What Counselors Do

What Do Counselors

Do?and not do

What I Don’t Do (or Should Not Do)• Coordinate data entry of

new students

• Perform disciplinary actions or consequences

• Teach classes when teachers are absent

What I Don’t Do (or Should Not Do)• Provide therapy or long term

counseling for students with psychological disorders

• Sign excuses for students who are tardy

• Serve as data entry clerk

What I Do❶ Individual Assessment❷ Individual Counseling❸ Group Guidance & Counseling❹ Career Assistance❺ Placement & Follow-up❻ Referral❼ Research❽ Evaluation & Accountability❾ Prevention

INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT

Seeks to identify the characteristics and potential of every client

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELINGA one-to-one helping relationship that focuses on a person’s growth and adjustment and problem-solving and decision-making needs

Effective counseling requires counselors to have not only the highest levels of training and professional skills but also certain personality traits.

“Counseling programs will suffer in effectiveness and credibility

unless counselors exhibit understanding, warmth,

humaneness, & positive attitude toward humankind.”

GROUP GUIDANCE Group of activities that

focus on providing information or experiences through planned & organized group activity

Orientation groups, college visitation days, homeroom guidance

GROUP COUNSELINGFocuses on assisting counselees to cope with their day-to-day adjustment and

development concerns

GROUP COUNSELINGBehavior modification, developing personal relationship skills, concerns of human

sexuality, career decision-making

CAREER ASSISTANCEIt suggests that a person should have certain experiences and understanding in each stage of growth that will provide appropriate foundations for later career planning and decision-making

PLACEMENT & FOLLOW-UPEducational placement in courses and programsCollege admissionsJob placement

Follow-up activities seeks to assess the effectiveness of a program’s placement activities

REFERRALPractice of helping clients find needed expert assistance that referring counselors cannot provide

Directs a client to another counselor with a higher level of training or special expertise related to the client’s needs

CONSULTATIONIt is a process for helping a client through a third party or helping a system to improve its services to its clientele

TRIADIC CONSULTATION – parents or teachers with troubled pupils

Consultation is a form of outreach in which counselors function as team members to assist individual clients or systems that serve clients

RESEARCHMeans of producing additional knowledge in our field, providing factual data to reinforce or guide the counselor’s professional judgment and seeking answers to questions and issues of professional concern

EVALUATION & ACCOUNTABILITY• Evaluation is a process for assessing

the effectiveness of the counselors’ activities.

• Some evidence of accomplishment must be provided in return for tax investments. (Accountability)

PREVENTIONSeeks to prevent the occurrence of the disorder in the first place

Devising programs in schools that facilitate positive mental health in tandem with mastery of cognitive development

Wellness – recognizes the mental and physical well-being of the individual

BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMSchool Counseling Program…are designed to serve the developmental

and adjust mental needs of ALL youth

should be concerned with the TOTAL development of the students it serves

recognizes that individual development is a continuous, ongoing process

BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMSchool Counseling Program…must reflect the uniqueness of the

population and the environment it serves

Must base its uniqueness on a regular, systematic assessment

Knows that good education and good guidance are interrelated

BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMSchool Counseling Program…is accountable

must be designed to recognize the right and capability of the individual to make decisions and plans

must be designed with respect for the worth and dignity of the individual

BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMThe school counselor...

have professional competencies, leadership and direction

is a team member

Should be a role model of positive human relations – of unbiased, equal treatment

What will become of the counseling profession in the

future?