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At times, we might think we have arrived at this place of having a healthy professional ethical identity all on our own. We attended good training programs, read the books, wrote the papers, worked with the practice clients, and finished our training in good shape—we worked hard for our academic degree and credentials.
But in reality, the journey to a solid professional ethical identity comes with important contributions from others. For some of us, our professional ethics got its start with our family of origin and more specifically our parents. They helped us develop that moral sense of right and wrong. They taught us to tell the truth, to keep our promises, and to be loyal. Our parents and other family members steered us in a direction to do good and care about others. They got us started on our ethical identity.
In addition to this important beginning, we've likely had teachers who aptly shared their knowledge and skill; mentors who shared their passion for the discipline; supervisors who helped us fine tune our craft; and colleagues and friends who spoke into our lives to help us be the professional we are today. These people helped us grow our professional ethical identity.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it seems very fitting for us to pause, think of those people, and say, "Thank you! You've helped me become the ethical professional I am today. I'm thankful for you!"
