History of Counseling Essay

My pursuit of becoming a School Counselor led me to apply to the School Counseling Master’s Program at University of Maryland, College Park. I am a former student at University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. After graduating and teaching for two years in Prince George’s County Public Schools, I discovered my true passion lies not only in the classroom and students’ academics, but playing a pivotal role in the growth of their career, social, and personal development. Although I am no longer teaching full-time at the moment, my interaction with students from diverse backgrounds left an indelible responsibility to continue making a difference in our students. The objectives and mission of the School Counseling Master’s Program at University of Maryland can best help my goal of becoming an effective counselor and leader who is an agent of change to students and service the mental and emotional well-being of the younger generation.

Following the interview conducted with a school psychologist, I was able to obtain a sense of Mrs. Montgomery’s basis for her practice, including her target clients, assumptions and values, goals and various roles of consultation, counseling, intervention and program evaluation (Sandoval, 1986). Mrs. Montgomery may be characterized as a school psychologist who places particular emphasis on the need to improve the student and systems’ capability.

The Comprehensive School Counseling Program Notebook which follows the ASCA National Model third edition was created in School Counseling Programs. This notebook is divided into four components as directed by the comprehensive school counseling program: foundation, delivery, management, and accountability. The Foundation section includes my core beliefs, my vision, my mission, rationale, description, and goals of the program at Mountain Home Junior School. Delivery, Management, and Accountability (AR 1.2).

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is the division of the American Counseling Association (ACA) that supports the development of professional school counselors. It published the ASCA National Model (2012), which provides a framework for a comprehensive school counseling program that includes four quadrants: Foundation, Delivery, Management, and Accountability. The National Model also offers a detailed account of the role, function, and competencies of professional school counselors. It specifically addresses how the proper use of professional school counselors and implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program can enhance the education of the whole student at the elementary, middle, or high school level (ASCA,

The role of a school counselor is an intriguing one because they do not work with a specific type of client. While they will always be working with young children or teenagers, the problems their clients come to them with can be so different from client to client. One session might be dealing with questions about career choices. Another might be about dealing with bullying. Some days a school counselor may even have to be there for a child who was a victim of sexual or physical abuse. It is because of this wide range of demands that a school counselor should be well-versed in many types of counseling theories.

"The mission of school counseling is to provide a developmental and systematic comprehensive program that ensures academic, personal, social, and career development and achievement for all students," as such contemporary counselors have a lot on their plates (Rogers et al. 2011 p 8). Whereas counseling services were once thought of as necessary outside of vocational counseling, today's educational environments posit that counseling services are crucial to the academic, personal, and career success of today's students. Thus, the Miami-Dade and Hillsborough County School Districts have placed great importance on the role of the counselor, but there is still room for improvement in order to get to that ideal atmosphere where counselors can best help direct the lives of their students.

Implementing and designing a comprehensive school-counseling program needs to ensure that they are meeting state standards as well as the ASCA National Model. Assessing the comprehensive school-counseling program allows school counselors consider how well they are meeting the needs of the students, and meeting the requirements of the ASCA National Model and state requirements. School counselors gain the ability to assess the effectiveness of the program and answer the question “How are students different as a result of the school counseling program” (Susan Ireland, M. ED., 2014, slide 1).

School counselors collaborate with other school personnel such as teachers who will help implement guidance lessons in the classroom. As a school counselor it is important to keep the teachers motivated to help implement these programs. Resource teachers typically work the special education students, collaborating with resource teachers ensures that all students are included in the comprehensive program. The resource teacher can help provide alternative to working with students in an inclusive manner. The principles and assistance principles of the school typically serve on the advisory committee, they provide resources to the program, and help communicate the important of the counseling program. School psychologist are there to assist with mental health services, doing assessments, and working with the school counselor during crisis situations. School nurses provide health services to the students. They monitor student medications and note changes in students behavior or effectiveness of the medication. Secretaries are equally important in the collaborative model. Secretaries are typically the first person a parent will come in contact with when entering the school. They are the ones that create that first impression (Erford, 2015). Community agencies can provide additional support to students outside of

The school counselor collaborates with school and community members to plan, design, implement, evaluate and enhance the school and district‐wide comprehensive school-counseling program to advance the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students. The school counselor knows and understands the structural components of a fully implemented comprehensive school counseling program including a philosophy and definition, facilities, advisory council, resources, budget and staffing patterns.

The Purpose: This guideline is designed to help at risk or seeking students suffering from anxiety and depression in the school systems. School teachers should have the ability to be able to refer students to counselors for mental health evaluation and assessment; and prepare student and family for outside mental health treatment. The aim of this protocol is to benefit students who need mental health assistance by providing them with a safe, cooperative, and positive environment to better their education and overall well- being.

School counseling has evolved over the years into a significant component of the educational system. School counselors are taking on new roles in schools as leaders, working with “school administration and staff in developing student attitudes and behavior which are necessary to maintain proper control, acceptable standards of self-discipline and a suitable learning environment within the school” (Secondary School Counselor 2012). Counselors work in “diverse community settings designed to provide a variety of counseling, rehabilitation, and support services” (Counselors, 2010). When working in a school district as a counselor, you can either be an elementary school counselor, middle school counselor or a high school counselor.

Functions of the school counselor have changed throughout the decades (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). To support the current school reform movement, school counselors focus on standards that students should be able to accomplish because of their participation in a school counseling program (Wilkerson, 2010). It is suggested that these standards help to support students’ ability to be ready to learn (Wilkerson, 2010). Through the use of these standards, professional school counselors have a primary responsibility to provide effective services to support students in their academic success, career and college development, and social/emotional development (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2012). School counselors provide services to students by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program that supports student success through application of systemic change, advocacy, collaboration, and leadership skills (ASCA, 2012). For instance, if a counselor sees barriers that are interfering with student success, the counselor should advocate for students or empower students to advocate for themselves. Further, through the use of the ASCA (2012) model, professional school counselors provide a comprehensive school counseling program that focuses on foundation, management, delivery, and accountability (ASCA, 2012). For example, school counselors provide delivery of the school counseling program by

Looking back, I now have higher expectations about the duties of a school counselor and acknowledge the areas in which the counseling department at my school lacked. Most notably being that I was never given any traditional form of counseling. Unfortunately, I think this is due to the this growing field having not yet obtained its identity of a counseling emphasis. I knew that I could go to my counselor for academic advisement, I was sure that I would get more assistance if I struggled with my classes, but I do not believe that my counselor took an active approach of inquiring about mental health. Instead the counseling department seemed focused on student’s only when grades were down.

The term, guidance contributes to the misunderstanding in distinguishing the difference between a guidance counselor and a school counselor. People that are unfamiliar with the profession tend to use the term guidance and school counseling interchangeably. In spite of this, “ guidance is a generic term covering all functions in which professional school counselors might engage. Counseling is one of those functions, whereas other include consulting and assessing” (Baker & Gerler, p. 20). The term guidance counselor limits the job description and duties a school counselor performs on a daily schedule. The image of a guidance counselor is portrayed as a person sitting behind a desk listening to student’s dilemmas and guiding the students through their problems. However, people who are familiar in the profession understand guidance is only a part of a school counselor job. At the same time, history enhances the confusion of a guidance and school counselor.

In schools all over the world today, School Counselors are crucial to assisting students, parents, school administrations, and the community. I believe that creating an effective counseling program that supports the counselors’ role in education will foster a close interaction between students and counselor to achieve success in their personal/social lives, academic achievements, and college readiness careers.