What Is a School Counselor, and How Do They Help Students Succeed?
School is a place for academic learning, but it’s also a place for students to develop personally and socially. A strong sense of well-being, confidence, and security can help young people transition to adulthood successfully. However, this sense of well-being isn’t always easy to attain. Students may have behavioral or mental health challenges, or they may be dealing with difficult circumstances in their home lives.
A 2024 report by Mental Health America (MHA) found that 1 in 5 youth had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the previous year, with 13 percent experiencing suicidal thoughts. These statistics highlight the importance of professionals who support students in academic environments and who can help them improve their mental and emotional well-being.
School counselors can go a long way in helping students navigate multifaceted challenges and maintain positive mental health. However, to understand the impact of counseling on students’ well-being, it’s crucial to first know what school counselors do.
What Do School Counselors Do?
School counselors are mental health professionals who provide holistic guidance to students in elementary, middle, and high school. They administer counseling and guidance to students struggling with academic challenges and also offer support to students dealing with mental health or behavioral challenges.
The core of what school counselors do today is quite different from when the concept was initially developed in the early 20th century. School counseling originally focused on vocational help to prepare students to enter the workforce. In the 1950s, advances in psychological philosophies, such as humanism, affected the nature of the field, and by the 1970s, counseling in schools had broadened to address students’ personal, social, and academic lives.
This more comprehensive approach is reflected in the role’s job title. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) encourages the use of the term “school counselor” over “guidance counselor” to reflect the broad nature of modern school counseling.
Different Types of Student Support
The goal of school counseling is to provide individualized strategies to guide students while protecting and nurturing their well-being. The path toward achieving this goal typically fits within a framework known as A multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). This system is typically divided into three categories:
- Academic
- Behavioral
- Social-Emotional
The purpose of MTSS is to offer comprehensive support that fully addresses a child’s needs. By focusing on a specific aspect of counseling at a time, school counselors may be able to identify issues that would otherwise go undetected.
How Do School Counselors’ Duties Change for Specific Age Groups?
School counselors work in elementary, middle, and high schools. Because children in these schools are at different stages of their development and, therefore, have different needs, counselors’ approaches can vary significantly.
In elementary schools, school counselors commonly focus on the essential components that help shape and define students’ maturing personalities and abilities. This could mean concentrating on foundational life skills or developing special events to encourage character building. Elementary school counselors may also connect families with community resources, such as child care services or family activity groups. Additionally, they may counsel students who are struggling inside and outside the school environment that can impact their well-being, such as playground bullying or dramatic family changes.
In middle schools, school counselors typically focus on helping students develop coping strategies to deal with the physical, social, and emotional changes of adolescence and puberty. They also offer behavioral support that can help students thrive academically while going through these changes. Counselors work to help students see the bigger picture as opposed to hyperfocusing on immediate issues.
In high schools, school counselors typically help students prepare for life after graduation. This includes helping them with continued education, such as applications for college admissions or vocational training programs. They may also work with students to help them identify their strengths and interests. In addition, school counselors help students address issues that can impact their academic and social lives, such as substance use or bullying.
The Goals of School Counseling
The essential goals of counseling include the following:
- Academic success
- Emotional and social support
- Career planning
- College preparedness
- Crisis intervention
School counselors who successfully meet these goals are offering students comprehensive guidance that addresses all key elements of school life. This prepares students both to thrive in educational settings and to enjoy success in the future.
How Do School Counselors Help Students?
What a school counselor is may be best defined by what they do for their students. They provide multifaceted support for students that includes academic planning and support, evaluation, career projections, advocacy, and more. They may also examine some of the root causes for behavioral challenges and low academic performance. Common school counselor responsibilities include the following:
- Shaping individualized academic guidance that encourages optimal student outcomes
- Providing support for personal and social challenges
- Preparing students for life after school via career and postgraduate education guidance
- Delivering student support in times of crisis, including interventions
- Advocating for students’ needs within the school environment
- Cultivating connections with community resources to further student support
These essential duties help students have the best educational experience possible and prepare them for successful futures.
School counselors can also make a positive impact on students by simply being there for them. ASCA research indicates that school counselors can be instrumental in helping students prepare for life after high school. Specifically, schools that adhered to ASCA guidelines regarding student-to-counselor ratios saw students obtain better ACT and SAT scores, make more informed college decisions, have better school attendance, and face fewer disciplinary episodes. Additionally, pre-pandemic research indicates that low-income students and students of color particularly benefited from lower student-to-counselor ratios in terms of postsecondary education preparation.
This is significant considering the ongoing school counselor shortage in the United States, where only two states meet the recommended student-to-counselor ratio of 250-to-1. This shortage means that those who choose to become school counselors can have an even greater impact on student well-being.
Resources
Developing an effective school counseling program requires access to materials that help counselors carry out their duties. Fortunately, resources are widely available.
