BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE: THE IMPORTANCE

AND FUNCTION OF SCHOOL COUNSELING

M. Sc. Fatime Ziberi
International Balkan University
f.ziberi@ibu.edu.mk
North Macedonia

Abstract. Over time the term counseling has been used and studied from
different approaches and defined in different ways according to the
researches and the field of study. As a huge concept it covers three main
areas: personal, educational and vocational area, that’s for we have
different definitions about counseling. In educational level for long time
it have been confusion about the role and importance of school
counseling, where for some researches it was defined and studied as part
of school Guidance program and addressed to other school staff,
minimizing the role of counselor. In other hand other approaches tend to
use and understand the school counseling as synonymous for Guidance
meanwhile others viewed as profession that is part of psychological and
psychotherapeutic nature. Now day’s the counseling as profession is
more emphases and school counseling takes its place in all educational
level. Today school counseling is a need and necessary in every level of
education taking in consideration the role and importance that has on
educational process and school program overall.

Keywords: Counseling, School Counseling, School Counselor, Role of

School Counselor

1. INTRODUCTION

Counseling is a broad term and has existed very early on, defined and studied in
different ways depending on the approach of the researcher or the field of study.
Over time the term counseling has been used or understood as a synonym for the
Guidance and the position of counseling and counselor has not been very clear.
There were a big debate about the differences between Counseling and Guidance,
so even now days we still can find questions and confusions about do we need to
see the counseling as synonymous of Guidance or to consider as a main process
on psychological and therapeutic aspect, or as part of Guidance counseling
program on Educational spectrum. This is mainly because as we mentioned
above counseling is a huge concept that includes three main areas: personal,
educational and vocational.
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Thus, Caipang (2014), in order to make clear difference between teachers, school
counselors and psychotherapists states that counselor does not know the subject
matter in the interview while the teacher knows the subject matter and the
outcomes. As she states the counseling is not psychotherapy because is
concerned mostly with normal anxieties. Psychotherapy operates in medical
setting while counseling operates in educational setting. Psychotherapy as she
states is deeper in scope than counseling while counseling is broader in scope.
Some researchers have positioned counselor as a professional and counseling as a
process between two peoples counselors and a client who is seeking help to cope
with and solve problems or difficulties whether personal, educational or
professional. As Runcan (2013), states nowadays, more often than ever before,
people are confronting stress and issues, therefore becoming more and more
helpless in deal with by the person who is suffering; that is why many people
resort to professional assistance in order to obtain support and aid during their
entire counseling period.

Supporting this idea and this position of the counseling, Subasinge (2016), says
that the counseling is psychological. In solving mental problems of students,
firstly we need to identify them through measurement tools such as personality
inspections, intelligence tests. As she states it doesn’t emphasize that students do
have mental or psychiatric problems as she refers them but it denotes the ability
of the teacher’s psychological knowledge in dealing with such cases.
Corey (2009), shares a similar view, saying that the counseling entails far more
than becoming a skilled technician. It implies that a counselor is able to establish
and maintain a good working relationship with the clients, drawing on his/her
own experiences and reactions, and that can identify techniques suited to the
needs of the clients.

According to the Institute of Guidance Counselors (IGC, 2016), the counseling

process emphasizes the establishment of a strong, empathic, trusting relationship
between guidance counselor and client. Accordingly, counselor insight and the
integration of all sources of data and information, supports the client in self
exploration and the decision making process. Ridley, et al., (2011), cited by ICG,
(2016), says that the counseling competency includes cognitive, affective and
behavioral components.

Meanwhile, in terms of education approach counseling has been seen and treated
as part of the educational process, part of the overall school plan, and as a
guidance service. Thus, Garret (1996), supporting this position of counseling in
educational level says that the counseling program is an integral part of the total
educational program.

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Okumu (2017) defines counseling as the help some students receive from
credentialed professionals to help them overcome personal and social problems
which interfere with learning. As he states “Our emphasis is placed on helping
all students, rather than selected counseling for some students (pg. 39).”

On the Module 2 for Counseling made by UNESCO (2000b), is noticed that the
need for counseling has become paramount in order to promote the well-being of
the child. Effective school counseling should help to improve the self-image of
young people and facilitate achievement in life tasks. Accordingly, counseling
should empower children and students to participate fully in, and benefit from,
the economic and social development of the nation.

2. WHAT IS SCHOOL COUNSELING?

The school, as an important social institution, is required to adapt quickly to

changing patterns, and help prepare citizens for tomorrow's challenges.
Counseling in the educational system should help boys and girls alike, to develop
their capacities to the full. These include intellectual, social, physical and moral
capacities (UNESCO, 2000; Kapur, 2018).

