School Counseling: Definition, Techniques, and Examples

What Is School Counseling?

A school counselor is trained to support youth academically, socially, and emotionally within a K-12 setting. School counselors provide individual short-term counseling services to students experiencing problems impacting them within the academic setting. A teacher, administrator, or parent may refer students to a counselor, or students can refer themselves.

School counselors can provide small-group counseling services for students. These services may focus on social skills, coping with losing a loved one, career planning, and building rapport with peers.

School counselors normally conduct a needs assessment to determine the types of groups and services required for students to thrive within the academic setting. School counselors are trained to provide counseling services and social and emotional learning. However, they are not clinical counselors and cannot provide mental health diagnoses. Due to this, many school counselors refer students to another mental health provider outside of the academic setting if additional mental health services are needed.

School counselors consult and collaborate with teachers, staff, administrators, and parents/guardians. Through collaboration, they can help other adults brainstorm and find solutions to meet students’ needs.

What Certifications Do School Counselors Have?

School counselors obtain a master’s degree in school counseling within the K-12 setting. Counselors take specific courses, such as counseling theories, techniques, career counseling, introduction to school counseling, program management in schools, ethics, and many other classes that support their ability to meet students’ needs.

According to the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), school counseling programs must be at least 48 credit hours.¹ Counselors also have practicum and internship experience within a K-12 school where they work hands-on with students under the supervision of a licensed school counselor. Once school counselors complete these programs, they must apply for a license through their state department of education to verify they meet the requirements to be a school counselor.

School Counseling In Elementary, Middle, & High Schools

School counselor roles vary from setting to setting and district to district. However, the underlying goal is to ensure students have the support they need academically, socially, and emotionally to thrive at school.

Elementary School Counseling

Elementary school counselors help students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally by collaborating with teachers, staff, parents, and administrators to support students.

Elementary-level school counselors typically provide the following services:

• Short-term individual counseling
• Career exploration
• Small-group counseling
• Classroom guidance lessons on specific topics
• Consultation with teachers, staff, administrators, and parents/guardians
• Collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure that services are provided and resources are available for students

Middle School Counseling

Due to students being at that pre-adolescent stage, school counselors try to ensure that teachers, staff, parents, and administrators can collaborate to provide adequate support as students mature.

School counselors in middle-school settings may provide:

• Short-term individual counseling
• Peer mediation
• Career exploration
• Small-group counseling that focuses on the concerns of middle school students
• Classroom guidance lessons on topics related to the needs of the students
• Scheduling of classes to prepare students for careers that they may be interested in pursuing
• Consultation with teachers, staff, administrators, and parents/guardians
• Collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure that services are provided and resources are available for students

High School Counseling

High school counselors emphasize college and career readiness. There is more impetus for school counselors to empower students to collaborate, consult, and advocate for themselves within the educational setting. In addition, many high school counselors are engaged in consultation and collaboration about many academic concerns, such as scheduling, assisting students with disabilities, and helping students plan for their future.

High school level school counselors often provide the following services:

• Short-term individual counseling
• College and career readiness preparation
• Small-group counseling
• Classroom guidance lessons on topics related to high school students
• Scheduling of courses to prepare students for college and/or career opportunities
• Consultation with teachers, staff, administrators, and parents/guardians

Techniques Used by School Counselors

School counselors use various techniques to support students in the academic setting, such as individual services, small group counseling, and guidance lessons.

Individual Counseling

School counselors often provide individual counseling sessions to students to help them work through personal concerns that may hinder their academic success. The goal when providing individual counseling sessions is to help students find solutions to problems. Techniques may vary due to the developmental level of the child. Some techniques used in individual counseling include play therapy, CBT for kids, and solution-focused therapy.

Small-Group Counseling

Students of today face distinct challenges. Due to these needs, small groups can be a service that school counselors provide to reach more than one student at a time. Small-group counseling normally focuses on a specific group of students based on specific needs.

The small groups are more supportive or psychoeducational to ensure students have resources. Sessions are based on the population of students. Therefore, school counselors often conduct needs assessments with teachers, staff, administrators, students, and parents/guardians to gather information on what groups would benefit students.

Guidance Lessons

School counselors conduct guidance lessons in elementary, middle, and high schools. Normally, school counselors visit and give presentations on specific topics based on the needs of the students. Guidance lessons can range from getting to know your school counselor to more intense topics like bullying or cyberbullying. The main goal is to provide dedicated time to support students and to give them relevant and useful information.

School Counseling at Each Level

School counseling duties and resources can vary but the primary purpose is helping students thrive.

Elementary School Counselors Supporting Students

Elementary students may face conflict with peers, adjustments to the school environment, academic challenges, test anxiety, and various outside issues that can impede their learning.

As a response to these various challenges, school counselors provide an array of services to help support elementary students. Some of the services that have been discussed are individual counseling, group counseling, consultation, and guidance lessons. However, parents/guardians should have a discussion with their children about what to expect when they go and see their counselor at school.

Parents/guardians must also be aware that school counselors abide by the American School Counselor Association Ethical Standards.² These guidelines emphasize that information is confidential and ensure the highest level of support is maintained to help students thrive.

Middle School Counselors Supporting Students

Middle school students are learning to adjust to various changes due to their age and adolescence. Some of the changes impact them socially and emotionally, thus affecting their ability to achieve at school.  According to the American School Counselor Association, school counselors are charged with providing a comprehensive, preventative, and engaging school counseling program.³

Middle school counselors often create peer-mediation programs, deliver guidance lessons, and assist with career planning opportunities for students. These are just some of the resources school counselors can provide. These counselors also collaborate with other stakeholders to ensure outside resources are available to address needs otherwise untouched in the academic setting.

High School Counselors Supporting Students

Students must adjust to transitioning from middle school to high school. In response to these changes, many high school counselors focus on individual needs pertaining to their academic and career journey throughout high school.

Although academic, college, and career readiness may be the focus, high school counselors also provide individual counseling sessions for students who may need social or emotional support. These sessions are short-term and more solution-focused so students can focus on solving their problems and getting back on track.

Tips for Communicating With School Counselors

Collaboration between school counselors and parents is key. Guardians should reach out to their child’s counselor when there are challenges and be aware of resources related to social, emotional, career, and academic support.

However, some parents may not communicate with the school because they are unsure of what questions to ask or what resources are available. Therefore, parents should be equipped with tips to communicate effectively so their children have what they need within the academic environment.

When communicating with your child’s school counselor, it is important to keep the following tips in mind:

Write Down Questions or Concerns Before Your Meeting

When parents/guardians are meeting with school personnel, they may forget important questions or topics they want to discuss. Take notes ahead of time before a meeting to ensure your questions are answered.

Encourage Your Child to Build Rapport With the School Counselor

Younger children may need some coaching about how to advocate for themselves. In a school setting, school counselors can provide various levels of support from an academic, college/career, social, and emotional perspective. As a parent, encourage your child to make an introduction to the school counselor.

Know That This Is a Collaborative Relationship

You likely know your child very well. When communicating with school counselors, share what you see and what works at home. This is a collaborative approach, and school counselors want to hear parents’ opinions and concerns.

Seek Out Support

Ask your school counselor for a list of additional services available within your community if your child needs additional care (e.g. clinical counseling, after-school care, tutoring) that cannot be provided within the academic setting,

Final Thoughts

School counseling is an important aspect of academic settings and can help students thrive. Reach out to your child’s school to learn more about the services provided and how to enroll them in available resources.