Comprehensive View of the Field of Counseling - Research Paper Example

?Running head: counseling Comprehensive view of the field of counseling Professional school counseling Counseling is an exciting and vibrant profession that has gone through numerous changes and has evolved immensely; it involves helping human beings to tackle tough situations and issues through a planned, systematic and helpful manner and through empathy, skill and compassion. Counseling is essential to help individuals to cope from uncontrollable events and experiences, and to help them lead a normal and happy life. The present study focuses on professional school counseling while identifying the significance of school counseling as a profession as well as a need. Literature related to counseling and school counseling has helped in understanding the trends and development related to these aspects. Based on literature study, this discourse has identified certain important themes in school counseling profession. Further, an attempt to highlight significant elements in this profession has been made, which include the skills, competencies, functions required for effective school counseling. Important aspects related to ethical considerations and influence of biblical views on school counseling have been highlighted. The paper concludes with personal reflection of learning related to this field and areas of improvement that would help in imbibing good counseling practices. 1. Introduction: Counseling in general refers to the process of helping individuals to come out of their strained state of mind caused by some unexpected and uncontrollable events. Counseling as a concept is extremely broad and can be required in various life situations; hence Gladding (2009) refers to counseling as a dynamic profession. Informally, counseling may be carried out by family members and/or friends of individuals under stress; formally, trained counselors are sought for professional help. The present topic deals with professional school counseling, which is believed to be extremely sensitive and crucial for the growing young people. School counseling involves counseling school going children on various aspects related to their academics, personal and social lives, career choice, etc. 2. Brief History and Development of Counseling: Although the process of counseling can be traced back to centuries, school counseling gained ground during the end 19th century. Schmidt (2007) reported that school counseling first appeared in the US in 1898 when a guidance program was introduced in a school in Detroit to help students towards character building, problem solving, and to develop ability to relate academic courses to job fields (as cited in Dahir & Stone, 2011). As explained by Schmidt (2007), Frank Parsons, the father of guidance, was instrumental in driving the movement that emphasized vocational training for students in response to his concerns related to the society’s preparedness for development and growth. Oubreaks of World Wars and the Great Depression further strengthened the need for vocational courses and student guidance. As a consequence to these large events, evaluation mechanisms changed and stiffened competition for students. Government’s active involvement in supporting student counseling came with introduction of the George-Barden Act of 1946 (Dahir & Stone, 2011, p.9). In 1953, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) was started in order to help school students in their academic problems and personal issues (ACA Divisions, n.d). The ASCA released a manual for school counseling which outlines standards for school counseling; another addendum to this noble initiative has been the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Clinton & Hawkins, 2011, p.478). School counselors work in a variety of settings such as school counseling centers, career guidance centers, residence, life, advising, multicultural student services, and on-campus settings. The most significant developments in school counseling in the US have been the National Standards for School Counseling Programs introduced by the ASCA in 1997, the Education Trust’s Transforming School Counseling Initiative of 1997, and the ASCA National Model of 2003 and 2005; these three programs, according to Dahir and Stone (2011), were the turning points in school counseling profession that not only defined vision and goals for school counseling in 21st century but also reinforced the need and significance of school counseling in bringing about effective academic and personal development of students. Paisley and Borders (1995) have asserted that school counseling has emerged as a consequence of changes in society, societal norms and practices. There is enough evidence to believe what Paisley and Borders (1995) asserted considering the kind of situations children undergo at homes and at schools that could ruin their future if not corrected at the right time and in the right manner. 3. Significance of school counseling and its relation to counseling in general: Human beings are continually exposed to a variety of challenges throughout their lives to which they also develop the ability to tackle the challenges. However, a few life situations seem to be uncontrollable and finding solutions to these challenges seems impossible; such experiences can make people feel helpless and depressed, which further affects other activities, relationships and life in general. As school-going children are in a continuous learning process throughout their schooling, they are more prone to such challenges that seem to be very difficult for them to tackle or cope with. Moreover, this stage of their lives decides their future depending upon the learning, experiences and guidance received from parents, teachers, friends, social and community circles. Most of the situations that children face can go unnoticed by parents, friends and even teachers, which eventually cause mental trauma to the children, and here the role of school counselor comes into picture. In general, counseling focuses on the difficulties or challenges faced by the child/children. School counselors act as the saviors in most difficult situations. Not all children get similar attention from parents, teachers and friends, which further results in incomplete development compared to other children of same age or group. In order to ensure effective development of school children belonging to specific group/age, school counselors can help by providing additional learning or guidance towards behavioral change. Availability of school counselors makes it easier to identify developmental needs of children and also the reasons for underdevelopment; therefore, school counselors can be regarded as extremely resourceful in child development. 