A school counselor is a counselor and an educator who works in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide academic, career, college access, and personal/social competencies to every K-12 student. The interventions used include: Developmental school counseling curriculum lessons and annual planning for every student, and culturally competent group and individual counseling. School Counselors use specific skills in advocacy, leadership, systemic change, technology integration, equity assessment, and teaming and collaboration with other stakeholders in a data-driven comprehensive developmental school counseling program. Older, dated terms for the profession were "guidance counselor" or "educational counselor" but "School Counselor" is preferred due to professional school counselors' advocating for every child's academic, career, and personal/social success in every elementary, middle, and high school (ASCA, 2005) [1]. In the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific, the terms school counselor, school guidance counselor, and guidance teacher are also used with the traditional emphasis career development [2]. Countries vary in how a school counseling program and school counseling program services are provided based on economics (funding for schools and school counseling programs), social capital (independent versus public schools), and School Counselor certification and credentialing movements in Education departments, professional associations, and national and local legislation.[2]. The major accreditation body for Counselor Education/School Counseling programs is the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), which provides international program accreditation in Counselor Education disciplines including school counseling [3].
Worldwide, there are large achievement, opportunity, funding, and attainment gaps for who has access to a quality elementary, middle, and high school education and can then pursue additional educational resources including college. In some countries, school counseling, frequently career education/development/counseling, is provided by educational specialists (for example, Botswana, China, Finland, Israel, Malta, Nigeria, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, United States). In other cases, school counseling is provided by classroom teachers who either have such duties added to their typical teaching load or teach only a limited load that also includes school counseling activities (for example- India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Zambia).[2]. There are groups in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe that have provided international counseling conferences but most have not had an exclusive school counseling focus. The IAEVG focuses primarily on career development with some international school counseling articles and conference presentationss
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Counseling
Learn About Yourself As You Help Others
Life can be challenging at times. We’re forced to confront issues we’re not prepared for. Unfortunately, we’re not born into this world with a user manual. We’re required to go through life doing the best we can. Sure we have friends and family to help us, but they’re also just doing the best they can.
A wonderful benefit of becoming a Counsellor is the self-learning. Becoming a Counsellor is an enjoyable journey of self discovery. Counselling is a science of personal effectiveness. An understanding of counselling principles provides you with a clear understanding of yourself, as well as those around you.
As a Counsellor you’ll understand why you feel, think and behave as you do. And you’ll be able to implement strategies in your own life so that you’re happier, healthier, and more able to face life’s challenges.
Learning That Fits Around Your Lifestyle
Today there are more and more demands on your time. Gaining a qualification can be difficult when you have to fit it around other commitments.
Most course providers still design their courses using traditional methods. That was fine 10 years ago when most students studied full time. Today we don’t have that luxury. You need to fit competing career, family and lifestyle needs into the same hours.
That’s why the Institute focuses on external, flexible training. Our learning methods have evolved with the times. Our training methods set a precedent in flexibility and support. This means you can fit your learning around your lifestyle whilst maintaining exceptional levels of quality and support.
Institute courses are designed to maximise your learning from home. You can progress at your own pace, and assessment is progressive.
The specialised course material and extensive support provide you with all the expert support and advice you need. Because you are in total control of your study time, you can complete your course several times faster than by other means.
Life can be challenging at times. We’re forced to confront issues we’re not prepared for. Unfortunately, we’re not born into this world with a user manual. We’re required to go through life doing the best we can. Sure we have friends and family to help us, but they’re also just doing the best they can.
A wonderful benefit of becoming a Counsellor is the self-learning. Becoming a Counsellor is an enjoyable journey of self discovery. Counselling is a science of personal effectiveness. An understanding of counselling principles provides you with a clear understanding of yourself, as well as those around you.
As a Counsellor you’ll understand why you feel, think and behave as you do. And you’ll be able to implement strategies in your own life so that you’re happier, healthier, and more able to face life’s challenges.
Learning That Fits Around Your Lifestyle
Today there are more and more demands on your time. Gaining a qualification can be difficult when you have to fit it around other commitments.
Most course providers still design their courses using traditional methods. That was fine 10 years ago when most students studied full time. Today we don’t have that luxury. You need to fit competing career, family and lifestyle needs into the same hours.
That’s why the Institute focuses on external, flexible training. Our learning methods have evolved with the times. Our training methods set a precedent in flexibility and support. This means you can fit your learning around your lifestyle whilst maintaining exceptional levels of quality and support.
