School Guidance and Counseling Services

One of the functions of education is to provide opportunities for each student to

reach his full potential in the areas of educational, vocational, personal, and emotional
development. Guidance is an integral part of education and is centered directly on this
function. Guidance and counseling services prepare students to assume increasing
responsibility for their decisions and grow in their ability to understand and accept the
results of their choices (Gibson, 2008; Kauchak, 2011).

What is Counselling? Its Meaning, Need and Significance

a) MEANING OF COUNSELLING
Counseling is the service offered to the individual who is undergoing a
problem and needs professional help to overcome it. The problem keeps him
disturbed high strung and under tension and unless solved his development is
hampered or stunted. Counseling therefore is a more specialized service requiring
training in personality development and handling exceptional groups of individuals.
According to Willey and Andrew Counseling involves two individuals one seeking
help and other a professionally trained person helped solved problems to orient and
direct him to words a goals. Which needs to his maximum development and growth?
Counseling services are therefore required for individuals having
developmental problems because of the handicap they suffer in any area of
emotional either because of hereditary factors or environment conditions.
Generally such cases are only about five to seven percent in a population and
therefore counseling is required only for such a small number. As compared to
guidance which is for percent of individuals. Counseling involves a lot of time for the
client to unfold the problem, gain an insight in to the complex situation.
Counseling techniques involve active listening, emphatic understanding
releasing the pent up feelings confronting the client and so on counseling therefore
is offered to only those individuals who are under serious problem and need
professional help to overcome it.

References:
1. Guidance and Counseling for teachers parents and students Sister.Mary Wishala SND
2. Fundamental Principles of Guidance & Counselling. R.Sharma

b) NEED OF COUNSELLING
Counselling is an integral part of an over-all programme of guidance.
Counselling is a specific process of assistance extended by an expert in an
individual situation to a needy person. This means the counseling situation arises
when a needy person is face to face with and expert who makes available his
assistance to the needy individual to fulfill his needs.

Need of counseling
There is an urgent need of introducing and strengthening the counseling
service in the schools and colleges of our country to meet the various needs of the
students administrational and the educational system.
1. To help in the total development of the student:
- Along with the intellectual development proper motivation and
clarification of goals and ideas to pupils in conformity with their basic
potentialities and social tendencies are important total development of the
student nauseates that individual differences among them are expected,
accepted, understood and planned for and all types of experiences in an
institution are to be so organized as to contribute to the total development of the
student.
2.To help in the proper choices of courses
3. To help in the proper choices of carvers
4. To help in the students in vocational development
5. To develop readiness for choices and changes to face new challenges.
6. To minimize the mismatching between education and employment and help in
the efficient use of manpower.
7. To motivate the youth for self-employment.
8. To help freshers establish proper identity.
Guidance and counseling service is needed to help students deal effectively with
the normal developmental tasks of adolescence and face life situations boldly.
9. To identify and motivate the students form weaker sections of society.
10. To help the students in their period of turmoil and confusion.
11. To help in checking wastage and stagnation.
12. To identity and help students in need of special help.
13. There are such students as the gifted, the backward the handicapped who
need special opportunities. They need special attention and opportunities.
14. To ensure the proper utilization of time spent outside the classrooms.
The manner in which student spend their non-class hours clearly affects their
success in achieving both academic competence and personal development of
all types a positive direction to students should be provided by influencing how
they can use those non class hours.
15. To help in talking problems arising out of students population explosion
16. To check migration to prevent brain drain.

17. To make up for the deficiencies of home.

18. To minimize the incidence of indiscipline.
Bargadon has mentioned the following situations where counseling in
required:
1. When a pupil requires not only reliable information but also an
interesting introspection of those in formations which can solve his
personal difficulties.
2. When a pupil needs intelligent listener who has more experience than
the pupil to whom he can recite his difficulties and through which can seek
suggestions for his working plan.
3. When the counsellor has to assess those facilities which can help in
resolving the pupil problems but the pupil doesnt enjoy such an access to
those facilities.
4. When the pupil has some problem but he is unaware of that problem
and his development, he is to be made aware of that problem.
5. when the pupil is aware of the problem and difficulties created by the
problem but he feels difficult to define it and to understand it that is, when
the pupil is familiar with the presence of the problem and its nature but he
is unable to face the problem due to this temporary tension and
distraction.
6. When the pupil suffer the main maladjustment problem or some
handicapped which is temporary and which needs careful long due
diagnosis by an expert.
Majority of students lack a sense of direction, a sense of purpose and a sense
of fulfillment and include in destructive activities which lead to social damage and
loss. Adequate guidance and counselling facilities is the only answer to help and
guide the youth to worthwhile channels and help them to realize the goals of
optimum academic personal and social development.
Problems and needs in society are nothing new. But today they seen to be
proliferating unprecedented rate. The unique problems in the changing family, cities
in up level, conflicts in values, attitudes and moral , the new criticism about politics,
economic factors the changing role of work, new pressure and demands on school
and the problems of the youth all points out the needs for the counselling services.
Guidance and counselling have a challenging role to play in every developing
economy much more so if it is a labour surplus one.
References:
1. Fundamentals of Guidance and Counselling- R. S. Sharma

2. Guidance and Counselling-A. K. Nayak

b) SIGNIFICANCE OF COUNSELLING AT SECONDARY LEVEL

Introduction
The student life is getting complex day by day. Guidance and counselling is
needed to help the students for optimum achievement and adequate adjustment in
the varied life situations. Need analysis of the students in the schools shows the
need of guidance and counselling services, in the education, profession, vocation,
social, health, moral, personal and marital areas. It is a simple enough to say that
guidance is a function of secondary education. This statement has been made over
and over again.
There is a strong tendency among personnel in secondary schools to break up in
to considerable array of interest groups principles, supervisors, class room teachers
and counselors all join organizations and associations to which they manifest
considerable interest.

Counseling
Counseling is a process of assistance extended by an expert in an individual
situation to needy person. According to Carl Rogers counselling is a series of direct
contact with the individual which aims to offer him assistance in changing the
attitudes and behavior.

Characteristics of Adolescence
Adolescence is best defined in relation to puberty. This is period which begins with
puberty and ends with the several cessation of physical growth, it emerges from the
later childhood and merges into adulthood. Adolescence is a critical period in the
development of personal identity A.T.Jersild observes Adol is that span of years
during which boys and girls move from childhood to adulthood mentally, emotionally,
socially and physically.

Significance of Guidance At Secondary Level

To help understand on going behavior interference theory provides a frame of
reference in terms of four ideas.
The first is that people behave as they do because of various attitudes,
assumptions and beliefs, they have about themselves from these assertions an
individual makes decision about the feasibility of various kinds of behaviour. The
adequacy of his behavior is largely a function of the validity of this assertions.
The second idea is that as an individual initiates behavior he observes its effects.
This feed back to the individual can either confirm or disconfirm his assertions

The third idea is that when assertions are disconfirmed, tent ions result which inhibit
the reappraisal of assertions.
Fourth, because of the inflexibility and rigidity resulting from tensions, the individual
strives harder to confirm initial assertions.

Significance of Counseling
1. Decision marking construct:- The psychological problems of adolescents
can be seen as decision making problems.
2. Conflict:- These decision making problems almost always involve some
conflict, either because of factor emotional ambiguities or both.
3. Assertions - Behavior is a result at the assumptions, beliefs, and attitudes
that one his about himself, others and the world in which her lives.
4. Disconfirmations -The effects of behavior following decisions are feed back
to the individual perceived and they confirm or disconfirm ascertain to varying
degrees.
5. Tension - When assertions are disconfirmed, tensions result.
6. Redundancy - Tensions inhibit the ability of an individual to reexamine his
assertions and attempt to confirm them and thus they cause redundant behavior.

