xx THE ESSENTIAL SCHOOL COUNSELOR IN A CHANGING SOCIETY
an example of how you are able to be a powerful force in each student’s life, read
the following incident as relayed by an elementary school counselor.
A professional school counselor reminisced about one of his male 5th grade
students, who faced difficult conditions but was eventually able to learn resiliency
skills to achieve personal goals. The counselor explained that this young student
lived with his single mother in a rough section of the small, rural town. The town
had some gang activity with daily violence that caused the young man to develop
anger issues, resulting in physical fights nearly every day. The counselor clarified
that the student stated he did not like to fight but felt that if he did not stand up for
himself, the situation would be worse because others would view him as a “wimp”
and an easy target. The counselor listened empathically and explained to the stu-
dent that although he lived in a tough setting, he had the choice of being a student
while he was in school. This youth’s intelligence helped him meet his academic
goals and during games of chess that the counselor used as a counseling strategy
to engage the 5th grader, the counselor continually reinforced the boy’s progress
toward his goals. By the end of the school year the student grew academically and
socially due to the interest and time the school counselor invested in him.
The information in this book is intended to provide a comprehensive understand-
ing of the role of the professional school counselor in a wide range of settings. The
chapters are written to address the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and
Related Educational Programs (CACREP) 2009 standards for school counseling in
the foundation, counseling prevention, and intervention, diversity and advocacy,
assessment, research and evaluation, academic development, collaboration and
consultation, and leadership domains. Throughout this book I have addressed the
knowledge, skills, and practices for each of the standards for school counselor train-
ees, in order to develop a greater understanding of the school counselor’s role and
what successful practice in a school setting entails. Each domain and standard is
indicated by a marginal icon within the various chapters through a didactic discus-
sion, case studies, activities designed for K-12 students, and conceptual application
activities to facilitate knowledge of self and the profession. In addition to the infor-
mation included in this text, a companion website supplements these materials.
The increasing diversity of our education system is a reflection of how our
school population has changed over the decades. School counselors are instrumen-
tal in contributing to a safe, respectful school environment with a culture of appre-
ciation for differences. In addition, social justice principles serve as a basis for
designing, implementing, and evaluating strategies, programs, and policies to
promote egalitarian practice. As school counselors, we strive to ensure that all
students have access to opportunities that enhance academic, vocational, social,
and personal success. Too often school counseling students are educated about