Guidance Services

Guidance and Counseling
Concept that institutions, especially schools, should promote the efficient and happy lives of individuals by helping them adjust to social realities. The disruption of community and family life by industrial civilization convinced many that guidance experts should be trained to handle problems of individual adjustment. Though the need for attention to the whole individual had been recognized by educators since the time of Socrates, it was only during the 20th cent. that researchers actually began to study and accumulate information about guidance.

 Modern high school guidance programs also include academic counseling for those students planning to attend college. In recent years, school guidance counselors have also been recognized as the primary source for psychological counseling for high school students; this sometimes includes counseling in such areas as drug abuse and teenage pregnancy and referrals to other professionals (e.g., psychologists, social workers, and learning-disability specialists). Virtually all teachers colleges offer major courses in guidance, and graduate schools of education grant advanced degrees in the field.

Guidance and school counselors help students work through emotional turmoil, navigate social conflicts, and make decisions about possible career and educational tracks. While some college counselors work at colleges and universities, guidance and school counselors work in public, private, vocational, charter, and special-education schools at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels. Counselors meet one-on-one and with groups of students and parents to work out solutions to problems and provide students with life skills, such as resume writing and college-application completion, necessary to succeed academically and in the world.

Some guidance and school counselors have social work backgrounds, though most study in guidance and school counseling programs offered through universities’ education and psychology departments. As with social work programs, field work and supervised practicum are large parts of guidance and school counseling programs.




Sunday, October 3, 2010

Reflection

Counselling Around the World

Articles from the Winter 2010 issue of the Journal of Counseling and Development

The following articles are all reprinted from the Journal of Counseling and Development, Volume 88, Number 1, Winter 2010 by The American Counseling Association. Reprinted with permission. No further reproduction authorized without written permission from the American Counseling Association.
The Trajectory of Counseling in China: Past, Present, and Future Trends (page 4)
The Development of Professional Counseling in Botswana (page 9)
School Counseling in Lebanon: Past, Present and Future (page 13)
Counseling in Malaysia:  History, Current Status and Future Trends (page 18)
Professional Counseling in Romania:  An Introduction (page 23)
Counseling in Italy (page 28)
Counseling in Mexico: History, Current Identity, and Future Trends (page 33)
Fortid, Nutid, Fremtid (Past, Present, Future):  Professional Counseling in Denmark (page 38)

Schools have different ways of guiding the students . They all have their different strategies in helping the students to grow maturely. Many individuals and families are seeking professional help to deal with the trauma of life in a fallen world. If you or someone you love are experiencing a particularly trying time, maybe it’s time to consider seeking help. As you analyze your situation it may be helpful to consider some important points.
People typically enter counseling because they are hurting, frustrated, or feeling overwhelmed by a problem. In most cases, difficult circumstances drive the felt need for counseling. In my experience, most of these circumstances are based in wounded relationships between husbands and wives and parents and children. And, of course, one or more persons in these relationships may be experiencing intrapersonal difficulties, including mood disorders like depression and anxiety, addictions, or situational stressors like work or school.
As we become more informed about integrative care for the body, mind, and spirit, and how each part of us affects our total health, I believe mental health counseling will only increase. The goal of counseling will often vary, and experienced counselors will tailor their approaches to their clients’ needs. But, it’s important for us to understand that different schools of therapy have different end goals.

In a world filled with both challenge and opportunity, counseling can be a logical choice for individuals, couples, and families who wish to grow to the next level of faith and well-being. The Bible speaks of the “safety” that exists among counselors.6 Perhaps it’s time to seek the safe harbor of counseling, and make a few repairs before continuing your life’s journey.

ISSUES FACING THE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROFESSION

School counselors often ask questions such as, "What should I have done in that situation?" or "Did I do the right thing?". Decisions are usually not clear-cut; they tend to be in the "gray areas" rather than in "black and white." Furthermore, the "right" answer in one situation is not necessarily the "right" answer in a similar case at another time. As society changes, the issues change; and, indeed, as counselors change, their perspectives change. If we understand and accept the fact that ultimately counselors will have to struggle with themselves to determine the appropriate action in each situation, then we realize the importance of ethical and legal awareness and sensitivity. We then also understand the need for periodic re-examination of the issues throughout our professional lives

MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING

There is always the danger of stereotyping clients and of confusing other influences, especially race and socioeconomic status, with cultural influences. The most obvious danger in counseling is to oversimplify the client's social system by emphasizing the most obvious aspects of their background. Individual clients are influenced by race, ethnicity, national origin, life stage, educational level, social class, and sex roles. Counselors must view the identity and development of culturally diverse people in terms of multiple, interactive factors, rather than a strictly cultural framework. One of the most important differences for multicultural counseling is the difference between race and culture. Differences exist among racial groups as well as within each group.Although it is impossible to change backgrounds, counselors can avoid the problems of stereotyping and false expectations by examining their own values and norms, researching their clients' backgrounds, and finding counseling methods to suit the clients' needs. Counselors cannot adopt their clients' ethnicity or cultural heritage, but they can become more sensitive to these things and to their own and their clients' biases. 
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