GHS

School Counselors Provide Emotional Support for Students

Reporter Kimberly Sweeney

There is a common myth centered around the School Counselors; you can only go to them for scheduling help. However, this is not true, as they can do so much more.

School counselors are there to listen to students’ academic and emotional problems. They can help with planning out your life, college applications, getting scholarships, and even applying for jobs. In general, they are there for the student body. As long as they graduate from high school, they have excelled with their job. They are a teacher, a therapist, an adviser, and a leader, all in one.

However, most students don’t come to the counselors for emotional advice. In fact, most students don’t go to them at all. Many if not all students could benefit if they knew how to utilize the resources that are provided. Students will go on to struggle with high school aftermath if they have to start learning to function from scratch. Things such as applying for jobs, college, and scholarships will become major setbacks. Meanwhile, all could be avoided by asking the right people. There is a common myth that counselors are not allowed to help students with anything but changing their schedule. Because so many students believe this, they miss out on learning essential information.

Mr.Lord is our current head counselor here at the school. He has worked at various places dealing with teenagers and young adults for twenty years. He said he has

“Always liked working with teens. Adolescence just makes sense.”

For the most part, Mr. Lord and the other counselors deal with scheduling, but a fair part of their time is spent on helping students with various types of issues. However, they are not therapists. If a student needs therapy, they will be referred to a therapist. One of the main things a counselor can do regarding a student, is ‘point them in the right direction’. The student that has substance abuse problems will be referred to the nurse. A student that has severe problems sleeping will be referred to a doctor. Those who need help will get it, even if it starts elsewhere.

“We don’t do therapy...we do developmental issues.”

According to Mr. Lord, when helping a student, one must look for four things. A favored technique of his is “HALT”. HALT stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired.

“If you can do those four things, outside of biological problems, we wouldn’t have a lot of problems.”

If a student doesn’t feel well after those four things are addressed, then they may be referred to another resource as needed. All in all, School Counselors are there to help students deal with life healthily and appropriately. They are there to teach coping and management skills for all who need them.

They help students with problems ranging from substance abuse, to family issues, to personal issues. Basically, anything that causes a student to struggle or causes stress, can be brought to the counselors for advice and skills to combat such problems.

“A lot is just skillbuilding,” said Mr. Lord, in regards to how problems are overcome.

“[You] can’t avoid stress, the question is how to cope with it.”

In conclusion, school counselors are more than schedule arrangers, even though they excel at such. They are there to support the student body, by teaching them skills to better their life experience. If more students realize this, the rest of their lives would be less stressful and they’d be much happier.

Don’t go to work with an empty toolkit; take the time and get your tools.