Institute courses are designed to maximise your learning from home. You can progress at your own pace, and assessment is progressive.
The specialised course material and extensive support provide you with all the expert support and advice you need. Because you are in total control of your study time, you can complete your course several times faster than by other means.
what counseling?
LifeShopsWhat Is Counseling?
There are many myths about what Counseling entails. Most of them are rooted in some outdated ideas about psychology and psychotherapy. Unfortunately, images of old men in beards, clients on couches and patients in asylums still define what counseling is for many individuals who might benefit from what counseling offers today. Often, people dismiss counseling as Something for “crazy people”?Professional help for people with really major problems?An activity for people who are way too preoccupied with themselves!A crutch for people who are just too weak to handle life.
or
Where you go and get analyzed by somebody and then hope something changes for the better!
Usually, if counseling is described in these ways, the descriptions are coming from people who have never been to counseling....Counseling is many things....but a good place to start is by clarifying what counseling is NOT!Counseling is NOT a place that people go to find out if they’re "crazy" ...but rather to get support because sometimes the world can seem pretty “crazy.”Counseling is NOT something that attends only to challenges regarded as “major problems” and dismissing things some may regard as “less important problems” but rather attends to the issues that students bring in whenever they feel the distress is getting in the way of living life with satisfaction. Counseling simply helps show those who come to counseling that they possess the strength and abilities to manage their challenges.Counseling is NOT an activity for self-absorbed people. In fact, most students who seek counseling are struggling because they are very sensitive to the feelings and experiences of others and want to preserve their relationships by working on the difficulties that threaten them.. Counseling is NOT an activity where one expert analyzes the client. Rather, it is an activity where counselor and client work as a team to make positive changes in the client's approach to life. Counseling is NOT a crutch for weak people. Rather, it is a vehicle for strong people who decide to face their challenges directly rather than continue in the more frightened and “escape”-oriented ways that others use to deal with difficulties.
A MirrorCounseling is a unique relationship in which the Counselor’s job is to hold up a mirror for the client to see himself or herself in. We all have experiences in which we can’t see things about ourselves without a mirror.
Whether our hair is fully combed, whether we have something stuck in our teeth, or whether we have a wound in a hard to see place, we often need mirrors to see these things well enough to do something about them. And, sometimes, we need someone to hold the mirror so we can see the things at are at more hidden angles. In addition to knowing what angles to hold the mirror from, the counselor understands that sometimes it takes a while for folks to see what they need.... especially if there are more subtle things needing our recognition. Finally, because most people tend to be hard on themselves (if not downright mean to themselves) the counselor knows to hold the mirror in such a way that the client can see himself or herself from a caring, supportive, and sympathetic perspective.
ReflectionsOften counselors seem to only be repeating what clients are saying to them or paraphrasing clients rather than giving answers.I hear you saying....It seems that you are....I can feel that you are experiencing...How does that make you feel?What emotions do you have about this?Actually, when counselors are doing this, there is a strategy behind it. Remember, counseling is not about experts fixing problematic people. Mirrors don’t comb our hair, they just motivate us to pick up the comb by showing the areas that need our attention.
When counselors ask such questions or make such statements, they are not necessarily seeking answers from clients. Rather, they are simply giving the clients an opportunity to focus on the things that seem out of view for them.... often this involves pointing the mirror to some neglected painful emotions.
Counseling is about reflecting back to the client that he or she is being heard and providing them an opportunity to hear themselves. Often, hearing one's own thoughts and feelings in another person's words adds a clarity and support that's difficult to grasp when the emotional turmoil simply swims around in our heads without any form. When students can see the most complete reflection of themselves, pain and all, they are more capable of learning about the details of themselves. With this enhanced perspective, those in counseling can make the adjustments needed to make their lives more satisfying.The Counseling RelationshipMirrors With ExpertiseSometimes, because Counselors have a lot of experience witnessing human beings in various forms of life challenges, they can ask questions or share observations that are more revealing than what friends or family members might say. With these new revelations, clients make decisions and--with the support of the counselor-- clients take action toward positive growth in their lives.Thus, the relationship between the Counselor (this supportive mirror) and the Client, is helpful in and of itself. The Counseling Relationship is one that exists between a person with caring expertise and a person with discouraging isolation around difficult life experiences. It is a relationship that emerges through a sharing of personal history and exploring powerful emotions.