Conclusion
The general public tends to view counselling as a remedial function and
emphasizes immediate goals, such as problem solution, tension reduction and the
like .counselee may refer to the resolution of a particular conflict or problem
situation. Counselling in its spirit and essence is generative it aims at assisting the
individual to develop such that he becomes psychologically mature and is capable at
realizing his potentialities optimally. The Secondary school counselling needs a
meaningful, realistic, practical frame of reference constituent with the short term
nature
at
school
counselling.
References:
1. Guidance and Counselling- A.David
2. Elementary Guidance and Counselling- Reshmi Agarwall

Common Misconceptions about Guidance and Counselling

It is anticipated that Student Teachers studying the Guidance and Counselling
course will hold a number of misconceptions about guidance and counselling. Course
Instructors need to be aware of such misconceptions, which are commonly shared by
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the public, so that they can help Student Teachers confront and critique these
misconceptions. Some of the important misconceptions are listed below:

Guidance and counselling deal only with severe psychological problems and,
hence, are not required for schoolchildren.

When dealing with schoolchildren, there is not much relationship between the
theory and practical aspects of guidance and counselling.

Guidance is always provided in group form, as many students have more or less
similar issues on which they need guidance.

Counselling is always counselee-centred, and the counselee plays a proactive

role.

There is a single theory of guidance and counselling that can be applied to all
scenarios.

Counselling is a complex process that can only be facilitated by professional

experts. A teacher cannot be a counsellor.

Every teacher can be a counsellor without undergoing any counselling training,

as it does not require specific skills.

Counselling cannot be given in a classroom situation because it involves the

utilization of various resources.

Counselling for personal, emotional, and social problems is the responsibility of

the parents, not the teacher.

Counselling is only for children who are experiencing problems, and not for
children who are bright and happy at school.

A counsellor can provide a readymade solution to all problems. Guidance is a

service or process that should be employed to address an emergency situation

Counselling is for developed countries.

No ethical issues are involved in counselling.

Counselling is a one-meeting problem-solving strategy. Adapted from teaching

notes by: Maroof Bin Rauf et. al.

Guidance VS Counseling
Psychology, the study of behavior and of mental processes, is a diverse field. It
involves the process of understanding the reasons why people behave and think as
they do and applies scientific methods in observing and gathering information, in order
to come up with an applicable principle of behavior and motivation.
It is subjective and is applied according to the specific requirements of an
individual. Among the many branches and applications of psychology are the fields of
Guidance and Counseling.
Guidance and Counseling both involve helping an individual in making choices
about the different things that might confront and confuse him. They are totally different
fields though and to help distinguish between the two, here are some of the things that
are used to describe them:

Counseling
Counseling is a psychological specialty that deals with research and applied work
in supervision, training, career development, prevention, and health. It focuses on a
persons strengths, assets, environmental interactions, educational background, career
development and personality.
Counseling started as a result of WWII. Since then, it has been used by
individuals, institutions, families, rehabilitation agencies and other organizations. It
utilizes psychological methods in the collection of case history data through personal
interview, testing and aptitude.
It helps clients to choose the best solution to a problem, through the process of
listening and questioning. It is important to note that counseling is not a giving of opinion
and it is based on a wellness model rather than a medical one.
A counselors basic concern should go beyond treating dysfunction or pathology.
It should deal with a clients self-awareness which should help him towards personal
growth and wellness.

Guidance
Guidance is defined as the act of guiding, giving leadership, supervision,
direction or professional guidance for future actions. It is usually provided to students in
preparation for a vocation.

Guidance helps a person discover and develop his psychological, vocational and
educational potential in order to be happier and more useful in society. Each person is
responsible for his decisions and actions, but when he is young he will need someone
more mature and experienced to guide him through life and towards making the right
decisions for himself.

Like counseling, it assists clients towards a decision or an appropriate course of

action. It may be used as therapeutic aid in the treatment of minor emotional
disturbances and disorders.

Summary
1. Counseling is a psychological field that deals with research and applied work to
provide training and supervision, while Guidance is a psychological field that deals with
assisting clients in their need to choose the right course of action.
2. While both are being used in organizations and by individuals, counseling has a
broader reach, while Guidance is usually being used in schools to guide students
towards proper actions.
3. Both can help in the treatment and rehabilitation of a person suffering from a mental
illness or disorder, but counseling is more extensive than guidance.
4. Counseling encompasses several other fields of psychology, while Guidance tends to
be more specific.

Function Guidance and Counselling is: Understanding the function, ie function of

counseling, guidance and help counselees to have an understanding of his
(potential) and environmental (education, occupation, and religious
norms).Based on this understanding, counselees are expected to develop her
potential in an optimal, and adapt themselves to the environment is dynamic and
constructive.
Preventive functions, namely functions relating to the counselor's efforts to
continuously anticipate any problems that might occur and attempt to prevent it,
so that is not experienced by the counselee. Through this function, the counselor
will provide guidance to the counselee about how to act or refrain from activities
that endanger themselves. The technique can be used is the orientation services,
information, and guidance of the group. Several problems need to be informed to

the counselee in order to prevent the occurrence of unexpected behavior,

including: the dangers of alcohol, smoking, drug abuse, drop out, and free sex
(free sex).

Development function, which is a function of guidance and counseling more

proactive nature of the functions of another. Counselors strive to create a
conducive learning environment, which facilitates the development of
counselee. School counselors and personnel / other Madrasah in synergy as
teamwork collaborate or cooperate to plan and implement programs in a
systematic and continuous guidance in an effort to help the counselee achieve
their development tasks. Guidance techniques that can be used here is the
ministry of information, tutorials, group discussion or brainstorm (brain storming),
home room, and field trips.

Healing functions, namely functions of guidance and counseling which is

curative. This function is closely related to efforts to provide assistance to the
counselees who have experienced the problems, both related to aspects of
personal, social, learning, or career. The technique can be used is counseling,
and remedial teaching.

The distribution functions, namely functions in guidance and counseling to help

counselees choose extracurricular activities, majors or courses of study, and
consolidate control of your career or job that interests, talents, skills and other
personality traits. In performing this function, counselors need to work closely
with other educators within and outside educational institutions.

Adaptation functions, ie functions to assist the implementers of education, head

of School and staff, counselors, and teachers to tailor educational programs to
educational background, interests, abilities and needs of counselees. By using
adequate information about the counselee, counselor / counselor can help
teachers in treating appropriately counselees, both in selecting and preparing
material for School, selecting methods and learning processes, and develop
teaching materials in accordance with the capacity and speed counselee

.
Adjustment functions, namely functions in guidance and counseling can help the
counselee to adjust to the self and environment in a dynamic and constructive.

Repair function, namely the function guidance and counseling to help the
counselee so it can fix the mistake in thinking, feeling and acting
(willed). Counselor to intervene (to treatment) to the counselee in order to have a
healthy pattern of thinking, rational and have the right feelings so that they can
deliver them to act or will of a productive and normative.

Facilitation functions, providing convenience to the counselee in achieving

optimal growth and development, harmonious and balanced in all aspects of selfcounselee.

Maintenance functions, namely functions of guidance and counseling to assist

the counselee in order to protect themselves and maintain a conducive situation
that has been created within him. These functions facilitate the counselee to
avoid conditions that would cause a decrease in productivity alone. This function
is realized through the implementation of programs that are interesting,
recreative and facultative (options) in accordance with the interests counselee.

There are some basic principles that are considered as the cornerstone or
foundation for counseling services.

These principles are derived from philosophical concepts of humanity which is

the basis for the provision of assistance or counseling services, both in the
School and outside the School. These principles are:

Guidance and counseling is for all the counselee. This principle means that the
guidance given to all the counselee or counselees, both which are not
problematic and that problematic; both men and women, both children,
adolescents, and adults. In this case the approach used in more of a preventive
counseling and development of the healing (curative) and preferred technique of
the individual groups (individuals).

Guidance and counseling as a process of individuation. Each counselee is

unique (different from each other), and through the guidance of counselees are
helped to maximize the development of such uniqueness. This principle also
means that the focus target is to help counselees, although guidance services
using group techniques.

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Guidance emphasizes the positive. In fact there are still counselee has a
negative perception tuition, because tuition is seen as one way to suppress the
aspirations. It's different with this view, the guidance is actually a process that
emphasizes the strength and support of success, because tuition is a great way
to build a positive outlook about yourself, giving encouragement, and
opportunities for growth.

