Kelly A. King is a licensed professional counselor, licensed addiction counselor, and clinical supervisor with extensive experience supporting individuals with substance use and mental health concerns across nonprofit treatment settings and private practice. Her professional background includes clinical leadership, supervision, and direct counseling within substance use treatment programs. She is also a counselor educator who teaches practicum and internship courses at the University of Phoenix in Arizona.
Developing a Professional Identity as a Counselor in Recovery explores the unique journey from personal recovery and peer-support roles into professional counseling practice. Grounded in counseling ethics, professional identity development, and clinical supervision, the book offers practical guidance for integrating lived experience and recovery values while maintaining appropriate boundaries, client autonomy, and evidence-based practice.
Through case vignettes, reflective prompts, and supervision-focused discussion questions, readers are encouraged to examine how lived experience can shape professional identity, ethical decision-making, boundaries, countertransference, self-disclosure, and the therapeutic relationship. Rather than viewing lived experience as something to separate from professional practice, the text helps counselors thoughtfully consider how personal experiences can inform their work while remaining grounded in ethical and professional responsibilities.
Designed for counselors-in-training, early-career counseling professionals, counselor educators, and clinical supervisors, this book addresses an important gap in counselor education and training. It provides a practical framework for navigating both the strengths and challenges of practicing as a counselor in recovery while developing an ethical, self-aware, and professionally grounded clinical identity.
Introduction How to Use This Book Section 1: The Identity Shift 1. From Peer to Professional: Understanding the Difference Between Peer Support and Clinical Counseling 2. Recovery Is Not a Credential: Using Self-Disclosure Ethically Section 2: Ethics, Boundaries, and Risk Areas 3. When It Feels Personal: Understanding and Managing Countertransference 4. Power, Influence, and Responsibility in the Counseling Relationship 5. Personal Experience Is Not Evidence: Integrating Lived Experience Ethically Section 3: Professional Maturity & Ongoing Growth 6. Supervision Is Not Therapy, But You Still Need Therapy 7. Integrating Recovery Values into Clinical Practice (Ethically) 8. Becoming a Counselor Who Does Not Cause Harm Conclusion Final Remarks: Carrying Forward the Professional You
The book explores the journey from personal recovery and peer-support roles into professional counseling. Grounded in ethics, professional identity development and clinical supervision, by offering guidance for integrating lived experience and recovery values while maintaining boundaries, client autonomy and evidence-based practice.
