity, non-linear careers, redefine mentorship structures for doctoral students and faculty, and revise promotion criteria to value relationality, and creative, student- and community-engaged scholarship.

Public Significance Statement

This study found that early-career counselor educators who blend school and clinical counseling backgrounds often feel pressured to choose one specialty, despite their breadth being an asset. Supportive mentorship and institutional policies that value diverse career paths can help retain talented faculty and improve how future counselors are trained. This is especially critical for faculty with marginalized identities, who face additional barriers from academic systems not designed to support caregiving, non-linear careers, or community-engaged work.

Recommended Citation

Ausloos, C.D., Vannest, R., & Ostlund, H. (2026). Negotiating professional identity development across contexts: A collaborative autoethnography. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 20(2), 1-13.