Guidance and counseling is a joint venture. Guidance is not only the counselor
duties or responsibilities, but also the duty of teachers and head of School in
accordance with the duties and roles of each. They work as a teamwork.

Decision-making is essential in Guidance and counseling. Guidance is directed

to help the counselee to be able to make choices and decisions. Guidance has a
role to provide information and advice to the counselees, who were all very
important to him in making decisions. Counselee's life directed by the goal, and
guidance facilitating counselees to consider, adjust, and refine goals through the
right decision. Ability to make appropriate choices is not an innate ability, but the
ability to be developed. The main objective is to develop guidance counselee
ability to solve problems and make decisions.

Guidance and counseling Held in Various Settings (SCENE) Life. Providing

counseling services not only take place at the School, but also in the family
environment, the company / industry, government agencies / private sector and
society in general. Any field of guidance services are multi-faceted, covering
aspects of personal, social, education, and employment.

Successful guidance and counseling services is largely determined by the

accomplishment of the following principles.

Confidentiality principle, namely the principle of guidance and counseling which

requires all data and information about the counselee (counselee) who becomes
the target services, ie data or information which should not be and not worth
known by others. In this case the supervising teacher is obliged to fully maintain
and protect all data and information so that absolutely guaranteed.

Voluntarism, namely the principle of the guidance and counseling which requires
preferences and willingness counselee (counselee) to follow / lead services /
activities that it took him. In this case the supervising teacher is obliged to foster
and develop such volunteerism.
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The principle of openness, namely the principle of guidance and counseling who
willed that counselees (counselee) who becomes the target of service / activities
are open and do not pretend, either in providing information about themselves
and in receiving various information and materials from outside which is useful
for the development of himself. In this case the supervising teacher is obliged to
develop openness counselee (counselee). This openness is very relevant to the
implementation of the principle of confidentiality and the voluntary self-counselee
on the target service / activity. To be able to open counselee, counselor teacher
must first be open and not to pretend.

The principle of activity, namely the principle of guidance and counseling who
willed that counselees (counselee) services targeted to participate actively in the
management of service / activity guidance. In this case the supervising teacher
should encourage the counselee to be active in every service / guidance and
counseling activities are intended for him.

The principle of independence, namely the principle of guidance and counseling,

which refers to the general guidance and counseling purposes, namely:
counselee (counselee) as targets for guidance and counseling services are
expected to be a counselee counselees-characteristics independently recognize
and accept himself and his environment, able to take decisions, directing and to
manifest themselves. Supervising teachers should be able to direct all the
guidance and counseling services are held for the development of independence
counselee.

The principle of novelty, namely the principle of guidance and counseling who
willed that target object is guidance and counseling services counselee problems
(counselees) in current condition. Services related to "future or past conditions
were" seen the impact and / or relation to existing conditions and what is done
now.

The principle of dynamism, namely the principle of guidance and counseling

services requires that the contents of the target service (the counselee) is equal
to his will always move forward, not monotonous, and continues to develop, and
sustainable in accordance with the needs and stage of development from time to
time.

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The principle of integration, ie principles of guidance and counseling, which calls

for a variety of services and guidance and counseling activities, whether
conducted by the supervising teacher or the other, complementary, harmonious,
and integrated. For this cooperation between teacher mentors and parties that
play a role in the organization of guidance and counseling services need to be
developed. Coordination of all services / guidance and counseling activities
should be carried out with the best.

The principle of harmony, namely the principle of guidance and counseling which
requires that all services and activities are based on guidance and counseling
and must not conflict with existing values and norms, namely the values and
religious norms, laws and regulations, customs, knowledge, and
habits applicable. Not the service or guidance and counseling activities that can
be accounted for if the content and implementation was not based on values and
norms which meant it. Furthermore, care and guidance and counseling activities
actually have to improve the ability of counselees (counselee) to understand,
appreciate, and practice the values and norms.

The principle of expertise, namely the principle of guidance and counseling,

which requires that services and guidance and counselling activities conducted
on the basis of professional norms. In this regard, the implementers of services
and activities of guidance and counseling personnel should truly experts in the
field of guidance and counseling. Supervising teacher professionalism must be
achieved both in the organization of the types of services and activities and
counseling as well as in the enforcement of codes of ethics guidance and
counseling.

Transfer Case Hand Principle, namely the principle of guidance and counseling
who willed that the parties who are unable to carry out guidance and counseling
services appropriately and completely above a counselee problems (counselee)
issue to the parties that more experts. Teacher mentors can receive a hand over
the case of parents, other teachers, or other experts, and so did the supervising
teacher to teacher can case subjects / practices and others.

Aims of Guidance and Counseling Programs

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The aims of the guidance and counseling service are similar to the purposes of
education in generalto assist the student in fulfilling her basic physiological needs,
understanding herself and acceptance of others, developing associations with peers,
balancing between permissiveness and controls in the educational setting, realizing
successful achievement, and providing opportunities to gain independence (Heyden,
SCHOOLING 2011). The purposes of guidance and counseling provide emphasis and
strength to the educational program. Some specific aims of the school guidance and
counseling program include the following (Gibson, 2009):

To Provide for the Realization of Student Potentialities

To all students, the school offers a wide choice of courses and co-curricular
activities. A significant function of education is to help students identify and develop their
potentialities. The counselor's role is to assist students to distribute their energies into
the many learning opportunities available to them. Every student needs help in planning
his major course of study and pattern of co-curricular activities.

To Help Children with Developing Problems

Even those students who have chosen an appropriate educational program for
themselves may have problems that require help. A teacher may need to spend from
one-fifth to one-third of his time with a few pupils who require a great deal of help, which
deprives the rest of the class from the teacher's full attention to their needs. The
counselor, by helping these youngsters to resolve their difficulties, frees the classroom
teacher to use his time more efficiently.

To Contribute to the Development of the School's Curriculum

Counselors, in working with individual students, know their personal problems
and aspirations, their talents and abilities, as well as the social pressures confronting
them. Counselors, therefore, can provide data that serve as a basis for curriculum
development, and they can help curriculum developers shape courses of study that
more accurately reflect the needs of students. Too often, counselors are not included in
curriculum development efforts.

To Provide Teachers with Technical Assistance

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Pre-service teacher training institutions typically provide very limited experience

with the more technical aspects of guidance work. Thus, a need exists in most schools
for assistance with guidance and counseling functions essential to the educational
program. Specifically, the guidance counselor is qualified to assist teachers with
selecting, administering, and interpreting tests; selecting and using cumulative,
anecdotal, and other types of records; providing help and suggestions relative to
counseling techniques, which teachers can use in counseling their students; and
providing leadership in developing and conducting professional development of
teachers in guidance functions.

To Contribute to the Mutual Adjustment of Students and the School

Guidance has a responsibility for developing and maintaining a cooperative
relationship between students and the school. Teachers and counselors must be
cognizant of students' needs. Students also must make adjustments to the school. They
have a responsibility to contribute something to the school. A major contribution of
students is that of making appropriate use of the school's resources and working toward
accomplishments. Such mutual adjustment of students and school is facilitated by
providing suggestions for program improvements, conducting research for educational
improvements, contributing to students' adjustment through counseling, and fostering
wholesome school-home attitudes.

The Role of the Counselor

The major goals of counseling are to promote personal growth and to prepare
students to become motivated workers and responsible citizens. Educators recognize
that in addition to intellectual challenges, students encounter personal/social,
educational, and career challenges. School guidance and counseling programs need to
address these challenges and to promote educational success.
The guidance and counseling program is an integral part of a school's total
educational program; it is developmental by design, focusing on needs, interests, and
issues related to various stages of student growth. The scope of the developmental
guidance and counseling program in today's school include the following components
(Cooley, 2010; Coy, 2004):
Personal/Social - In addition to providing guidance services for all students,
counselors are expected to do personal and crisis counseling. Problems such as
dropping out, substance abuse, suicide, irresponsible sexual behavior, eating disorders,
and pregnancy must be addressed.
Educational - Students must develop skills that will assist them as they learn.
The counselor, through classroom guidance activities and individual and group

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counseling, can assist students in applying effective study skills, setting goals, learning
effectively, and gaining test-taking skills. Counselors also may focus on note taking, time
management, memory techniques, relaxation techniques, overcoming test anxiety, and
developing listening skills.
Career - Planning for the future, combating career stereotyping, and analyzing
skills and interests are some of the goals students must develop in school. Career
information must be available to students, and representatives from business and
industry must work closely with the school and the counselor in preparing students for
the world of work.

