Running Head: My Philosophy of School Counseling Programs

My Philosophy of School Counseling Programs

Kierston Beets
Kansas State University

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For many years, a school counselor was just a position in the school. They were
individuals that worked with testing and scheduling. A counselor could easily do a lot of
logistical stuff and schools would throw in some career, individual, and high-needs
counseling. As the field of school counseling has continued to develop, school
counselors have worked to move from just a position in the school to an entire program
that is an integral part of the success of the school.
A school counselors role has always been to work with the student, but
sometimes other duties have been given to the counselor that has taken them away
from their main role. Those extra duties are important and have to be accomplished, but
school counselors need to advocate for their roles and ensure they are using their time
wisely. All of these roles for the school counselor need to be incorporated into the focus
of the program. When working to establish a program it is important to know the role of
the counselor and then the outcome will include the counselor being a program and not
a position.
I believe that the main goal for any school counselor should be ensuring that all
students can succeed in school and the real world. This will look different for each
school, depending on the demographics, but a counselor should also be astute to that,
this can be gained through both formal and informal data. It is important that the
counselor knows the school in and out because they are going to a leader in making
change happen and know where there are gaps that need to be filled. School
counseling programs need to be informed by that formal or informal data. Of course, the
program needs to be focused on the students, but the data is what is going to need to
drive the program. Knowing the demographics of a school is just one of the first steps to

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set up a comprehensive school counseling program. The needs of the students cant be
met with a program that doesnt take the students and school into consideration.
I believe that once the school counselor has a good understanding of the school,
they can work to develop programs and plans to help all students in the school succeed.
It is very important for a counselor to work with all students. It can be very easy to get
caught up with the frequent flyers, but everyone benefits from that tier 1 support.
School counselors help with academic, social/emotional, and career development and
all students can benefit from extra support in all of those areas. Our school counseling
standards will help us to know where to start in addressing those needs. These
standards help to ensure our program is developing in the appropriate way.
One role that is important for a school counselor to include in their program is to
be an advocate, for both students and themselves. Sometimes it can be hard for
students to stand up for themselves, especially when they dont understand what is
going on around them. A student may need an advocate in the classroom or someone
to help them work through new experiences in school. I believe that it is important that
while a school counselor is advocating for the student, they are also working to teach
the student to advocate for themselves. They wont know how to do it to begin with, but
working with them throughout their schooling will hopefully help them develop that skill.
To truly develop a program a school counselor has to advocate for that. It will not come
easy and there will be some push back, but program is the main goal and advocacy will
get a person there.
It is essential that the school counselor is an advocate for themselves and their
program. It is easy to get stuck doing jobs that dont benefit students and while

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sometimes we have to do them, we have to make sure that we are also standing up for
ourselves and our main goal of helping students. If we continue to fight for our roles and
explain to those who make decisions about what school counselors do, we can assure
our career stays on the right path and we continue to help all students.
While school counselors may not necessarily be in the position to make critical
decisions in the schools, they should still be heavily involved in the leadership of the
school. School counselors and principals need to have a close working relationship. On
top of having a good relationship with the administration, is it important to school
counselors work well with other individuals in the school and are involved in building
teams. It is easy to get stuck in the office and work in our own corner, but the more we
are involved in and with the school the easier our jobs will be.
School counselors have always had a role in the school; they have helped with
college and career information, been the heads of scheduling and enrollment, lent their
skills to state assessments, addressed mental health needs in schools, and any other
role that may not be placed somewhere else specifically. While those tasks may, and
some need to, stay with the school counselor, school counselors need to make sure
they are focusing on their main task of helping students. The point of developing a
program is to focus on tasks that the school counselor is supposed to accomplish, while
looking and moving tasks that take away from what a school counselor is supposed to
do to help all students. The ASCA National Model (2012) is an easy reference and place
to start when fighting for our program. We can spend our time focusing on accountability
and evaluating our program based on data. Focus on management with our

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assessments. Spend most of our time with delivery and direct and indirect series. All
based on the foundation of the focus of our program and competencies.
School counselors are in schools to help with every student. I really liked the
analogy of a pyramid because we dont just help with one area of a student, but need to
focus as much time on all three areas of social/emotional, academic and career. A
program is what is going to address all of those needs. A program is something that is
going to be comprehensive and develop as it needs to be developed. The program will
do a lot, but school counselors need to make sure they are filling that program. School
counselors need to leaders in the school. They need to be seen by the students and
involved with all students, not just the frequent flyers. I believe that it is important to
have a comprehensive school counseling program that is heavily driven by the formal or
informal data that can be collected about the school. Each school will be different in
what their needs and gaps are, but a good school counselor is cognizant of that and is
working to address that. No school counselor will be able to make all the changes they
want to overnight, but someone who is passionate about the students and the work they
do will be sure to be constantly working towards growing and flow with the everchanging student population.

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American School Counselor Association. (2012). The ASCA national model: A
framework for school counseling programs, Third Edition. Alexandria, VA:
Author.