Ms. Deason believes:
all students are worthy and unique
when students are given a safe and nurturing environment, they can reach their full potential
all students have the right to be heard and treated with respect
all students should have access to a high-quality education
school counselors are advocates for every student
School Counseling Philosophy
My philosophy of school counseling begins with the acknowledgment of the importance of conveying genuineness, unconditional positive regard, respect, and empathy to each student and family I have the opportunity to work with within my school district. I also recognize the importance of embracing a wellness model and developmental perspective in addition to implementing prevention and intervention efforts to best support my students and families.
As a school counselor, I believe all students have the right to be educated in a safe and accepting environment that fosters their social and emotional development, academic development, and career development. To ensure my students feel safe and accepted, I put forth much effort in creating meaningful connections with each student in our building. I take time to greet them and build trust with them. Students know I am there to listen with a nonjudgmental ear and offer support.
As a school counselor, I understand I have the opportunity to work with students and families with various cultural backgrounds. Being multicultural competent is essential. Each day, I strive to understand the core beliefs of my diverse students which helps me gain knowledge of the feelings and thoughts of my students. The interventions used to support my students are individualized and tailored to their needs and strengths. I recognize some of my students have very different values than I do. I am aware of my own values and beliefs; I ensure I bracket my values and beliefs so I do not impose them on my students. I am not present in the lives of my students to pass judgment. I am in the lives of my students to support them as they work toward reaching their potential and attaining wellness. I am honored to be part of my students’ journeys.
As an ethical school counselor, I recognize the need to advocate for the equity of students and families as well as work resiliently to support students as they grow emotionally, socially, and developmentally. Many students and families have been impacted by trauma and poverty. Through my diverse professional and personal background, I see the world through a trauma lens. I recognize that not only have students and families been impacted by trauma, but school staff have been impacted by trauma, also, either directly or indirectly (secondary trauma). By being a trauma-informed school counselor, I am able to support students and families as well as school staff by advocating for the need to implement trauma-informed practices for all students in our schools.
As a school counselor, it is essential I meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of my students. I recognize I achieve this by collaborating with school staff and families as well as by providing direct and indirect services. Within our comprehensive school counseling program, my students learn that all feelings are okay to feel. They learn to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy coping strategies as well as learn how to implement healthy coping strategies when they are dysregulated. Students learn how to develop a growth mindset and build resiliency. Students also have many opportunities to gain knowledge about different careers and engage in goal-setting activities.
As a school counselor, I recognize the importance of engaging in continuous personal and professional growth. I am intentional about practicing self-care. I understand I am not able to be fully present with my students if I am not engaging in my own wellness. To promote my professional growth, I am intentional about collaborating with fellow school counselors as well as attending monthly webinars/trainings. I take time to read books about social and emotional learning, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-informed practices, and other mental health topics of interest. I remain up to-date on information within the field of mental health and school counseling. In addition, I am a member of ASCA (American School Counselor Association) and MSCA (Missouri School Counselor Association). By engaging in continuous personal and professional growth, I feel I am able to be an effective, genuine, and ethical school counselor.