Major Guidance and Counseling Services

The primary mission of a school's guidance and counseling program is to provide
a broad spectrum of personnel services to the students. These services include student
SCHOOLING assessment, the information service, placement and follow-up, and
counseling assistance. These four areas should constitute the core of any guidance
program and should be organized to facilitate the growth and development of all
students from kindergarten through post high school experiences (Erford, 2010; Erford,
2011; Neukrug, 2011).

Assessment
The assessment service is designed to collect, analyze, and use a variety of
objective and subjective personal, psychological, and social data about each pupil. Its
purpose is to help the individual to better understand herself. Conferences with pupils
and parents, standardized test scores, academic records, anecdotal records, personal
data forms, case studies, and portfolios are included. The school counselor interprets
this information to pupils, parents, teachers, administrators, and other professionals.
Pupils with special needs and abilities are thus identified.

Information
The information service is designed to provide accurate and current information
in order that the students may make an intelligent choice of an educational program, an
occupation, or a social activity. Essentially, the aim is that with such information students
will make better choices and will engage in better planning in and out of the school
setting. Students must not only be exposed to such information but must also have an
opportunity to react to it in a meaningful way with others.

Placement and Follow-up

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The school assists the student in selecting and utilizing opportunities within the
school and in the outside labor market. Counselors assist students in making
appropriate choices of courses of study and in making transitions from one school level
to another, one school to another, and from school to employment. Placement thereby
involves pupil assessment, informational services, and counseling assistance
appropriate to the pupil's choices of school subjects, co-curricular activities, and
employment. Follow-up is concerned with the development of a systematic plan for
maintaining contact with former students. The data obtained from the follow-up studies
aid the school in evaluating the school's curricular and guidance programs.

Counseling
The counseling service is designed to facilitate self-understanding and
development through dyadic or small-group relationships. The aim of such relationships
tends to be on personal development and decision making that is based on selfunderstanding and knowledge of the environment. The counselor assists the student to
understand and accept himself thereby clarifying his ideas, perceptions, attitudes, and
goals; furnishes personal and environmental information to the pupil, as required,
regarding his plans, choices, or problems; and seeks to develop in the student the
ability to cope with/and solve problems and increased competence in making decisions
and plans for the future. Counseling is generally accepted as the heart of the guidance
service.

Methods of Counseling
Counseling students is one of the basic functions of the school guidance
program. Counseling skills are needed by school principals, teachers, teacher-advisors,
athletic coaches, and club sponsors as well as by professional counselors. Although
counseling of serious emotional problems is best handled by professional counselors,
teachers and other faculty personnel find themselves in situations daily where
counseling is necessary (Coleman, 2009). Acquaintance with counseling methods and
points of view is useful to them.
Counseling methods and points of view have developed from research and
theories about how individuals grow and develop, change their behavior, and interact
with their environment. These counseling methods are generally classified into three
broad types or schools of thought: directive, nondirective, and eclectic (Neukrug, 2011;
Parsons, 2009a; Parsons, 2009b; Parsons, 2009c). One of the most fundamental
philosophical and theoretical questions that confronts the counselor in the course of her
training and professional practice is which method to select in counseling students.

17

The directive counselor is said to be more interested in the problem than he is in

the counselee. This belief is an exaggeration. The student and her problem cannot be
separated. All service professions are, by their very nature, concerned with the person
to be helped. All teaching, for example, is pupil centered even when a teacher has thirty
students in a class. The directive counselor, however, focuses attention on identifying
and analyzing the problem and finding an appropriate solution to it. He tends to make
use of test data, school records, and reports, and to be more disposed to giving advice
and information based on such data. Directive counseling is the method most commonly
used by counselors in school settings (Coleman, 2009).

Directive counseling seems to be most successful when the counselee is

relatively well adjusted, the problem is in an intellectual area, a lack of information
constituted the problem, the counselee has little insight into the problem, inner conflict is
absent, and the client suffers from anxiety, insecurity, or impatience (Coleman, 2009;
Parsons, 2009a)
.
The nondirective approach is more effective in the treatment of many types of
emotional problems. However, many students who come to the counselor have few if
any such emotional problems. Many cases merely call for information or some other
routine assistance.

Although there are many proponents of nondirective counseling, Carl Rogers is

best known, because he started the movement and has given it leadership for more
than six decades (Rogers, 1942). The aim of nondirective counseling is, according to
Rogers, to help the student "to become a better organized person, oriented around
healthy goals which [he] has clearly seen and definitely chosen" (p. 227). It aims to
provide the student with a united purpose, the courage to meet life and the obstacles
that it presents. Consequently, the client takes from his counseling contacts, not
necessarily a neat solution for each of his problems, but the ability to meet his problems
in a constructive way. Rogers defines effective counseling as a definitely structured,
permissive SCHOOLING relationship that allows the client to gain an understanding of
himself to a degree that enables him to take positive steps in the light of his new
orientation. This hypothesis has a natural corollary, that all the techniques used should
aim toward developing this free and permissive relationship, this understanding of self in
the counseling and other relationships, and this tendency toward positive, self-initiated
action (Fall, 2011; Parsons, 2009b; Rogers, 1942).

Possibly the greatest contribution of the nondirective technique has been its
influence in personalizing counseling. Nevertheless, even though this approach may be
more effective in certain counseling situations, it is unlikely that this approach will be

18

used in most schools because of the extreme training essential to its application in the
counseling process (Coleman, 2009).

Eclectic counseling is the result of selecting concepts from both directive and
nondirective approaches. Thus, the eclectic counselor uses whatever approach seems
best suited to the situation. Real help given to most students in schools would be
located between the highly directive and the eclectic views rather than client centered
(Coleman, 2009; Parsons, 2009c).

The effectiveness of the counselor will depend more on the relationship existing
between the student and his counselors than on the method she chooses and how well
she performs within the method she employs.

Evaluation of Guidance and Counseling Programs

Evaluation consists of making systematic judgments of the relative effectiveness
with which goals are attained in relation to specified standards. In evaluating a function
like guidance and counseling services, we attempt to determine to what extent the
objectives of the service have been attained. The major objectives of guidance are to
assist individuals to develop the ability to understand themselves, to solve their own
problems, and to make appropriate adjustments to their environment as the situation
dictates (Gibson, 2008). Evaluation is the means by which school personnel can better
judge the extent to which these objectives are being met (Popham, 2010). The ten
characteristics cited following provide criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of a
school's guidance and counseling services (Cobia, 2007; Dimmitt, Carey, & Hatch,
2007; Gysbers, 2006).

Pupil Needs
Effective guidance programs are based on pupil needs. Some needs are typical
among pupils of a given age; others are specific to certain individuals in particular
regions or schools. In effective guidance programs, teachers, counselors, and
administrators listen carefully to what pupils say, because they know they are
expressing either personal or situational inadequacies.

19

Cooperation
The staff of effective guidance programs works cooperatively. Cooperation is
exhibited in the degree of active interest, mutual help, and collaboration among
teachers, counselors, and administrators.

Process and Product

Effective guidance programs are concerned with both process and product. The
questions "How well is the program operating?" and "What are the outcomes?" guide
the focus in effective guidance programs. The most important outcome of a guidance
program is desirable change in the behavior of students, such as improved school
attendance, better study habits, better scholastic achievement, fewer scholastic failures,
lower dropout rate, better educational planning, and better home-school relations.

