Core 1

A.History and philosophy of the counseling profession and its speciality areas

According to Gysbers (n.d.), school counseling started primarily as vocational guidance.

It was the task of the school counselor to help students in their jobs and careers. As time

progressed, they began to focus more on mental health and psychological concerns. Later on,

there was a call to organize the school counseling profession and the services they provide.

Training programs were produced from this so that school districts and the counseling profession

can have a more structured counseling program. As more time passed, school counselors were

urged to use more data within their profession. They can use this data to determine whether their

counseling program is making an impact or areas of concern. Currently, school counselors take a

more well-rounded approach that focuses on academic, career, and socio-emotional development

of their students. This approach can target issues that act as the origin of other presenting

concerns. While there is still development to be made in the counseling profession, this approach

takes into account a variety of information.

B.The multiple professionals roles and functions of counselors across speciality areas, and their

relationships with human service and integrated behavioral health care systems, including

interagency and inter-organizational collaboration and consultations

There are multiple professional roles that a counselor can engage in that collaborate and

consult with other organizations. For example, a counselor can become a Pupil Services and

Attendance counselor with the proper credentials. These counselors support attendance and

enrollment within their targeted student population. The counselors can then work with other

organizations within the community to assist students who are struggling with their attendance.
They can also refer their family to the appropriate resources if the family as a whole is having

concerns that affect the student. There are other services a counselor can implement with their

students. A school counselor can refer a student to a school psychologist if available, who are

able to provide services that focus more on their mental well-being. If the school does not have

the resources to provide these services, the school counselor should engage in work that

identifies community resources. These services should be accessible to the majority of their

student population. While a school counselor cannot deliver services outside of their professional

scope, they should build the relationships to guide their students in the appropriate direction.

C.Counselors’ roles and responsibilities as members of interdisciplinary community outreach

and emergency management response teams

A school counselor has many roles and responsibilities they must engage in. One of their

roles is being a part of an emergency management response team and being able to reach out to

the community when these situations occur. An emergency situation may not always be

foreseeable, so it is important that a school counselor prepares if an emergency were to ever

happen. They can prepare by being a part of a response team and knowing how to address the

community. Brown (2020) elaborates more on the role of a school counselor in an emergency

situation. A team can assist in defining roles and minimizing any confusion. A school counselor

can also provide further information on the professionals that would be beneficial to have on the

team. In terms of the community, it is important that a school counselor is able to communicate

with them to update on important information. Building these relationships can ensure that

everyone is properly informed in their role and aware of the proper procedures. It is imperative
that a school counselor is aware of and involved in an emergency management response team,

and that they are able to communicate with the community that is affected,

D.The role and process of the professional counselor advocating on behalf of the profession

In EPC 689, we were given the opportunity to create a Professional School Counseling

Handbook. Within this handbook, we were able to elaborate on the role and process of the

professional school counselor. This information can act as advocating on behalf of the

profession. In this assignment, we were to describe the roles, functions, and activities of a school

counselor. It defines what is appropriate with a school counselor to do within their profession.

Unfortunately, it is common for a school counselor to lead or participate in services that are not

related to the counseling field. This can lead to more activities that are not within their scope. A

school counselor should be able to identify their role clearly and the services that are appropriate

to provide. This information should be relayed to relevant stakeholders, especially

administration. A professional counselor should have the capability to advocate for their

profession to ensure that they are engaging in the appropriate interventions.

E.Advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede access,

equity, and success for clients

A school counselor not only identifies the appropriate interventions for their students, but

they also act as an advocate to address institutional and social barriers that act as an obstacle for

their student’s success. EPC 689 created the opportunity for us to elaborate on these advocacy

efforts through the Professional School Counseling Handbook. Within this section, school

counselors should be able to identify their role as advocates and actively work towards

minimizing these barriers. As with many other interventions, counselors should also build

relationships with community professionals, parents, and other professional and relevant
stakeholders, where they are able to consult and collaborate to gather resources. A school

counselor will also expand their knowledge not only on the systems their students are enmeshed

in, but the issues they are facing as well. The community in the school may differ from the

counselor’s personal experience, so it is important to expand their knowledge where needed.

F.Professional counseling organizations, including membership benefits, activities, services to

members, and current issues

There are many benefits to participating in a professional counseling organization. These

organizations can provide a plethora of resources, even more so when an individual decides to

become an official member of that organization. In this program, we obtained a membership to

CALPCC. Some benefits include consultation questions. These questions can be related to a

variety of topics that a professional can then answer. People who have a membership can also

consult with a CALPCC team about ethical concerns. Another important benefit of the

membership is the regional networking that is provided by the organization. A member is able to

connect with others about events, training, and possible employment opportunities. These are

only a few of the benefits that a member can receive from this organization. It is evidently

beneficial to partake in a membership from a professional counseling organization.