Nweze and Okolie (2014), states that school guidance and counseling programs
have been introduced to assist students overcome the number of challenges they
experience at home and at school. But as they states because of many pressures
imposed on the family, parents tend to have little time with their children to give
them the necessary guidance. The parents expect the school to provide solutions
to the indiscipline in secondary schools caused by their children and assist them
to make career choices as well.

While reviewing the school counseling and putting in evidence the importance of
school counseling, Baugh (2018), says that nowadays we can feel the importance
of counseling in various areas of human life, such as: development of personality,
adjustment, maintenance of mental health, time management, decision making
and individual differences. And this is mainly because as he states many students
can’t adjust to their environment or society which is changeable in all times and
according to him educational system is not exception than that.

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According to Subasinghe (2016), Educational Guidance and School Counseling

unit is the school related unit aimed with the key objective of assisting in solving
the students’ problems and strengthening the studiousness efficiency of students
as well. In other hand, it is the educational guidance and school counseling
process.

3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SCHOOL COUNSELING

We may think of school counseling as a new concept, which was introduced

recently, but nevertheless there are important arguments that tell us about a rich
history and the evolution that school counseling has undergone as a profession.
McMahon et al, (2016), states that school counseling has a long and proud
history, and the story of professional school counseling, its influences, and major
players are key components of the collective professional identity that unites all
those within school counseling. Paisley and Borders (1995) described school
counseling as continually evolving to meet the economic, educational, and
political needs of the community (pg.116).

Baskin & Slaten (2013) offers us a detailed review about early history of school
counseling. According to them the origin of school counseling started with the
work of Frank Person (1909), with his idea of vocational guidance. As they
reports, Parsons believed that it was important to help all individuals, especially
youths, understand and maximize their talents in the workforce. After his seminal
book was published postmortem and the Vocation Bureau of Boston was started,
the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts began incorporating vocational
counselors into pre – K12 schools.

There are many factors that helped on developing of the school counseling as
profession. There are numerical historical events, such as the Industrial
revolution, that leaded to the emergence of professions to help peoples with
social, personal and vocational concerns. These professions include the fields of
social work, psychology, psychotherapy and counseling among others and the
theories of practice adopted and developed by the counseling professions have
roots in the scholarly research and practical guidelines established during the 19th
and 20th century (Schmidt, 2011; Ramakrishnan & Jalajakumari, 2013).

Bein (2012), states that the school counseling profession of today’s world is
dynamically different than its historical beginnings. Some of changes referring to
him include contemporary issues, education, structure challenges and students
which provides a complex backdrop for this as he calls helping profession.

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At the core of this type of services according to him, will always be a unique and
distinct calling to help students and promote their academic, physical and
emotional well being as well. Today’s school counselor as he believes is essential
to the success of both the school and the student.

4. WHO ARE AND WHAT DOES SCHOOL COUNSELOR DO?

According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), school

counselors are certified /licensed educators who improve student success for
ALL students by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS, 2012), school
counselors defines as educators who use their knowledge of students, counseling,
pedagogy, curriculum integration, and the unique context of their school and
community to influence students’ learning and well-being. As it stated there,
school counselors may be facilitating whole-school workshops, leading small-
group discussions, or providing one-on-one instruction. Accordingly, they
systematically plan and facilitate activities and monitor students’ progress to
ensure that each student reaches desired goals. They are also integral members of
the instructional team of the school and work with teachers, administrators, and
other members of the learning community to advance student learning. As they
concludes school counselors know that an effective school counseling program is
one that meets the needs of every student and that is part of a continuum of
programs that meet the needs of students and families throughout students’
educational lives.

Answering the question about what school counselors do Scarborough (2015),

states that one way to answer this question is to collect and analyze process data.
On her research about the school counselor activities she concludes that school
counselors are trained professionals who meet with students individually and in
groups to address concerns that may be interfering with the students’ learning
and personal development. Counselor helps through counseling (individual and
group) related to personal and family concerns, school behavior, crisis,
relationships, substance abuse, as well as follow-up on clients (students). School
counselors are consultants when they spend time working individually or with
groups of teachers and parents, or other mental health and school personnel, for
the purpose of identifying and/or meeting the needs of students (pg, 280).

McMahon et al., (2016), states that school counselor educators can serve as
leaders within their educational communities in order to promote systemic
change that will remove barriers to student success. While Salzman (2011), when
explaining the competence of school counselors says that as main functions and
essential skill for school counselor are consultation and collaboration.

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The school counselor sometimes encounters difficulties while trying to do their

job. Sometimes they can find obstacles from their colleagues, teachers, class
teachers, parents but and students as well. Reporting the student success and the
problems of the student to the parents sometimes can be challenging and
difficult. Many parents are not prepared and do not want to collaborate with
counselors rejecting their children’s needs. That’s for the collaboration between
school, parents and students is very important and much more with the school
counselor.