Confusions Traumas Rejections
Hurt Hopes Anger
Fears AbandonmentBecause the counselor is a real person who typically cares genuinely about the client, a relationship develops between the person of the counselor and the person of the client. Genuine connection, defined by a closeness between two persons out of the trust-based sharing, emerges between them.However, because the counselor typically self-discloses very little in the counseling relationship in order to maintain a focus on meeting the client’s needs, and because the counselor’s job is to “hold up the mirror,” you, the client are actually forming a new relationship with yourself--- in more emotional detail and with a more accepting perspective. Thus, the client in pain and confusion begins to form a close relationship with the client as a growing individual, increasingly equipped to take care of him or her Self. This point is important to emphasize because it explains Counseling as a venture aimed at helping clients become autonomous rather than fostering dependence on professionals.
Mirrors Come in Different ShapesThere are different formats of counseling and different approaches counselors may take, but most are in one of three forms: Individual Counseling, Couples Counseling, and Group CounselingStudents are often hesitant to engage in anything other than individual counseling. While often this is the most appropriate intervention, the other formats have unique advantages that should be considered.Often, students are resistant to couples counseling, opting to talk “about their relationship” with a counselor in individual counseling. Couples Counseling adds the partner’s perspective to the counseling to the benefits of individual counseling. Group Counseling, a prospect that is intimidating to many students, has several advantages. For one thing, Group Counseling provides at least as many mirrors as there are group members, compared to the single mirror available in individual counseling. When a person’s difficulties have a significant interpersonal component---in other words, if the client’s struggle is something that impacts relationships with others---Group Counseling is often most helpful because it provides a safe place to get feedback on how they are experienced by others.For individuals having difficulty establishing or maintaining relationships...
Shyness, New Friends or New Romantic Interests Don’t Call, Confusing Conflicts, Feeling Left Out from Social Groups---....the group offers an arena where the client eventually begins acting and reacting in similar ways to their relating style outside the group....The group, facilitated toward a supportive and caring approach, can shed light in how you may come across as well as helping correct some incorrect assumptions that may lead to some of the relationship difficulties to begin with.
So What Is Counseling?
It’s an Honest and Supportive Mirror It’s a Relationship that Builds Confidence.It’s available for any Georgia State University student who may need to explore some of the difficulties that have started to form barriers to success and satisfaction with this thing called Life.
There are many myths about what Counseling entails. Most of them are rooted in some outdated ideas about psychology and psychotherapy. Unfortunately, images of old men in beards, clients on couches and patients in asylums still define what counseling is for many individuals who might benefit from what counseling offers today. Often, people dismiss counseling as Something for “crazy people”?Professional help for people with really major problems?An activity for people who are way too preoccupied with themselves!A crutch for people who are just too weak to handle life.
or
Where you go and get analyzed by somebody and then hope something changes for the better!
Usually, if counseling is described in these ways, the descriptions are coming from people who have never been to counseling....Counseling is many things....but a good place to start is by clarifying what counseling is NOT!Counseling is NOT a place that people go to find out if they’re "crazy" ...but rather to get support because sometimes the world can seem pretty “crazy.”Counseling is NOT something that attends only to challenges regarded as “major problems” and dismissing things some may regard as “less important problems” but rather attends to the issues that students bring in whenever they feel the distress is getting in the way of living life with satisfaction. Counseling simply helps show those who come to counseling that they possess the strength and abilities to manage their challenges.Counseling is NOT an activity for self-absorbed people. In fact, most students who seek counseling are struggling because they are very sensitive to the feelings and experiences of others and want to preserve their relationships by working on the difficulties that threaten them.. Counseling is NOT an activity where one expert analyzes the client. Rather, it is an activity where counselor and client work as a team to make positive changes in the client's approach to life. Counseling is NOT a crutch for weak people. Rather, it is a vehicle for strong people who decide to face their challenges directly rather than continue in the more frightened and “escape”-oriented ways that others use to deal with difficulties.
A MirrorCounseling is a unique relationship in which the Counselor’s job is to hold up a mirror for the client to see himself or herself in. We all have experiences in which we can’t see things about ourselves without a mirror.
