I believe it is important to recognize all students as valuable and worthwhile. Human nature is dynamic and ever evolving. People change through exposure to many different experiences, which help them develop intellectually, socially, spiritually, and personally (Erford, 2007). This process also involves learning, which Erford (2007)defines in Chapter 14 of his work Transforming the School Counseling Profession as the acquisition of new knowledge, behaviors, values, skills and understanding. As students acquire new knowledge and learning, change occurs internally, and students respond to their world in new ways. Following internal personal growth and development, a student adapts to their environment, develops new social skills, and communicates with others in ways that reflect their changing internal landscape. During this process the role of the school counselor includes supporting students during times of rapid change and uncertainty.
Providing a strong foundation for students to cope with the tremendous diversity that exists at school, including ethnic, racial, cultural, and personal differences is an important role that school counselors serve as part of a school counseling program (ACA, n.d., Erford, 2007). Students must also learn to work with individuals with different learning abilities. For students requiring special education, the role of the school counselor may include helping students adapt to challenging expectations, setting goals, and helping students feel like they are part of an inclusive culture that embraces diversity of all types. A school counselor provides opportunities for students to develop safely and comfortably, on physical and emotional levels, as well as spiritually within the boundaries of a student’s personal interest (Erford, 2007). The school counselor also works with students to help students learn how to respect others as well as learn how to respect their own boundaries and needs, and learn to care for their needs responsibly. When neglect occurs, a counselor may help identify the causes for this, and help students work toward improving personal care so that students have an opportunity to thrive in the educational setting (Lyons & Guy, 2002). While doing this, the school counselor is constantly working to continuously provide a safe and comfortable environment that promotes learning and growth opportunities for all students.
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"Philosophy of Counseling Assignment".
A school counselor is both an expert and a collaborator; as an expert, the school counselor serves as a reference and relational expert for students that want to learn how to develop key relationships or learn about culture, diversity, or test various behavioral ideas and theories. This is even more true of administrators that may want to learn why certain students may act the way they do. The school counselor may serve as an expert for parents that have questions about students, or provide references and contacts, resources, and information that parents can refer to about student challenges (Richie and Partin, 1994). As a collaborator, the school counselor works as a member of the student body, working with students to help them develop physically and emotionally.
Ideally counseling would be short-term, which may be one session, or many sessions depending on the nature of the issue a counselor may address, to ensure a student is provided with the tools necessary to grow and adapt in their environment, and solve problems successfully. Students, administrators, parents and other important members of the school body that require resources will have access to resources through the school counselor, who may provide information about economic assistance, advocacy, disability assistance, family support, abuse and addiction assistance, or other help a student may require to succeed in school (Lyons & Guy, 2002).
A counselor may work with students to set high expectations for success, so that students may develop smart, realistic and achievable goals to realize positive outcomes in school and beyond. In this way the school counselor empowers students (Erford, 2007).
- ACA. (n.d.). “The Role of the Professional School Counselor.” Retrieved November 6, 2013 from: http://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/RoleStatement.pdf
- Erford, B. (2007). Transforming the School Counseling Profession (3rd Edition). Pearson Merrill/Prentice Hall.
- Richie, M. H., & Partin, R. L. (1994). Referral practices of school counselors. School counselor, 41, 263-27.
- M. A., Lyons, P. M., Jr., & Guy, L. S. (2002). Liability issues in child abuse and neglect reporting statutes. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33, 13-18