Balance
Effective guidance programs balance corrective, preventive, and developmental
functions. Personnel in such programs know when to extricate pupils from potentially
harmful situations, when to anticipate pupil difficulties, and when to provide assistance
necessary to a pupil's maximum development.

Stability
The ability to adjust to loss of personnel without loss of effectiveness is
associated with program quality. Stability requires that the system is able to fill vacant
positions quickly and satisfactorily.

Flexibility
Effective guidance programs manifest flexibility. Flexibility enables the program to
expand or contract as the situation demands without significant loss of effectiveness.

Qualified Counselors
Counselors hold a graduate degree in counseling and are fully certified by the
state in which they practice.

20

Adequate Counselor-Student Ratio

Most accrediting agencies (Southern Association, North Central Association, for
example) require a counselor-student ratio of one full-time counselor for 250 to 300
students. A caseload of this magnitude is satisfactory if counselors are to have
adequate time to counsel students individually and in small groups, as well as consult
with faculty, administrators, and parents.

Physical Facilities
Are the facilities for guidance work sufficient for an effective program? Physical
facilities that are well planned and provide for adequate space, privacy, accessibility,
and the like are characteristic of quality guidance programs.

Records
Appropriate records are maintained on each student including achievement test
scores, information supplied by teachers, administrators, parents, employers, and other
professional personnel.
Although many of the aforementioned ten characteristics are useful, they should
not be accepted unquestioningly. To some extent each guidance program is unique to
its particular setting and consequently would either add other characteristics to the list
or stress those cited previously in varying degrees.

Conclusion
Guidance and counseling services play an integral part in the overall student
services department of any elementary or secondary school. The aims of guidance and
counseling programs in schools are to assist individuals to develop the ability to
understand themselves, to solve their own problems, and to make appropriate
adjustments to their environment. Major guidance services include student appraisal,
information giving, placement and follow-up, and counseling. Broadly conceived, two
methods of counseling include directive and nondirective approaches. On the one hand,
directive counseling focuses attention on identifying and analyzing the problem and
finding an appropriate solution to it using all available data. Nondirective counseling, on
the other hand, provides the counselee not with a neat solution, but instead with the
ability to meet her problem in a constructive way. Ten criteria are used in evaluating
guidance and counseling programs: student needs, cooperation, process and product,
balance, stability, flexibility, quality counselors, adequate counselor-student ratio,
adequate physical facilities, and appropriate record keeping.

21

References:
Cobia, D. C. (2007). Developing an effective and accountable school counseling
program. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Coleman, H. L. (2009). Handbook of school counseling. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum.
Cooley, L. (2010). The power of groups: Solution-focused group counseling in schools.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Coy, D. R. (2004). Developmental guidance and counseling in todays schools.
Alexandria, VA: National Association of Secondary Schools.
Dimmitt, C., Carey, J. C., & Hatch, T. (2007). Evidence-based school counseling:
Making a difference with data-driven practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Erford, B. T. (2010). Group work in schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Erford, B. T. (2011). Transforming the school counseling profession. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Fall, K. A. (2011). Theoretical models of counseling and psychotherapy. Florence, KY:
Taylor & Francis.
Gibson, R. L. (2008). Introduction to guidance and counseling. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Gysbers, N. C. (2006). Developing and managing your school guidance program.
Washington, DC: American Counseling Association.
Heyden, S. M. (2011). Counseling children and adolescents. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Neukrug, R. C. (2011). Counseling theory and practice. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Kauchak. D. P. (2011). Introduction to teaching: Becoming a professional. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Parsons, R. D. (2009a). Thinking and acting like a cognitive school counselor.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Parsons, R. D. (2009b). Thinking and acting like a solution-focused counselor.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Parsons, R. D. (2009c). Thinking and acting like an eclectic school counselor. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Popham, W. J. (2010). Educational assessment: What school leaders need to know.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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Rogers, C. R. (1942). Counseling and psychotherapy. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin

Globalization and Counseling: Professional Issues for Counselors Sonya Lorelle

Rebekah Byrd Stephanie Crockett Scholars have examined globalization for many
years in terms of its impact on individuals, but it remains a concept not often
discussed in the counseling literature (Paredes et al., 2008). As counseling
transforms from a Western-based practice to a global phenomenon, it is important
to understand counseling within an international context. In this article, the ways in
which the process of globalization are currently impacting the field of counseling,
implications and future research directions are examined. The Professional
Counselor Volume 2, Issue 2 | July 2012 Pages 115-123 2012 NBCC and Affiliates
www.nbcc.org http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org As our world becomes increasingly
connected economically, politically, technologically, and culturally, counseling is
transforming from a Western-based practice to a global phenomenon. The
globalization of counseling has placed the field on the cusp of growth and
innovation. Such changes involve not only a willingness to adapt and perhaps
redefine current counseling theories, but to hold our most basic assumptions
regarding the nature of human change so loosely that we are willing to let
counseling develop and evolve indigenously in international communities.
Accordingly, this article highlights the impact of globalization on the field of
counseling, with particular attention given to the spread of Westernbased
counseling practices to the international community. In order to do so, we begin by
defining globalization and considering the progression of multicultural counseling
towards a more global vision. We then examine the ways in which the process of
globalization is currently impacting the field of counseling. Lastly, the implications
for counseling as an increasingly global phenomenon and future research directions
are
considered.
Globalization
Globalization
can
be
referred
to
the
McDondaldization or Westernization of the world. These terms imply that
globalism entails an invasion of Western capitalism into undeveloped nations and
suggests the idea that the world is becoming homogeneous. Modern scholars of
globalization (Featherstone, 1996; Tomlinson, 1999), however, point out that such
oversimplifications only describe one aspect of globalism, and note that
globalization is better defined by a series of interactions between nations than by a
unidirectional Western conquest. Accordingly, we define globalization in this article
as a continual process of interaction and integration among national economies,
societies and cultures (Rothenberg, 2003). There is a dynamic interplay between
both global and local economies, politics, technologies and cultures in which local
communities do not passively give way to outside influences, but rather actively
react to the process by absorbing, assimilating, and/or resisting the worldviews,
products and politics introduced by the West (Featherstone, 1996). This global-local
relationship transforms the local lived experiences of the individuals and has
increasing global consequences (Tomlinson, 1999). Scholars in the counseling field
have already increased their understanding of the process by which individuals in
minority groups adapt to dominate cultural norms. Traditionally, it was assumed
that acculturation was a one-dimensional process in which individuals demonstrated
increasing adherence to the dominate culture and a lessening of adherence to the
23

minority orientation. More recently, scholars understand this process to be

multidimensional, involving both acculturation and enculturation (Kim & Abreu,
2001). Sonya Lorelle, NCC is an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina
at Charlotte. Rebekah Byrd is an Assistant Professor at East Tennessee State
University. Stephanie Crockett is and Assistant Professor at Oakland University.
Correspondence can be addressed to sonyalorelle@hotmail.com.The Professional
Counselor: Research and Practice \ Vol.2, Issue 2 116 Similar to modern theories of
globalization, counselors are increasingly aware of the dynamic interplay that exists
between dominant and individual culture. In this manner, as the counseling
profession is introduced and developed in international communities, not only will
local communities and individuals living in those communities be transformed, but
the practice of traditional, Western counseling may be fundamentally redefined as
locals actively react and adapt to the practice. Individual views and experiences of
globalization are contingent upon social location and personal experiences
(Featherstone 1996; Tomlinson, 1999). In considering the globalization of
counseling, the application of this assumption implies that each local community
and individual assigns personal meaning and reacts differently to the experience of
counseling. As a result, counseling and the implementation of counseling services in
non-U.S. cultures differs significantly from country to country and community to
community, with each model being a valid and effective method of helping
individuals within a given social context. Cultural Diversity and Counseling Beyond
U.S. Borders For nearly half a century, the field of counseling has gained improved
awareness and understanding of the cultural differences that exist within the U.S.
Counselors have specifically focused on understanding the cultural dynamics that
occur on a micro level, between the counselor and an individual client or small
group of clients, in order to improve the provision of services in the U.S. As
counselors became increasingly alert to and accepting of the cultural similarities
and differences between racial/ethnic groups, Pedersen (1991) heralded
multiculturalism as counselings fourth force (p. 93), as it became a hot topic in
the profession. In recent years the field has begun to expand counseling beyond
U.S. borders to a world that is increasingly interconnected and interdependent. This
fifth force in counseling has been gaining speed over the past decade as many
countries throughout the world express an interest in promoting the mental health
of their citizens (Hohenshil, 2010). Efforts to assist the development of counseling
internationally have been facilitated through the work and leadership of the U.S.
counseling profession. One such effort includes the creation of NBCC International
(NBCC-I), a division of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). NBCC-I
was created in 2003 to promote the counseling profession on a global scale (NBCC-I,
2012). According to the NBCC website, the organization looks to spread the
availability of competent, reliable professional services to any part of the world that
indicates an interest in acquiring them, . . .with utmost care and respect for the
social, cultural, political, and economic realities of the various areas where [they]
are invited (Clawson, 2011, para. 2). The winter 2010 issue of The Journal of
Counseling and Development (JCD) highlighted the globalization of counseling in a
special section devoted to describing development and future of counseling in eight
countries (China, Botswana, Lebanon, Malaysia, Romania, Italy, Mexico, and
Denmark). For the majority of countries detailed in the special section, counseling