As Linskensen & Coleman, (2011) sates, school counselors need to track changes
happening in the world that require new ways of thinking in order to assist
students in gaining those resources to adapt to the changes. They need as well to
be integrated or equipped to integrate relevant activities into classrooms
especially using technologically information.

5. THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL COUNSELOR

AND COUNSELING SERVICE/PROCESS

For long time the role of school counselor wasn’t clear enough and there was
confusion about it responsibilities. It has often been perceived as the
responsibility of the class teacher, pedagogue or school psychologist and the
position and role of the school counselor, i.e. his identity, has not been clear.
Throughout the past century, the role of the school counselor has evolved to
reflect the changing face of society and needs of the students. In the early 1900s,
as industrialization continued to change the workplace and career possibilities
broadened, demand grew for career and educational guidance services in the
schools. This responsibility generally fell on teachers, who often performed this
role without formal training or definition of their duties. The National Defense
Education Act of 1958 prompted the widespread use of full-time guidance
counselors, but their roles often remained in the same vein as their teacher
predecessors: remediation, reactive crisis management, and administrative and
clerical duties (NBPTS, 2012, pg. 12).

Since each school is independent institution and has its own program, school
counselors are part of the constructing the program and the main responsible,
putting the student on the center of the program and focusing more on students
needs.
With same statement about school counselor responsibility and their role Wolls
and DePaul (2011), believes that counselors as a school leaders are responsible
in coordination in resources and services that assist student to be academically
successful, to play critical role in the development and implementation of school
community partnership.

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As they states this partnership over the last decade has increased dramatically in
the nation’s school district, reflecting an awareness of students needs for support
beyond classroom instructions.

As Lindwal and Coleman (2011), emphasizes the school counselor have very
important and crucial role on school organization, structure, program and policy.
As they states school counselors can be involved in school policies by ensuring
that they reflect the values that are promoted by the school. Accordingly, school
counselors also can influence school programs by ensuring that they are truly
beneficial for students promoting students straights and allow them opportunities
to participate in larger school community. As the last but not the least role of
school counselor enlisted by Lindwal and Coleman is that school counselor can
recognize how he/she are part of educational process through his/her interaction
with each person and each thing within the school and the degree to which these
interactions contribute to the establishment of an overall positive atmosphere.

According to Subasinghe (2016), school counselor in a school has a significant

role. He organizes the required background for development apart from the
school curriculum.
So, we can say that school counselor have very important role and functions in
assisting student dealing with educational issues, and other problems related to
their academic achievements as well. They help students by proving: individual
student academic planning and goal setting, school counseling classroom lessons
based on student success standards, short-term counseling to students, referrals
for long-term support, collaboration with families/teachers/ administrators/
community for student success, advocacy for students at individual education
plan meetings and other student-focused meetings, data analysis to identify
student issues, needs and challenges (ASCA).

As Okumu (2017), believes that although the roles of school counselors vary
among settings, common tasks referring to him include:
1. Individual counseling,
2. Small-group counseling,
3. Large-group or classroom presentations,
4. Involvement in school wide behavior plans for promoting positive and
extinguishing negative behaviors, and
5. Consulting with teachers, parents, and the community.

But even thought they have big responsibility on implementing and the
effectiveness the school program they are evaluated as well, in order to see if the
Guidance Counseling program has been implemented and student’s needs and
expectations have been meet.

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On this direction Gysbergs (2011), says that school counselors, working within
the framework of comprehensive guidance and counseling programs, are being
asked to demonstrate that their work contributes to student success, particularly
student academic achievement. Accordingly, not only are school counselors
being asked to tell what they do, but they are also being asked to demonstrate
how what they do makes a difference in the lives of students, and they are being
asked to be accountable and to be answerable for their work, as well.

6. CONCLUSION

We can say that school counseling today is a need and a necessity at all levels of
education. During the school period, students encounter various personal,
educational and academic difficulties with which they often do not know or have
no clear idea of who to turn to for professional help. School counseling includes
a wide range of competencies and services and at the same time responds to
every request of students with the purpose of enabling them to understand
themselves, their capacity and overcome the difficulties they face in life, whether
educational, personal/social and professional and those in career choice.

Given the role and importance of the school counselor as emphasized here as a
leader and compiler and at the same time implementer of the school program and
counseling process, we can say that not only in theory but this role and
importance should be seen in school practice.

Taking in consideration the contemporary approaches to the educational plan

where, unlike earlier, the focus is now on the student, his needs and not just
trying to meet the educational curriculum, thus the role, importance and position
of the school counselor is more emphasized. That’s for a school counselor is a
person with abilities, professional preparation, education and certified counselor,
which the teacher, pedagogue or school psychologist would not be competent to
do his job and responsibilities.

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