4. Major themes in school counseling: Five major themes identified during this study include accountability, learning, counseling focus, counseling competencies, and leadership. a. Accountability: Accountability has been identified as one of the major concerns in school counseling. Ideally, the nature of school counseling program should be conducive to student outcomes in order for counseling to be effective (Sink & Stroh, 2003). Sink and Stroh (2003) mention about the standardization of counseling program in order to improve accountability by which standardized approaches and practices are adopted by schools, which are grouped under the Comprehensive Development Guidance (CDG) program. Wiston and Sexton (1998) emphasized that student counseling has a significant impact on students’ success, and that counselors have to be assessed for accountability based on student outcomes. b. Learning: Dahir and Stone (2011) emphasize that school counseling program should promote and enhance learning process among students. For this, empowerment of school counselors, to make decisions and take actions, is important. This empowerment will help them consider various factors such as the child’s mentality, background, likes and dislikes, family support, etc before attempting any counseling process. c. Counseling focus: Professional school counseling is meant to bring about long term benefits for the children and the schools by following certain standard guidelines and approaches; however, it is also important to note that these goals are applicable when school counseling process is carried out in general. There would be some children that require special attention to help them tackle their personal and social issues rather than addressing their academic performance. In such cases, school counselors would be required to provide special attention to the child that needs it and try to help the child tackle the issue. The comprehensive school counseling program aims to address all student issues by including various aspect of academic performance, personality improvement and relationship building in the activities of school cousnelors’ curricula. For instance, a few public schools have outlined their school counseling focus according to the schooling level. For elementary levels, school counseling focus is at peer-relationships, conflict resolution, career interests and career exploration. For middle school, these include all the aspects of elementary school in addition to goal setting and high school orientation. Thirdly, for high school, these include preparation for college and future employment opportunities, and personal and social issues (Albemarle County Public Schools, 2011). Not all schools give the same amount of importance towards addressing the students’ personal issues and it also depends upon parental permissions to do so. d. Counselor competencies: Counselors’ contributions towards achievement of schools’ missions and/or in addressing students’ personal issues are more important than the comprehensive school counseling programs. The ASCA outlines general competencies of school counselors that are in line with the ASCA National model; however, the secondary competencies that are required to perform counseling job should complement their primary roles of counseling. These secondary skills involve those skills that would be required for effective coordination, consulting and counseling. In all, the most important competencies include counselors’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills related to the counseling programs, management, foundation and delivery, and accountability. e. Leadership: Significance of leadership has been attached to school counseling due to role ambiguity and lack of accountability. Moreover, introducing standardized approach requires collaboration and consultation with various groups and authorities, including parents. These needs necessitated leadership action and position for school counseling so as to bring in reform-minded counselors and educators as well as effective reforms in schools. The theme of school counselor leadership was an outcome of study conducted by the Center for School Counseling Outcome Research (CSCOR) (as cited in Schellenberg, 2008; p.5). School counselors are required to take up leadership roles whenever required. Starting from identifying potential problems to bringing about effective solution, school counselors assume various roles. They are seen as saviors during crises, whether involving individual student or group of students. These counselors are actively involved in implementing educational reforms and other changes effectively (Anderson, 2010). School counselors have a highly critical role to play in child development considering their role in collaboration with other school authorities as well as with the parents. Exercising advocacy requires confidence and the ability to create new and effective counseling program that can facilitate academic and/or personal success for the students; these actions exemplify leadership abilities, which counselors need to develop while being grounded to their core responsibilities as well as ethical conduct (Nassar-McMillan & Niles, 2010). 4. Important elements in school counseling: A few important elements identified in school counseling include roles and responsibilities, counselor identity, functions and ethics, which have been briefly explained. a. Roles and responsibilities: The school counselor’s roles and responsibilities along with deliverables are clearly defined by the school district administration after much confusion and lack of commitment from school counselors were experienced (Dahir & Stone, 2011), thereby transforming the role as well as perception of school counselors. One of the most important responsibility and aim of 21st century schools is to ensure students are acquiring the right attitudes, knowledge and skills required for transition from lower to higher grades, which is also the responsibility of the school counselors. Although these are the broader aspects dealt in school counseling, the actual duties performed vary with age group, school levels/grades, setting (whether rural or urban), state and district policies etc (Clinton & Hawkins, 2011). b. Counselor identity: In general, the school counselor plays a variety of roles including educator, leader, coordinator, consultant, clinician, mentor, guide etc. Foremost, the school counselor should be able to identify and establish his/her role in line with the philosophy of their profession; secondly, they should be able to explain about their purpose and services; thirdly and most importantly, they should take pride in their occupation and commitment (Remley & Herlihy, 2001). Brott and Myers (1999) argue that self-conceptualization is necessary for the right professional conduct