24

began through the need for career guidance in public school systems. Some
countries had witnessed the expansion of counseling services into local
communities (See & Ng, 2010; Stockton, Nitza, & Bhusumane, 2010), while others
indicated the need to extend affordable counseling services beyond educational
settings (AyyashAbdo, Alamuddin, & Mukallid, 2010). Most countries experienced a
shortage of quality counselor training programs as the need for practicing
counselors grew more quickly than the development of training programs.
Regarding the future of counseling in these countries, most expressed that the need
for counseling services would continue to grow, but expressed the need for
systematic, quality counselor training programs as well as the development of
national counseling associations, counselor training standards, and a credentialing
mechanism (Ayyash-Abdo, Alamuddin, Mukallid, Remley, Bacchini, & Krieg, 2010;
See & Ng, 2010; Stockton, Nitza, & Bhusumane, 2010). The efforts of the counseling
profession regarding multicultural competence provides the field with a solid
foundation for the implementation of counseling on a global scale; however,
counselors must remain alert to the broader implications that stem from promoting
counseling to diverse individuals on a macro level. While the current literature
acknowledges what countries need in order to incorporate counseling, it remains
important to consider the impact of globalization and how the counseling profession
may need to adapt to meet the needs of the local communities. The application of
U.S. counseling theories and techniques, multicultural counseling included, is
doubtfully sufficient to ensure the efficacy of international counseling. Instead,
counselors will have to move beyond a national multicultural perspective toward a
global vision for the field.The Professional Counselor: Research and Practice \ Vol.2,
Issue 2 117 Impact of Globalization on Counseling Heppner (1997) suggested that
counseling can play an important role in building a global village that helps people
improve their well-being, alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises,
modify maladaptive environments, and increase their ability to live more highly
functioning lives (p.7). While we recognized the importance of considering crosscultural understandings as counselors take on an international role, we must
continuously ask who will define this more highly functioning. Leung (2003)
acknowledged the ethnocentric bias of Euro-American assumptions inherent in
traditional counseling theories. For example regarding attachment theory, You and
Malley-Morrison (2000) confirmed the traditional definition of healthy attachment
did not transfer to Asian cultures. The researchers found Korean students to score
higher on the preoccupied attachment compared to American students. With an
ethnocentric view, counselors might mistakenly believe they should promote the
higher functioning secure attachment style; however, in Asian collectivistic
cultures where there is greater value placed on others than the self, attachment
styles present differently due to different interpretations and meanings associated
with parent-child interactions (Rothbaum, Rosen, Ujie, & Uchida, 2002; You & MalleyMorrison, 2000). It also is important to understand how globalization can impact the
counseling field at the macro level as well as at the micro level where individuals
are affected in ways that are relevant to counselors. In the following section, we
examine three ways in which globalization may have an impact on the counseling
field and on the people living in international communities. First, we will explore how
globalization impacts the transfer of western values transnationally; which in turn

25

influences the local cultures ideas and experiences of mental health and wellness.
Second, we will consider the commoditization of the helping relationship and how it
translates internationally. Finally, through the globalization lens, we consider the
issues with access and the structural limitations of international counseling. Global
Mental Health and Wellness Early studies suggested that mental health services
which were rooted in White middle-class value systems led to the misdiagnosis of
racial/ethnic minorities (Adebimpe, 1981; Mukherjee, Shukla, & Woodle, 1983),
decreased quality of care for racial/ethnic minorities (Ridley, 1989; Sattler, 1977;
Sue 1977), and higher rates of premature termination among racial/ethnic minority
clients (Ridley, 1989; Romero, 1985; Sue 1977; Yamamoto, James, Bloombaum, &
Hattem, 1976). Given these documented dangers of ethnocentrism within the U.S.
borders and because the local is transformed by the global in the process of
globalization (Tomlinson, 1999), it is important to examine how the Western ideas of
mental health and illness impact local international communities. There are several
ways in which the local is transformed by the global regarding the mental health
and wellness of individuals in international communities. First, the spread of western
notions of mental health can change how symptoms are conceptualized and
manifested in local international communities. Watters (2010) examined how the
U.S.s influence over the rest of the world does not simply impact the economic
realms of individuals lives, but he also explored how the mental illness landscape of
the world is changing as well to reflect Western ideas. For example, he interviewed
Dr. Sing Lee, a Chinese eating disorder researcher, who explained that prior to the
early 1990s the local version of anorexia nervosa in Hong Kong presented
differently in clients than those from the Western version. He called the local version
nonfat phobic anorexia because the girls who exhibited the symptom of restricted
eating did not also express the symptom of fear of being overweight, like the
Western version of the disorder required. However, between 1998 and 2007 there
was a significant increase in the number of cases that conformed to the traditionally
western fat phobic version of the disorder compared to the previous decade (Lee,
Ng, Kwok, & Fung, 2010). The authors stated that their findings indicated that the
clinical presentation of eating disorders in Hong Kong has gradually conformed to
the frequency of occurrence of eating disorders as found in Western communities
(p. 313). Scholars have attributed this trend to the influence of the West. Watters
(2010) suggested media coverage of Western mental health clinicians perspectives
of the diagnostic symptoms of anorexia which included the fear of gaining weight
may contribute to the shift in the presentation of symptoms. Watters suggested
interviews with experts could have introduced an idea of a mental illness that was
not present before, providing a new culturally acceptable symptom for
psychological disturbances to be expressed by young women and girls in China. Pike
and Borovoy (2004) similarly The Professional Counselor: Research and Practice \
Vol.2, Issue 2 118 noted the correlation between the rise in eating disorders in Japan
with the growing social changes brought on by industrialization in the post World
War II times. While the authors questioned the impact of the western ideals of
beauty on women in Japan, they also considered the explanation to be more
complex than Japanese women wholly internalizing Western ideals. The authors
assumed Japanese women have their own internal conflicts and tensions, which are
only complicated by the Wests influence. Laungani (2004) noted that through

