School Counselor Interview

Counseling is defined as ”the use of therapeutic strategies to help clients address personal concerns and mental health issues” (Nystul, 2016). Pursuing counseling as a career involves many years of formal study and certification or licensure. After receiving licensure to practice as a professional counselors it is a requirement to maintain involvement and certification in certain associations in order to hold your license. These association often require further education and/or professional practice in order to maintain membership in these associations. It is quite obvious that counseling requires a large amount of commitment and passion in order to pursue it as a career and maintain a title as a counselor. I have conducted an interview with a professional counselor in order to further understand the experience of being a counselor. The interview that I conducted explores the requirements of maintaining and receiving a counselling career, the experience of being a counselor, and what characteristics or skills a professional may have. The Individual who agreed to the interview was a counselor by the name of Susie Facio. Susie Facio, through this interview, will be giving us a look at what influenced her to become a counselor, what her work entails on a day to day basis, and what qualities and skills she has acquired in order to become a successful counselor.

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.

I desire to pursue school counseling as my career to become an effective and successful leader in this profession. Why? I have always held a passion for touching the lives of the youth in a great and positive manner. A licensed school counselor entails helping students with academic achievement, personal/social growth and career development, ensuring students become the industrious, well-balanced adults of tomorrow. while, operating as a professional school counselor involves me obtaining the appropriate knowledge and skills that will support me with providing exceptional service for clients. I believe that I can obtain this intelligence here at Capella University. I comprehend that as a professional school counselor I would be expected

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.

Counseling has many components in different fields such as a school counselor, marriage and family counseling, addiction counseling, individual and private practices, and many more. For my project, I interviewed Mrs. Ross Freeman, a school counselor who talks about her journey of becoming an Elementary School Counselor. We discuss what the requirement and cost were to receive a license in the counseling field. We were also able to discuss the average salary and hourly wages for a counselor in WISD. Mrs. Freeman then goes on to enlighten me about the rewards, challenges, demands and frustrations of a school counselor.

For my interview project I interviewed a counselor named Cristina Kleinfelter who works at Pottsgrove Middle School with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Her and a colleague split 400 students in the school and meet with each one of their 200 assigned students when needed. She sees students when she goes to the classroom to teach social skills, and help with college. They both have a mixed population of students they work with whether it be students from broken homes, good homes, etc. She has her Master’s Degree in Counseling and is certified in school counseling, she has been in this field for 14 years so far. She works with the 8th graders the most, with their high school schedules, she explains to them how to pick classes and how to apply to

When I first found out about this assignment I was a little anxious because I didn 't know whom I would interview or how my request would be received. As I consider my options I thought it would be best to interview someone that could offer me some insight as to what it is like to be an elementary or junior high school counselor, which are the two age groups that I would most like to work with. With this in mind, I decided to interview one of my son 's past guidance counselors. This is a woman that I have admired since the first day that I met her. In talking with her I found her to be a very knowledgeable, caring, and open person. She has been in the helping profession for over twenty years and working as a guidance counselor since 1999.

I conducted an interview with Ms. Jamila Corria on her duties as an academic achievement program advisor at the University of Maryland. The purpose of this interview was to gain clarity and understanding in what truly goes in to counseling others on making life choices. While also analyzing communication challenges she has faced overall through her current career and techniques to deal with those challenges. While conducting the interview I monitored various different verbal and non-verbal signals throughout the interview. The reason I choose Ms. Jamila is because as a student who is currently pursuing a degree in Sociology it is important to learn about the different career paths that can be chosen with this major. Sociology is a broad subject and can be pursued through many different paths. I have yet to decide on exactly which path to choose so by conducting this interview it allows me to see one option. Counseling is a career I have often thought of pursing but have not quite decided on.

For my informational interview I interviewed Hasty Elementary School Counselor Candace Thurman. Mrs. Thurman earned her B.A. in Psychology from Salem College and a MA Ed.S in Mental Health Counseling from Gardner Webb University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed School Counselor. Her maternal grandfather suffered from mental illness and was homeless. Seeing the impact his condition had on him as well as her family compelled her to choose a career in mental health. Mrs. Thurman worked in the middle school setting for 11 years. This year is her first year in an elementary school.

Throughout history in the United States, we have multiplied the amount of individuals who are considering or participating in the fields: social work and/or counselor. These career fields are not always positive because individuals see situations that makes them cringe. However, there is a lot of rewarding aspects of these specific fields, each individuals learns how to help individuals with hard situations, help parents understand about why a child is acting a certain way, and help individuals who are seeking help for a various of reasons. Having a career you are passionate about should not matter if you are getting paid a million bucks to a dollar, it should be about the love and compassion you have to help a person in need.

One of my goals for the future is to obtain my master degree in school counseling. I believe that school counselors can make a tremendous difference in student lives; they can empower students to reach their full potential. I am currently working as a Parent Involvement Facilitator for the Washoe County School District, and I am also doing my internship with a school counselor at an elementary school. In addition, my undergraduate degree is in Human Development and Family Studies. Also, I volunteer at my church as a youth leader. Most of the positions where I have worked or volunteered, I have been able to work with families to help them reach their goals. For example, in my position as a Parent Involvement Facilitator I help families find

In order to have a better understanding of what exactly an individual in the helping profession does especially one who works with children; I decided to interview the Guidance Counselor and middle school student life coordinator Rebecca Louth at Saint Patrick’s Catholic School. Saint Patrick’s is a private Catholic school grade Pre-k through 8th. Before the interview I thought I had a good understanding of what the role a guidance counselor played within a school, but this interview helped me develop a better understanding of how a guidance counselor works. It also helped me understand how the staff and faculty at a school (specifically a private school) work; their day to day tasks.

With the diversifying population in America’s schools, a profession school counselor should be culturally competent to meet the needs of all students. “The transformed professional school counselor is culturally competent, respectful of human diversity, and a school leader in ensuring that oppressive systemic barriers to academic, career, college readiness, and personal/social development are removed (Erford, 2015, p. 173).” A school counselor needs to have a deep understanding of a variety of cultures to meet the personal, emotional, developmental needs of a student using individual and group interventions while being aware of their cultural and spiritual needs.

“Counselors assist people with personal, family, educational, mental health, and career decisions and problems” (“Counselors” 1). “While helping students plan for college and careers is part of their job, a guidance counselor’s overall function is to talk to students, give advice, listen to problems, help students develop coping skills and learn to become good problem-solvers and decision-makers on their own” (“Guidance Counselors”). Specifically, school counselors play a major role in the social, emotional, and academic development of their students. This profession interests me for two reasons. First of all, I like to talk with people of all types. Second of all, I am always concerned with the feelings of others. The

The school psychologist interviewed is Elizabeth Middlebrook. This is Elizabeth Middlebrook’s first year at Bradley Elementary School District #61 (BESD61) in Bradley, Illinois and currently holds the tile of Specialist in School Psychology. She has a much more traditional role setting and is responsible for testing students, conducting meetings, and meeting the social emotional and behavioral needs of the students through counseling and problem-solving with the teachers and team. Prior to working at BESD61, she served as a coordinator who is responsible for serving as an LEA/Administrator, facilitating IEP meetings, and checking over all the IEP paperwork for compliance.