Pursuing A School Counselor

ASCA National Model has Mindset and Behaviors guidelines for student success. These guidelines facilitate what a professional school counselor role is in schools, given 35 standards set forth as priorities. Professional school counselors have an important role in assisting students with their education as they focus on the 3 domains of the guidelines which enlist Academic, Career and Social/Emotional Development. This paper will focus on the areas a counselor needs to excel in, to show leadership and understanding of their profession. The areas include the following having a professional organization to belong to, clearly understanding ethical codes, ability to work with multicultural, GLBTQ students, importance of group work and career development.

I would like to pursue counseling as my career and become a successful leader in the field. I have always had a passion to assist people in emotional distress. As a qualified professional in the counseling field, I would be able to identify their problems as well as offer them the most appropriate solutions that may help them deal with their situations. However, working as a professional counselor requires that I possess the relevant skills and knowledge that would enable me to offer quality services in which I think that I can obtain the skills at Capella University. As a

I particularly enjoy communicating program progression, behavior changes and therapeutic interventions with Senior Therapists and parents to discuses the next steps in the children’s treatment plan. While working to meet the needs of the children for whom I provide therapy, I realized that each of them had an interesting story and a need for personalized interaction, education and compassion. I am enthusiastic about working hard to help meet students’ psychological needs, and I feel the best way to do this is to pursue an education in School Psychology.

Certainly, school counselors are in an ideal position in terms of access to, and identification of, students in need. Despite, job descriptions, duties and responsibilities, and large student to school counselor rate limit the amount of time school counselor can give to student with ongoing mental health needs (Brown et al., 2009). The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has long advocate for the elimination of non-counseling duties such as plan testing programs, writing excuses for students who are absent or tardy, teaching classes when teachers are absent, and providing long-term therapy for students with psychological disorders (ASCA). A designation of time for school counselors to provide appropriate activities related to responsive

As a counselor, being aware of the theoretical approaches and which ones best suit your perspective on human nature, complications, and change for an individual is vital. Not only is understanding the approaches important, but the counselor’s own values and personal philosophy are equally fundamental for the counselor to do their job efficiently.

Multiple years of research and field experience as well as my undergraduate coursework in Psychology, Counseling, and General Education has provided me with ample skills to be successful at the graduate level in the School Psychology program offered at Francis Marion University. Working within the school system with students with mental health needs and exceptionalities has been a dream of mine since I was in high school. I am confident the School Psychology program at Francis Marion University will provide me with the skill set needed to make my dream a reality and become the best School Psychologist I can be.

The Comprehensive School Counseling Program Notebook which follows the ASCA National Model third edition was created in School Counseling Programs. This notebook is divided into four components as directed by the comprehensive school counseling program: foundation, delivery, management, and accountability. The Foundation section includes my core beliefs, my vision, my mission, rationale, description, and goals of the program at Mountain Home Junior School. Delivery, Management, and Accountability (AR 1.2).

My pursuit of becoming a School Counselor led me to apply to the School Counseling Master’s Program at University of Maryland, College Park. I am a former student at University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. After graduating and teaching for two years in Prince George’s County Public Schools, I discovered my true passion lies not only in the classroom and students’ academics, but playing a pivotal role in the growth of their career, social, and personal development. Although I am no longer teaching full-time at the moment, my interaction with students from diverse backgrounds left an indelible responsibility to continue making a difference in our students. The objectives and mission of the School Counseling Master’s Program at University of Maryland can best help my goal of becoming an effective counselor and leader who is an agent of change to students and service the mental and emotional well-being of the younger generation.

Attending graduate school is incredibly important to my career goals for several reasons. I hope to attend Appalachian State University to complete my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in order to assist people who have experienced trauma relating to sexual assault, abuse, domestic violence, and similar issues. The primary reason that graduate school is essential to my success as a future counselor is that it will teach me the skills to provide competent clinical services to my clients. As a future counselor, it is my ethical and moral responsibility to provide services that help clients and do not harm them. Without continuing my education, I would simply be unable to do this. Attending a graduate program will allow me to participate in classes, practicums, and internships that will teach me a wide range of essential skills. Classes offered through the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, such as Multicultural Counseling, Counseling Theory and Techniques, and Helping Relationships will all be vital in helping me learn to provide competent, empirically-backed therapeutic services. Additionally, elective courses such as Sexual Abuse Counseling and Women’s Issues in Counseling are especially relevant to my goal to become a

It was during my senior year of college that I decided I wanted to become a school counselor. Up until my senior year in college at Penn State I did not know where I wanted to take my career but I knew I wanted to work in a school setting and I knew that I wanted to work with kids. When it came time to choose an internship site for my last semester, I chose an alternative school called Buxmont Academy in Bethlehem where I would be shadowing two of their school counselors as well as engaging with the students themselves. I got to work with these children on a more personal level, gaining an understanding of their emotions, experiences, and difficulties, as most of these children came from broken homes, and drug and alcohol related settings. I am interested in becoming a school counselor because I want to help. When I become a counselor I want to make a difference in a child’s life whether that be by simply giving them support that they might not have in their lives or helping them make changes to better themselves and their futures. A counselor has such an important role in helping to shape young children and that is something that I want to be a part of.

My five-year hiatus from college has allowed me to discover which direction I want to steer my life toward, and I have ascertained that it is within the realm of educational counseling. My efforts to obtain a Master’s of Educational Counseling will help me to develop and hone tangible counseling skills, and to promote and inspire under-served youth to utilize education for their own personal achievement.

The goal of a school counseling program to help all students reach academic success by providing supportive services that addresses issues or concerns comprising of academic, career and social/personal development. School counselors are not only concerned with students who are succeeding and motivated to learn, they also aim at encouraging students who are at risk of failing or dropping out of school to continue striving for success and setting goals that encourage productive citizens in communities. In order to create a comprehensive school counseling program, one must first recognize their own assumptions, perceptions and stereotypes regarding students’ behaviors, values and beliefs. One should also have a willingness to accept and understand

When I considered pursuing a Master degree in School Counseling, I always envision to work in the high school level because I really want to make a difference in the student’s decision in their post-secondary years. I am first generation attending college and feel this gives me a strong opportunity for students to relate, as I am aware of barriers they may face. I think that adolescents in high school need extra guidance as they face different challenges such as self-identiy, relationships, and

There are several goals and objectives for the group: 1) develop and implement a group counseling program to teach high school students how to identify stressors, recognize symptoms of stress, and how to control their stress, and how to understand how stress can affect them physically, socially, emotionally, mentally and academically; 2) provide students with the strategies, techniques and coping skills to help reduce stress and learn safe alternatives to stress reactions rather than harmful ones; 3) provide a safe, respectful, and confidential environment for students to discuss their issues related to stress and understand the commonness

School Counselors play a vital role in facilitating counseling needs to students in such cases of pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, and depression. While school counselors develop creative interventions to help students from different ethnic backgrounds, grade levels, religions, and socioeconomic status, they may encounter burnout. This study examined self-efficacy and burnout levels of school counselors. Bandura defined self-efficacy as a perception of one’s capability and expectation to perform effectively. People who have high levels of self-efficacy experience less burnout and anxiety are happier with their job, whereas people who have lower levels of self-efficacy may experience burnout (Gondoz, 2012). Furthermore, Freudenberg