G.Professional counseling credentialing, including certification, licensure, and accreditation

practices and standards, and the effects of public policy on these issues

There are several requirements a student must complete in order to become a professional

school counselor. Each state has different requirements, and we are prepared to fulfill

California’s requirements. According to the American School Counselor Association, a school

counselor should cover topics within their degree that include “human growth and development,

theories, individual counseling, group counseling, social and cultural foundations,

testing/appraisal, research and program evaluation, professional orientation, career development,

supervised practicum, and supervised internship” (ASCA, n.d., para. 1). All of these topics are to

be covered in a post-bachelor’s degree that specializes in school counseling and provides the

opportunity to engage in an internship with school-aged children. The student must also

complete a minimum of 800 hours at two different school levels. These requirements affect

policy on who can become a certified and professional school counselor, especially in a public

school setting. While there are many other requirements a school counselor must complete in

order to gain their credential, these are at the core of the process.

H.Current labor market information relevant to opportunities for practice within the counseling

profession

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are varying areas that the

counseling profession has opportunities in. As for school counselors, the different opportunities

are determined by the level of education the students are at. There are elementary school

counselors, which work with students to develop foundational skills that can determine what

their educational and social outcomes are. There are also middle school counselors that work

with the students and relevant stakeholders to improve the student’s success. They also help

these students develop the skills that are necessary to be successful in high school, as well as to

ease the transition. There are also high school counselors that help students focus on their plans

for higher education or decisions on their career. The work that is done in high school by school

counselors is extremely crucial in deciding what happens after their education and determining
their future. While all opportunities have similar tasks and responsibilities, they are adapted

according to the age group and what stage of life they are preparing for.

I.Ethical standards of professional counseling organizations and credentialing bodies, and

applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling

The American School Counselor Association (2022) has provided a guide for ethical

standards a school counselor should adhere to. All school counselors carry an ethical

responsibility so that they can properly address the academic, career, and socio-emotional needs

of their students. The ethical standards starts with a standard related to responsibility to students.

Some of the topics included in this section is supporting student development, confidentiality, a

comprehensive school counseling program, and academic, career, and socio-emotional planning.

While all of the guidelines may be too long to list, one example of what a school counselor

should do is collaborate with relevant stakeholders to increase postsecondary readiness. More

substandards involved in this section are maintaining health relationships and boundaries,

appropriate collaboration, advocacy, and referrals, group work, establishing a student peer-

support program, and implementing interventions related to foreseeable harm to self and others.

For example, school counselors should have the ability to provide culturally responsive mental

health resources to parents or guardians. Other subsections include working with marginalized

populations, bullying, discrimination, bias and hate incidents, child abuse incidents, handling

student records, evaluation, assessment, interpretation, technical and digital citizenship, and

virtual or distance school counseling. In another section, they outlined ethical responsibilities

related to parents, guardians, the school, and self. There are also guidelines related to school
counselor directors, administrators, and supervisors, school counseling practicum, maintenance

of standards, and ethical decision-making.

Without the ethical standards provided by ASCA, counselors are at risk of engaging in a

practice that is not beneficial or can even cause harm. The ethical standards cover responsibilities

to students, parents, guardians, the school, to themselves, standards related to supervisors, and

how to maintain these standards. These topics are simply an overview of equally important

substandards. These substandards identify specific standards that should be implemented as a

school counselor. Again, it is important that a school counselor implement these standards in

their work, not only to protect the student population they are targeting, but to protect themselves

as well.

J.Technology’s impact on the counseling profession

Technology is always advancing in every single profession and the counseling profession

does not evade this progress. Deslonde and Becerra (2018) expand further on the impact of

technology in the counseling profession, especially in relation to Naviance. Naviance is a

platform that school counselors can use for college, career, and financial planning. In this study,

the authors found that school counselors found the platform to be extremely beneficial in their

career. They claimed that it increased productivity, efficiency, and improved counseling

practices. There are also other benefits to technology in the counseling profession. This includes

virtual counseling services, gathering resources and information, increasing communication,

administering assessments, and much more. The identified benefits far outweigh the obstacles

that some counselors face when wanting to increase their use of technology. Some obstacles a

counselor can experience are limited bandwidth issues, which is common particularly in large
schools. Although, it is important that a counselor continues to engage and advance their

knowledge with technology, as it will undoubtedly continue to grow in the future.

