The Role of a School Counselor

A school counselor utilizes many different roles in the school community. First and foremost, a school counselor is a student advocate. It is the school counselor's job to support each student and the challenges they face. School counselors look at the needs of their student population and develop a comprehensive program to meet these specific needs. This program is based on the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, and emphasizes three domains of development:

• Emotional/Social

• Academic

• Career

As part of the comprehensive program, school counselors provide individual counseling, small group counseling, and developmental guidance lessons. The counselor collaborates and consults with parents, teachers, administrators, staff, and other community stakeholders. The school counselor's goal is to prepare students for a successful future and promote systemic change. The counseling program strives to help all students become college and career ready. Ultimately, school counselors are looking for results, and ask themselves: "How are students different as a result of the school counseling program?"

For more information, please check out "The Essential Role of Middle School Counselors" and a summary of the "ASCA National Model" by the American School Counselor Association.