and commitment. Many researchers believe that school counselors have to develop a strong sense of their identity with respect to their role and significance in child development as well as societal betterment, which can be done by gain knowledge related to their profession and their position in it (Schmidt, 1999). Through their study, Brott and Myers (1999) established that professional identity actually shapes the counseling programs and their outcomes. Professional identity and commitment of student counselors together help in counseling students out of their challenges. However, if the school counselors are expected to take up multi-faceted roles, then their commitment and the counseling outcomes may not be upto the mark or as expected. c. Functions of school counselors: A very important and significant function of the school counselor is advocacy. Professional school counselors have to take charge of identifying specific needs and successive activities to meet those needs. To advocate or support any specific viewpoint or outcome, it is important for the school counselor to be confident as well as mindful of others viewpoints. In order to drive home specific points, the counselor should possess the skills required for identifying specific opportunities during the process of counseling. The counselor should also be able to establish him/herself as a model professional while striving to apply knowledge and skills. Moreover, the school counselor should be able identify potential barriers to students’ academic success and individual growth; this would require effective advocacy to support their viewpoint, which may/may not be against the existing systems and procedures. The counselor is expected to collaborate and consult with various other people including parents, community members, school staff, etc. collaboration activities usually involve goal setting, planning, and knowledge sharing (Nassar-McMillan & Niles, 2010). d. Ethics: Ethical conduct and ethics in general have a deep relationship with the counseling profession. School counselors are usually governed by a code of ethics determined by the educational body or district authority. Confidentiality tops all other list of ethics in any setting, which is quite difficult in the school setting. Professional school counselors are expected to balance their ethical and legal responsibilities with three groups, the students, parents or guardians and the school authorities (Corey, G, Corey M.S and Callanam, 2010; p.217). However, there will be situations when third-party involvement becomes inevitable; such situations include counseling elementary level children; situations that demand parental/guardian involvement etc. School counselors are also bound by the basic tenets of counseling process set by the ASCA, which in turn determine their responsibilities (Schulte & Cochrane, 1995). 5. Biblical values and insights: Counseling in general is often confronted by Biblical teachings because the Bible teachings advocate against evaluation of human being against anything. Many Christians believe that assessment of self-esteem or any aspect related to self-esteem is conceit or arrogance against God, and hence sinful. Such beliefs certainly place much pressure on school counselors if they have to deal with changing these beliefs for the betterment of the child (Hawkins & Clinton, 2011). Secondly, the ASCA Model encourages multiculturalism and encourages school counselors to be mindful of diversity and equity. However, there exists immense debate about the school counseling processes and methods adopted in contemporary times. Most of the religious leaders in Christianity as well as Christian parents are not supportive of contemporary approaches to school counseling as they feel that these new approaches are undermining Christian values when trying to accommodate other faiths. For instance, school counselors and authorities are discouraged from encouraging children to participate in school events or other social events by school authorities that clash with the events held by the Church (Anderson, 2010). 6. Personal reflections and conclusions: Study and experience only suggest that school counseling is a challenging profession considering various factors such as the people (children) being counseled and dealt with; secondly, the pressure in terms of roles and responsibilities of a school counselor that might warrant commitment beyond profession and can extend to extensive learning related to various personalities; thirdly, understanding the biblical values associated with self, learning, improvement etc in order to effectively change others thought process; lastly, to collaborate effectively between the child, parents, school authorities and peers for providing effective counseling. While dealing with multicultural students, I should also be mindful of various other religious perspectives. As a school counselor, my aim would be to provide right counseling by correcting students’ misconceptions related to their own abilities; identifying false beliefs and correcting them; making right assessment of the students’ strengths and weaknesses. I will have to develop skills that will help in this profession, such as empathy, leadership, openness and honesty, constructive confrontation, knowledge transfer, responsiveness etc. I should not try to change the student’s perception of God, religion or spirituality unless it is a fallacy or misinterpretation. In conclusion, this study has highlighted the significance school counseling as well as the role of school counselor in terms of accountability, leadership, learning and knowledge sharing, ethical considerations and limitations, and counseling competencies required for effective and professional student counseling. As a counselor, it is important to develop key skills such as empathy, responsiveness, leadership and commitment. Knowledge related to pupils’ psychology, psychological conditions, religious beliefs that interfere with learning and development would add great value to the service. References Abermale County Public Schools. (2011). Retrieved from, http://www2.k12albemarle.org/acps/parents/notifications/Notifications%20Library/School%20Counseling.pdf ACA Divisions. (n.d). American Counseling Association. Retrieved from, http://www.counseling.org/AboutUs/DivisionsBranchesAndRegions/TP/Divisions/CT2.aspx Anderson, K.L. (2010). Culturally Considerate School Counseling: Helping Without Bias. CA: Corwin Press. Brott, P. E. & Myers, J. E. (1999). Development of professional school counselor identity. Professional School Counseling, 2(5), 339-348. Clinton, T and Hawkins, R. (2011). The Popular Encyclopedia of Christian Counseling: An Indispensable Tool for Helping People with Their Problems. 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