Counseling

East Grand Rapids High School's Counseling Department is committed to developing healthy, meaningful relationships of strength, commitment, and involvement that make a difference in students' lives.

The Counseling Office serves many functions for high school students and their parents. Most commonly, students associate counselors with the creation of student schedules and the submission of college applications. However, counselors have many other responsibilities. Counselors are also called on to help students in personal crisis, facilitate mediation between students, consult with students on problem solving, facilitate support groups, and provide information and referral to services outside the school.

Like social workers and psychologists counselors also are trained in social-emotional development of the student. Counselors are different from social workers and psychologists because they are teachers who receive specific training in academic support and development and career planning and exploration. Although a small percentage of high school students have a strong interest in a specific career, most students are still exploring options. Many students will experience changes in career interest, or are interested in several different career areas. Counselors can help students identify some strengths and interests to explore. Counselors can help students find information about career options, education, salaries, etc., and can help students arrange job shadow opportunities and internships.

For most students, some sort of training or education after high school will be necessary to achieve career goals. A very high percentage of our graduating students enroll in either a 2 or 4 year college or university. Counselors can help students identify appropriate programs or schools, and are an essential part of the application process. Counselors facilitate the process of developing students' self-awareness. Through a series of guidance lessons, surveys, interest inventories, and career and college searches students identify their strengths, weakness, and goals. The Junior Conference, a collaborative planning and reflection meeting with counselor, student, and parents is an integral part of creating a students post-secondary vision. In the student's senior year the counselor is a vital part of the college application process facilitating applications, transcripts, and recommendations.