It should be 5-6 pages long.

1. 5-Year Plan Overview: Who will you be as a professional counselor and how will you get there?

2. When you imagine yourself as a professional counselor, where do you picture yourself? (Couples Therapist? Clinical Director? Crisis Intervention Specialist, Eating Disorder Specialist, Forensic Psychologist? Career Counselor? Etc.

3. How will you get to your desired job/ area of work? What steps will you take to get there? (Exam, licensure? Apply directly from completion of the MA program? What specialized training might you need?)

4. Are there specific things that you should consider given your own individual circumstances, needs, limitations, boundaries, ethics, etc.? How can you best set yourself up for success, to ensure that you complete your interpersonal goals and inevitable life obligations (working full- time/part-time, caretaking for others, finances, mental/physical health, etc.)

5. How will your own personal beliefs be incorporated into who you are as a professional counselor, currently? (Will this impact the clients that you work with/who you decide to see? Are there any current issues in the world that you feel passionately about that might affect your ability to be neutral in some scenarios? Etc.)