26

globalization, the Wests value systems spread to diverse cultures, creating a more
homogenized world. Not only do these Western ideas of diagnosis have the
potential to create altered expression of symptoms in a local community, the very
presence of the Western values in the economic and social spheres can create new
tensions for individuals to resolve. For example, several scholars have noted how
the value of individualism has been introduced into some aspects of the Japanese
and Chinese, creating dual roles of individuality and community for people in those
cultures and internal conflict in how to resolve the dual roles (Duan & Wang, 2000;
Iwasaki, 2005). Iwasaki stated: Todays Japanese mental health problems reflect
the confusion among Japanese individuals who live in an unstable period between
enduring interdependent cultural values and emerging Western values of
independence (p. 129). Chen (2009) developed a counseling theory to address
these interpersonal and psychological disturbances that occur in individuals in
Taiwan. As individuals struggle to resolve the traditional versus the modern, Chen
suggested that counselors could help clients to adjust how they resolve the conflict
based on the type of situation they are in at the moment. He also suggested that
incorporating the cultures value on family can be helpful to resolve marital conflict
by asking the most authoritative member in the family to serve the role of mediator
to resolve the discord. Finally, there are certain aspects involved in the globalization
process itself such as increased mobility which also can affect the types of problems
individuals in the local community may present in counseling. As economic forces
shift the demand of labor to different global environments, the rate of adult
migration continues to grow in countries with limited local employment options
(Pottinger, Stair, & Brown, 2008). This migration of one or both parents can affect
both those members who migrate and those family members who are left behind
creating special needs. Pottinger et al. (2008) noted that this migratory separation
is common in the Caribbean, and children often need attention from counselors to
help adjust to the loss of their parents. They also recommended counselors take a
psycho-educational role when helping Caribbean families affected by this situation.
The global transmission of western ideas of mental health can change the way
international communities conceptualize and experience their own mental health,
and the transmission of western values into a culture can create internal
psychological conflict. The economic forces of globalization can require families to
be separated across continents creating shifts in roles and adjustment issues for
children. Understanding how the specific ways in which globalization impacts
mental health conceptualizations and those individuals and families receiving these
services is vitally important in order to better create international models of mental
health counseling services. Commoditization of a Relationship The value of
individualism is not the only Western concept spreading throughout the globe that
will have an impact on the counseling field. Capitalism also is the driving economic
force of globalization, which creates an inherent dichotomy of public and private
spheres (Acker, 2004). Feminist scholars have criticized how the global economy
devalues this private and informal sector and overvalues production and profit
(Acker, 2004; Mies, 1994). It is important to consider how this factor influences the
counseling field and individuals receiving counseling internationally. Counseling at
its very nature is an intimate exchange sharing secrets behind closed doors,
helping with problems of lifes most private topics of love, sex, loss and death. It is a

27

core philosophical counseling value that the relationship is the vital aspect of the
process. Through this relationship counselors hope to help clients grow, heal, fulfill
potential, learn to cope or make other positive changes. For many cultures the idea
of discussing these topics outside of the family is counterintuitive since these
intimate exchanges are traditionally addressed in the relationships of the family and
the private sphere of their lives. However, counselors do not only suggest people
should bring these problems out of the bedroom and other private spaces, they also
ask that clients pay to do so. In the U.S. this inherently private connection has been
transformed into a public commodity. Sue and Sue (2003) noted that mental health
practice has been described The Professional Counselor: Research and Practice \
Vol.2, Issue 2 119 as a White middle-class activity that often fails to recognize the
economic implications in the delivery of mental health services (p. 97). While the
counseling relationship can be very powerful and a catalyst for change, the authors
are aware of and respect the counterintuitive aspects of the commoditization of this
relationship. In line with the Western capitalistic framework it makes sense to
charge for the services and time provided, and seems natural to translate these
intimate exchanges into intimate economies. However, as the authors re-examine
this phenomenon under the lens of globalization, they believe counselors should be
wary of this aspect as the counseling profession develops in communities where
capitalism is not the dominant world view and where the private sector of the home
and family are more valued. Not only could these economic exchanges affect how
the counseling relationship is viewed and experienced, but also how counseling is
accessed. In the following section we will further address the access and structural
limitations of counseling. Access and Structural Limitations Scholars have reported
the fact that individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds are not as likely to seek
counseling and when counseling is used, these clients tend to terminate more
rapidly (Atkinson, 2004; Sue & Sue, 2003). Atkinson outlined many reasons for the
underutilization of services and discussed cultural mistrust, social stigma associated
with mental illness or counseling seeking behavior, the counseling process all
together, and limited access (Atkinson, 2004). Counselors are increasingly aware of
how inequity, discrimination and oppression adversely affect the lives of clients, and
how these injustices can be systemically perpetuated by well-meaning individuals in
privileged groups (Arredondo & Perez, 2003; Crethar, Torres-Rivera, & Nash, 2008).
Many social justice and advocacy efforts continue to fight on the local, state, and
federal level for services to be more accessible for all. Atkinson (2004) reported that
many low-income ethnic minorities must rely on public and nonprofit mental health
services since they often do not have insurance that covers these types of services.
Structural barriers such as transportation, hours of operation, and child care, as well
as emotional barriers such as fears about being judged also can create limitations
for people with fewer resources to access counseling (Anderson et al., 2006).
Toporek (2009) noted that there is a history of inadequate service for marginalized
populations and, oppression, discrimination, inequitable policies, and lack of access
and resources create environmental barriers that permeate mental health and wellbeing (p.12). By ignoring these structural barriers and avoiding advocating for
change in these greater systemic arenas, counselors end up colluding with the
oppressive system (Toporek). Given these limitations are present in the U.S., the
concepts of access and affordability are extremely important when discussing

28

counseling in international spaces as well. We caution that services offered without

issues of access taken into account may leave those people with the greatest need
without services. If counseling is structurally established internationally with a
similar economic model, and if there is limited structural support for public
sponsored programs, then we risk providing services only to those with the most
means. As advocacy efforts are attended to in the U.S., counselors will need to
attend to similar systemic barriers internationally as well, by addressing social and
socio-economic factors that may create limitations. While considering these
structural limitations for clients, it also will be important to consider how counselors
are paid for their services if counseling is to grow as a profession in international
communities. While the U.S. relies on private pay, insurance, governmental and
private non-profit agencies, and sliding scales, for countries that do not have a
managed care system, counselors may need to advocate for their role to be added
to as an official job position in their vocational system. Implications for the
Counseling Field Given the potential impact globalization can have on the
counseling field and the international communities counselors will serve, an
expansion of the multicultural competencies that include an international or more
global perspective of counseling is needed (Chung, 2005). Sue and Sue (2003)
encouraged counselors to broaden their understanding of multicultural counseling
methods of treatment to include informal or natural systems of support, alternative
healing The Professional Counselor: Research and Practice \ Vol.2, Issue 2 120
methods, and culturally specific systems of helping. Sue and Sue suggested we
should actively try to find out why they may work better than Western forms of
counseling and psychotherapy (p. 44). In order for counselors to understand
natural forms of helping in countries where formal counseling may not be
available, speaking to and gathering information from individuals from other
countries is imperative. Chung (2005) addressees a more global perspective of
counseling and stated that being multiculturally competent is an essential starting
point for being an effective counselor on a global or international scale. Chung
(2005) discussed that counselors need to keep current of cultural issues that are not
Western based and acknowledged that counselors need to be more aware of the
impacts of globalization. Training Counselors Paredes et al. (2008) suggested that
counselor education programs admit more international students in order to train
them as counselors who will in turn take their information back to their countries of
origin and provide services to individuals, start programs and service initiatives and
educate others. However, the way in which we train counselors, whether
international or not, should include global perspectives and the ways in which
globalization impacts individuals and communities. Courses that examine the role of
privilege and oppression should not only examine how these issues impact people
within U.S. borders, but the interconnection of global systems as well. The social
justice lens should be widened to include perspectives on global advocacy that
includes awareness of how choices people make in the U.S. impacts other
individuals across the world. International counselor education programs also need
to be addressed. The need for adequate graduate training programs in counseling is
great. The number of schools around the world that formally teach counseling is
quickly growing (Low, 2009). One potential way to meet the need for trained service
providers would be to create a tiered system of training. Hinkle and Henderson

