"...We're not the "Guidance" Counselors your parents remember..."

Years ago, counselors in schools worked primarily in a vocational function; 
they helped students assess interests, skills and then helped trudge through 
huge volumes of occupations to plan high school and college classes geared
toward selected careers or colleges.  This vocational function was known
as "guidance" counseling.  Later this became "guiding" certain students into 
the college track and others into a vocation, job opportunities track.  

Today, counselors leave behind that old model which divided and categorized 
students as if opportunities were pre-determined and lives forever "tracked. "   Instead, 
we work with all students in what many of us refer to as a 'student-centered,' 
strength-based model to see each person as unique and to regard all students 
positively, as people who want to reach their maximum potential.  

Our primary function is no longer scheduling and "guiding" students into a class or
track and in fact, most of us encourage  the
terms now used at graduating colleges in the field, "school counselors."    

Today, we are certified or licensed specialists in human behavior 
who provide assistance to the school community and promote academic 
excellence through these primary interventions:  counseling (individual and group); 
large group activities (including classroom units on various topics); consultation 
with parents, teachers, special education teams and administrators); coordination of 
services; and crisis intervention.  

Together, this is called a Comprehensive, Developmental School Counseling Program.

What follows is a brief explanation of each of these interventions:

COUNSELING:  A confidential relationship which the counselor conducts with 
students individually or in small groups.  Its focus is to help students to 
resolve or cope constructively with their problems and developmental 
concerns which are barriers to learning in school.  Small group counseling 
addresses a variety of social, emotional and academic needs.  Often, the 
individual counseling I do is what is referred to as solution-focused, brief 
counseling and is based on a particular counseling theory.


LARGE GROUP ACTIVITIES:  These are planned, developmental programs or 
classroom units or activities designed to foster students' insight and self 
awareness in order to cultivate academic, career and personal development.  
Classroom activities and units are provided currently to all sixth grade at 
Lyman Moore. Presentations to the seventh and eighth grade are determined by 
consultation with faculty, parents and students to address current issues or 
respond to school / community climate.  Here is where counselors can respond 
to school climate or culture in pro-active and productive ways to influence 
students or raise awareness.  

CONSULTATION:  This is our partnership with parents, teachers, coaches,
administrators, school psychologists, social workers, medical professionals 
and the community.  As part of a support team in a school, counselors' goals 
in this consultation role is to help plan and implement strategies to help 
students be successful, lifelong learners in a cooperative environment. We 
may be tapped for a particular area of expertise where we have additional 
professional training or experience relevant to someone's needs.  

COORDINATION:  This is part of a leadership role for counselors in which we 
help organize, evaluate and modify how the school responds to students and parents 
to evaluate what is needed for their children, sometimes making outside 
referrals and / or providing follow-up on in-school services requested.  Or, 
we may provide the easiest access to setting up meetings with teachers if 
requested or coordinating communication from school to home and home to 
school.  The counselor assists parents, teachers, students and the school community.

CRISIS INTERVENTION:  We help students cope with or resolve a crisis.  These 
may be personal crises that involve students or news about school personnel 
or members of the community.  A crisis could be individual in nature, or a 
community-wide (or national) event which creates anxiety or disrupts the 
school environment.  Counselors provide essential, 'safe space' support in a 
school when a crisis affects a student in a profoundly personal way.