K.Strategies for personal and professional self-evaluation and implications for practice

A quality of a competent school counselor is the ability to engage in a personal and

professional self-evaluation. This self-evaluation can identify both areas of strengths as well as

areas of improvement. They can utilize these strengths in a beneficial manner, and work to

improve certain areas that require development. Kurum and Cinkir (2019) write about a self-

evaluation model in schools that can be applied to the school counseling profession. The main

areas of focus in this self-evaluation consisted of administration and leadership, the education-

training process, how the school, family, and community cooperate with each other, school

health and safety, communication within the school, and professional development. These are all

areas that the counselor should be engaging and improving throughout their career. A school

counselor reflecting on their leadership skills can encourage them to develop personal

characteristics that would allow them to increase their ability to lead in a school setting. They

should also be able to reflect on their own education, particularly the areas where they feel that

they may need to expand their knowledge. The relationship a counselor has with relevant

stakeholders is also crucial within the profession. A successful counselor is able to communicate

with others on a consistent basis. These are just a few of the areas that a counselor should self-

evaluate. They can begin this process by consulting and collaborating with others that they work

with. It is important that in their self-evaluation, they also consider other individual’s

perceptions. This can mediate any self-perception and increase personal awareness in the school

counselor.
L.Self-care strategies appropriate to the counselor role

Self-care is important in this profession as it can be emotionally and mentally taxing for

any individual. In our practicum classes, we had the opportunity to present on self-care

strategies. These strategies focused on how we can take care of ourselves when we are going

through a difficult time. All of these strategies were accessible to everyone and can be modified

to our liking. For example, there were presentations on managing our physical health, practicing

mindfulness, the importance of sleep, and much more. All of these strategies can be practiced in

our everyday lives and can contribute to our overall well-being. A counselor must be able to

manage their own stress to adequately manage the obstacles they may face at work. It would be

difficult for an individual to address other people’s needs if their own are not being met. Not

only are these self-care strategies important for a counselor to participate in, but it can also be

information they can share with the students they help. Again, many of these strategies can be

modified to any population. A competent school counselor is able to address their own needs

before assisting in the concerns of others.

M.The role of counseling supervision in the profession

Supervision in the counseling profession is extremely important to students who are

currently studying and engaging with their site. A competent supervisor will be able to expand

the student’s knowledge in all areas of the counseling profession. They are able to provide

wisdom from their personal experience, and guide us so that the obstacles do not appear as

difficult. It is also important that a student has counseling supervision in case there are any crisis

situations that occur. These situations can be extremely difficult to handle for any individual, and
especially for students who are still in the process of learning the beginning stages. The

supervisor will ensure that they take the appropriate and necessary steps in relation to the

situation. At the same time, it is important that they make sure the student is gaining the

knowledge of what to do the next time this concern presents itself. It is difficult for a student to

navigate the field on their own for the first time, so that is why a competent supervisor is

imperative in developing the student’s professional skills.

In my personal experience of counseling supervision through my fieldwork, I have found

it to be extremely beneficial. They have been able to guide me when I am faced with a newfound

situation. This is especially true in my clinical counseling experience. Since I do not have much

experience with clinical counseling, there have been many times where I am not sure what the

best approach is. My supervisor has been able to offer me their advice and support to decide on

what the best course of action is. As for the school counselors that I have had as supervisors, they

have also been able to provide me with opportunities to expand my knowledge and experience.

In a school counseling setting, there is more opportunity for me to learn about my profession of

choice with nearby supervision. Without my supervisors, I believe I would have had a difficult

time navigating my internship experiences.

 References

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors.

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/

EthicalStandards.pdf

Brown, C. H. (2020). School counselors’ response to school shootings: Framework of

recommendations. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 10(1), 274-.

https://doi.org/10.5590/JERAP.2020.10.1.18

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, School

and Career Counselors and Advisors, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-

service/school-and-career-counselors.htm (visited March 16, 2024)

California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2020). Pupil personnel services: School

counseling preconditions, program standards, and performance expectations.

https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-source/educator-prep/standards/pps-school-

counseling-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Deslonde, V., & Becerra, M. (2018). The technology acceptance model (tam): Exploring school

counselors’ acceptance and use of naviance. The Professional Counselor, 8(4), 369-.

https://doi.org/10.15241/vd.8.4.369

Gysbers, N. C. (2010). Embrace the past, welcome the future: A brief history of school

counseling. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/52aaab9f-39ae-4fd0-8387-

1d9c10b9ccb8/history-of-school-counseling.pdf
Kurum, G., & Cinkir, S. (2019). An authentic look at evaluation in education: A school self-

evaluation model supporting school development. Eurasian Journal of Educational

Research, 19(83), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2019.83.12

State/Territory Certification Requirements. State/Territory Certification Requirements -

American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.).

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/State-Requirements-

Programs/State-Licensure-Requirements