Whether our hair is fully combed, whether we have something stuck in our teeth, or whether we have a wound in a hard to see place, we often need mirrors to see these things well enough to do something about them. And, sometimes, we need someone to hold the mirror so we can see the things at are at more hidden angles. In addition to knowing what angles to hold the mirror from, the counselor understands that sometimes it takes a while for folks to see what they need.... especially if there are more subtle things needing our recognition. Finally, because most people tend to be hard on themselves (if not downright mean to themselves) the counselor knows to hold the mirror in such a way that the client can see himself or herself from a caring, supportive, and sympathetic perspective.
ReflectionsOften counselors seem to only be repeating what clients are saying to them or paraphrasing clients rather than giving answers.I hear you saying....It seems that you are....I can feel that you are experiencing...How does that make you feel?What emotions do you have about this?Actually, when counselors are doing this, there is a strategy behind it. Remember, counseling is not about experts fixing problematic people. Mirrors don’t comb our hair, they just motivate us to pick up the comb by showing the areas that need our attention.
When counselors ask such questions or make such statements, they are not necessarily seeking answers from clients. Rather, they are simply giving the clients an opportunity to focus on the things that seem out of view for them.... often this involves pointing the mirror to some neglected painful emotions.
Counseling is about reflecting back to the client that he or she is being heard and providing them an opportunity to hear themselves. Often, hearing one's own thoughts and feelings in another person's words adds a clarity and support that's difficult to grasp when the emotional turmoil simply swims around in our heads without any form. When students can see the most complete reflection of themselves, pain and all, they are more capable of learning about the details of themselves. With this enhanced perspective, those in counseling can make the adjustments needed to make their lives more satisfying.The Counseling RelationshipMirrors With ExpertiseSometimes, because Counselors have a lot of experience witnessing human beings in various forms of life challenges, they can ask questions or share observations that are more revealing than what friends or family members might say. With these new revelations, clients make decisions and--with the support of the counselor-- clients take action toward positive growth in their lives.Thus, the relationship between the Counselor (this supportive mirror) and the Client, is helpful in and of itself. The Counseling Relationship is one that exists between a person with caring expertise and a person with discouraging isolation around difficult life experiences. It is a relationship that emerges through a sharing of personal history and exploring powerful emotions.
Confusions Traumas Rejections
Hurt Hopes Anger
Fears AbandonmentBecause the counselor is a real person who typically cares genuinely about the client, a relationship develops between the person of the counselor and the person of the client. Genuine connection, defined by a closeness between two persons out of the trust-based sharing, emerges between them.However, because the counselor typically self-discloses very little in the counseling relationship in order to maintain a focus on meeting the client’s needs, and because the counselor’s job is to “hold up the mirror,” you, the client are actually forming a new relationship with yourself--- in more emotional detail and with a more accepting perspective. Thus, the client in pain and confusion begins to form a close relationship with the client as a growing individual, increasingly equipped to take care of him or her Self. This point is important to emphasize because it explains Counseling as a venture aimed at helping clients become autonomous rather than fostering dependence on professionals.
Mirrors Come in Different ShapesThere are different formats of counseling and different approaches counselors may take, but most are in one of three forms: Individual Counseling, Couples Counseling, and Group CounselingStudents are often hesitant to engage in anything other than individual counseling. While often this is the most appropriate intervention, the other formats have unique advantages that should be considered.Often, students are resistant to couples counseling, opting to talk “about their relationship” with a counselor in individual counseling. Couples Counseling adds the partner’s perspective to the counseling to the benefits of individual counseling. Group Counseling, a prospect that is intimidating to many students, has several advantages. For one thing, Group Counseling provides at least as many mirrors as there are group members, compared to the single mirror available in individual counseling. When a person’s difficulties have a significant interpersonal component---in other words, if the client’s struggle is something that impacts relationships with others---Group Counseling is often most helpful because it provides a safe place to get feedback on how they are experienced by others.For individuals having difficulty establishing or maintaining relationships...
Shyness, New Friends or New Romantic Interests Don’t Call, Confusing Conflicts, Feeling Left Out from Social Groups---....the group offers an arena where the client eventually begins acting and reacting in similar ways to their relating style outside the group....The group, facilitated toward a supportive and caring approach, can shed light in how you may come across as well as helping correct some incorrect assumptions that may lead to some of the relationship difficulties to begin with.
So What Is Counseling?
It’s an Honest and Supportive Mirror It’s a Relationship that Builds Confidence.It’s available for any Georgia State University student who may need to explore some of the difficulties that have started to form barriers to success and satisfaction with this thing called Life.
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