- ASCA offers toolkits and documents that reference several vital topics regarding school counseling and student success.
- WholeHearted School Counseling provides a resource library of activities and materials focused on helping elementary school students.
- Education Advanced offers a wide range of links to resources and applications for high school counselors on topics such as bullying, inclusivity, and effective time management.
- ERIC, a service of the U.S. Department of Education, provides keyword-driven access to a library of relevant articles and data on counseling techniques, social topics, and counselor training.
- The National Institute of Mental Health features frequently updated links to mental health topics, research materials, brochures, and fact sheets that counselors can access to keep abreast of the integration of education and mental health.
Strategic Components of How School Counselors Help Students
Helping students successfully navigate the challenges of school, both inside and outside the classroom, requires an approach that addresses several key components. The ASCA National Model outlines a framework to ensure that all school counseling programs operate according to a positive ethical and professional ethos.
1. Define
School counselors develop and implement counseling programs that adhere to specific student and professional standards established by ASCA.
2. Manage
School counseling programs must be effectively managed to succeed, and counselors use various tools and resources to oversee counseling programs as they evolve. This is commonly divided into two areas:
- Program Focus: School counselors articulate their beliefs about their role within a school environment. This includes creating a vision statement and a mission statement.
- Program Planning: Planning involves establishing concrete ways to achieve student goals and measure student reaction to the program. This can include the following:
- Summary of school data
- Annual student outcome goals
- Action plans to optimize plan efficiency
- Lesson plans
- Time management strategies
- Calendar build-outs
- Professional planning, such as working with a school’s advisory council or attending work-related conferences
3. Deliver
School counselors implement their plans and strategies by delivering services and activities to their students, individually and in larger student groups. Direct services to students include instruction, counseling, student appraisal, and advising. Indirect services to student groups include consultation, collaboration, and referrals.
4. Assess
To measure success, school counselors review program performance to determine its impact on student outcomes. This involves highlighting successful outreach and interventions and noting areas of improvement. In addition, school counselors evaluate their own performance and development within the role. This activity is typically carried out via a performance appraisal.
How Does a School Counselor Help With Students’ Mental Health?
Addressing students’ mental health concerns is a critical component of school counseling that affects a significant number of children. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Protection (CDC) reports that in 2023, 40 percent of high school students reported steady feelings of hopelessness and sadness, while 29 percent stated that they experienced poor mental health.
Mental health concerns among young people should be taken seriously, particularly as they’re still developing physically and emotionally. School counselors must offer help to students in a careful, deliberate manner. They can do this by dividing this responsibility into the areas below.
1. Advocate for Students’ Mental Health Needs
Once a school counselor identifies that a student is struggling with their mental health, they must ensure access to the tools, resources, and accommodations a student may need, both at school and in the community. Serious issues may require the intervention of a clinical psychologist or a similarly qualified mental health professional. Counselors should be prepared to coordinate referrals to mental health experts or physicians.
2. Apply a Section 504 Plan
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is legislation that protects students with disabilities and prohibits disability-based discrimination. School counselors are part of a student’s Section 504 team and should work to ensure that students with mental health concerns are incorporated into the plan’s protective elements. They can also use the plan to help identify and correct systemic issues that may inadvertently obstruct equity.
3. Implement an Individualized Education Program
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are specialized education plans tailored to accommodate a student’s unique needs. While IEPs are commonly associated with students with disabilities, they can be effective plans to help students with mental health struggles remain on track academically. School counselors should be prepared to advocate for these programs for students who can benefit from them.
4. Collaborate With Teachers and Parents
Helping students work through their mental health concerns should be a team effort. School counselors should coordinate information and communication strategies with students’ teachers and parents. This allows students’ progress to be monitored in different environments and students’ support systems to extend beyond the counselor’s office.
5. Guide Students Toward Appropriate Outside Resources
While communities may have resources or mental health providers available, students may not know they exist or not understand how to access them. School counselors can serve as advocates who connect students with the services they need.
6. Develop and Coordinate School-Based Mental Health Initiatives
School counselors can create and implement initiatives that create safe and inclusive spaces for students seeking support for their mental health. Possibilities include educational workshops, awareness promotions, and wellness activities.
7. Host Counseling Sessions for Individuals and Groups
Sometimes, students just need an outlet to talk to someone, be it a professional or a group of their peers. School counselors can promote these opportunities for discussion by hosting sessions that encourage students to have open dialogues in ways that make them feel most comfortable.
Counseling: An Essential Part of the Educational Experience
While what a school counselor does can vary, they ultimately work to help students experience positive well-being at school and in their personal lives. Well-being is critical to a rewarding educational experience and helps prepare students for successful futures after graduation.
Individuals who pursue careers as school counselors can give students the support they need. This can help them improve their academic success, address mental health and behavioral issues, and effectively prepare for their futures.
Infographic Sources:
Education Advanced, “The Vital Role of School Counselors: Primary Guides for Student Success”
