• What does a School Counselor do?

    As a school counselor, I perform various roles that all work towards promoting positive development in academic, college/career, and social-emotional domains for all students.  Some of the direct services I provide include school assemblies, classroom lessons, small group counseling, and individual counseling.

     

    School Counselor Services/Roles:

    As the School Counselor, my role is to provide support services to address a number of issues to promote positive development in academic, college/career, and personal/social development, including (though certainly not limited to) the following:  

    Services:

    *Individual counseling
    *Group counseling
    Classroom lessons
    Crisis Counseling
    Parent/Staff Consultations
    504/SST/CST support
    *IEP consultation/support (as needed)
    Positive Behavior Interventions & Support (PBIS)
    Referrals for outside services and community resources

    *(Short-term, 6-8 weeks)

    Students, I am here to help you with:

    Managing your feelings (Self-Esteem, stress, worry, anger, anxiety, etc.)
    Social skills
    Friendship skills
    Setting goals for academic success
    Working with others
    Increasing Positive Behavior
    Feeling good about yourself
    Adjusting to a new school
    College/career exploration
    Dealing with peer pressure
    Coping Skills      
    Problem-solving skills
    Conflict Resolution
    Divorce/Changing Families          
    Grief and Loss   
    Military Deployment

     Parents, I am here to help you with:

    Support and advocate for your child
    Exploring ways to help your child succeed in:
                        -academics
                        -personal/social development
                        -college/career education
    Improving parent-child communication
    Providing referrals for community resources 

     DESCRIPTION OF COUNSELING ROLE/SERVICES:

    Classroom Lessons:

    I teach lessons in classrooms so that students can learn a variety of skills, some examples of topics:  conflict resolution, responsibility, character education, safety, bullying prevention, and social skills.

    Small Group Counseling:

    Group counseling is available to groups of students with similar challenges and can be requested by students, parents, or teachers. Groups generally last about 6-8 weeks and focus on a variety of topics depending on the need.  
     

    Individual Counseling:

    Short-term (6-8 weeks) individual student sessions are available for students at the request of parents, students, and teachers to meet the needs of ALL students expressing difficulty with emotion/personal concerns, academic achievement, or typical developmental transitions. Please keep in mind that these individual sessions are NOT therapy. Generally, individual sessions involve discussions and learning coping skills to help the student achieve his/her goal so they may reach their fullest potential during the school day. Oftentimes, students come to me for minor issues; however, I will contact parents/guardians with any major concerns.  

    *Note: As a school counselor, I do not provide therapy to students. School counseling services are not a replacement for therapeutic services. If your child is in need of more intensive intervention, I am happy to help you find a community service provider to meet your child's needs. 

     CONFIDENTIALITY:

    Confidentiality is an important aspect of counseling; this is how the School Counselor builds a relationship of trust with the student. Confidentiality is explained to the student throughout the school year. I also remind students before each session.

     What the child says during a counseling session is to remain between the School Counselor and the child, unless:
                      -The child is in imminent danger.
                      -The child is threatening to harm him/herself or someone else.
                      -The child reports an incident of abuse and/or neglect.
                      -The child gives permission to disclose.
    When a breach in confidentiality is necessary, I would make a report to the appropriate agencies, support staff and/or parents depending on the situation.

    *Note: School Counselors and ALL school staff members are mandated reporters. Mandated reporters are required by law to report to Children Protective Services (CPS) any time a child is suspected of being in danger, abused or neglected.

     
    For detailed information, please check:

    https://www.schoolcounselor.org/

    https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Careers-Roles/WhyElem.pdf