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(2007) through NBCC-I have developed a curriculum for a Mental Health Facilitator
program that sends trainers to international communities, where there is little to no
mental health services, to train local people on the basic helping skills and how to
recognize mental health issues (McGrath, 2009; NBCC, n.d.). For formal counseling
programs throughout the world, regulation is important to implement to ensure
adequate training. Stair (2010), who presented at the American Counselor
Associations (ACA) national conference on the topic of counseling in Jamaica,
discussed how there were no regulations or accreditation requirements for
counselor training programs in her home country. She outlined this void of a
regulating body left clients unprotected from pseudoprofessionals claiming to be
counselors without holding credentials. The leaders of the Jamaica Association for
Guidance Counsellors and Education (JAGCE) asked NBCC-I to partner with the
counseling organization in order to work towards developing such credentials and
ethical standards (W. Schweiger, personal communication, May 4, 2012). Their
collaboration is especially geared towards the school counselors in Jamaica. Stair
indicated that as counselor education programs develop internationally, it is vital to
meet the mental health needs of a more globally connected population while
considering the culture and space in which they will be educating and serving. For
example, she specifically addressed how the issue of boundaries and dual
relationships should be considered differently in Jamaica considering the
collectivistic culture and the small spaces of the country. Schweiger stated that in
order to be sensitive to cultural differences, U.S. counselors who collaborate with
JAGCE leaders ask questions as to what they need so that decisions can be made as
to what the standards will be specifically for Jamaica, rather than Western
counselors telling Jamaica what they should be. Future Research Directions A metaanalysis of a top counseling journal revealed a dearth of article submissions on
international or global topics (Crockett, Byrd, Erford, & Hays, 2010). Given how the
process of globalization can impact the incorporation of counseling into a new
cultural community, the need to add international voices in the field is clear.
Paredes et al. (2008) suggested that international students may be a valuable
resource to gain these perspectives for counselor education programs. Research is
needed that assesses current helping methods of the country, structural barriers, as
well as specific models or theories that may be best adapted to the values of the
culture. International perspectives also could reveal The Professional Counselor:
Research and Practice \ Vol.2, Issue 2 121 potential stigmas, misunderstandings, or
reservations that individuals in any culture may have about counseling. It would be
important to highlight any discrepancies between the counseling philosophy and the
culture that that may prevent individuals from utilizing the services. Conclusion As
the process of globalization has impacted the world economically, politically,
culturally, and socially, it is important to maintain the global perspective when
examining the counseling field as well. Ng and Noonan (2012) suggested several
areas in which counselors should attend to when considering the
internationalization of counseling. They noted international collaborations across
fields, agencies, and countries regarding training and services should be equal
partnerships. Given this guideline, when countries seek consultation from outside
counselors, these foreign counselors should learn what systems are currently in
place in that country as far as national counseling organizations or other

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nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that are currently providing services for the
countrys citizens. These organizations can provide insight into the mental health
issues of most concern in their country as well as be potential places for counseling
service delivery. Another example of this type of collaboration would be
international internships or training opportunities. As a specific example, one of the
authors participated in an institute for which 12 counselors through NBCC-I were
invited to Bhutan in order to collaborate with schools, a psychiatric hospital, a
womens center, university counseling centers, and substance abuse service
providers. During this collaboration, the U. S. counselors shared information on
mental health issues such as substance abuse and domestic violence, counseling
skills, and counseling programs, yet the decisions on how specifically to implement
programs in their culture remains in the hands of the Bhutanese counseling leaders.
The counselors also spent time learning the governments mental health provider
system and other NGOs that were interested in collaborating on how to providing
counseling services. Starting Fall 2012, counselors from the U.S. will return for a
semester at a time to continue this partnership. Ng and Noonan (2012) also
recommended the theoretical foundation of counseling should have a global
framework that accounts for culture and is broadened to avoid implementing
culture-specific mental health intervention models (p. 11). As scholars have
become more mindful of our Western-based practices and how they have a
potential global impact, the authors believe counselors have the responsibility to
not only be flexible enough to challenge personal assumptions, but maintain a
willingness to learn and adapt from their international neighbors. As counselors also
become more aware of the structural impact of marginalized populations and call
out for a social justice and advocacy perspective, they have the obligation to widen
their lens to include not only the systems of our community, but to the connected
world as a whole. References Adebimpe, V. R. (1981). Overview: White norms and
psychiatric diagnosis of Black patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 279285. Acker, J. (2004). Gender, capitalism, and globalization. Critical Sociology, 30,
17-42. Anderson, C. M., Robins, C. S., Greeno, C. G., Cahalane, H., Copeland, V. C., &
Andrews, R. M. (2006). Why lower income mothers do not engage with the formal
mental health care system: Perceived barriers to care. Qualitative Health Research,
16, 926-943. DOI: 10.1177/1049732306289224 Arredondo, P., & Perez, P. (2003).
Expanding multicultural competence through social justice leadership. The
Counseling Psychologist, 31, 282289. doi:10.1177/0011000003031003003
Atkinson, D. R. (2004). Counseling American minorities (6th edition). New York:
McGraw-Hill. Ayyash-Abdo, H., Alamuddin, R., & Mukallid, S. (2010). School
counseling in Lebanon: Past, present, and future. Journal of Counseling &
Development, 88, 13-17. Chen, P. (2009). A counseling model for self-relation
coordination for Chinese clients with interpersonal conflicts. Counseling
Psychologist, 37, 987-1009. Chung, R. C. (2005). Women, human rights, and
counseling: Crossing international boundaries. Journal of Counseling and
Development, 83, 262-268. Clawson, T. W. (2011). Welcome to NBCC International.
Retrieved from http://www.nbccinternational.org/home/welcome

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What Is A Guidance Counselor?

A guidance counselor is an indispensable part of any school administration in the

elementary, middle school and high school levels. They are advocates in the students'
whole being because they administer guidance of both their personal and school life.
A counselor is usually licensed in their respective states and has a Master's degree in
Arts, Science or Education. They have advance training in Psychology and Sociology to
better assess the students' lives. They study different counseling techniques to
address different needs.
Job Duties

Guidance Counselors make frequent assessments of the students' performance and

progress. This enables them to gauge their individual requirements. High school
counselors are often consulting with students regarding their future career path. So
their role is a vital part of shaping the individuality of the children. Job duties vary
depending on the education level they are in. Generally, they are student advocates.
Common Student Problems

What are the common problems school guidance counselors come across? It can
sometimes be frustrating for counselors to do their job. The job requires exceptional
communication skills to be able to communicate with even the most difficult students
and their parents. If a counselor does it right, they can serve as a secondary parent
whom students can trust and confide in.
Common Elementary School Problems

An elementary school student is fun and challenging to work with. They are in the
time of their lives that they start to become imaginative, self-reliant and free
spirited. Disciplining them becomes a challenge because this is when they have new
experiences and opportunities.
Bullying
Behaving socially is relatively new to children in elementary level. One of the
common problems school guidance counselors come across in elementary is bullying.
Elementary level is where kids explore new grounds and meet new people with
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different characteristics. Research shows nine out of ten elementary students have
experienced being bullied by their classmates and peers. Six out of ten showed that
they have participated on some bullying themselves.
A guidance counselor plays a big role in these matters. If someone is being bullied, a
counselor will help the child cope with it by giving strategies and ideas. It will make
the child feel less alone and eradicate the fear of going to school. The counselor will
also converse with the one bullying and assess the reason for the child's behavior.
Common High School Problems

The common problems school guidance counselors come across in High School are
more complex because this is the transition into adulthood. They are beginning to
search for their independence and peer pressure is very powerful in influencing their
decisions. Aside from creating a foreground to a student's future career, a counselor is
their guide to making sound decisions in their academic, social and individual lives.
Relationship with family and Parents
Home issues are common problems of High school students that counselors regularly
address. The student may be undergoing the divorce of parents or the lack of time
they spend with them. More often than not, their stress come from their time spent
at home than in school. Some teens also have a hard time talking to their parents
regarding personal matters like peer pressure and sex, so they need an unbiased
opinion of an adult from time to time.
Substance Abuse
As peer pressure is most powerful during High School, it is also a common problem
that adolescents are pressured into drinking alcohol or trying drugs in order to get
their peers' approval. A counselor is an advocate in raising awareness of these abusive
substances to the students. They develop programs to educate students on the risks
and health hazards of substance abuse.
Decisions about major, career, or just higher education in general
Lastly, a high school counselor will give ideas and prospect for secondary school
students regarding their decisions after high school. This is a common problem for this
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level. Some individuals are unsure of what they want to do with their lives after
graduating. A counselor will give details and information about their individual skills
and academic performances.

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