As we attempt to meet the complex needs of  the learner in a global community with revolutionary changes due to accelerated technological advances; professional school counselors are essential pioneers in adaptation to our mutative interlink community.  These trends are magnified by socio-economic, political, and cultural disparities. Professional counselors are responsive to these developments while bridging the gap that impedes social, personal, academic, and developmental growth.

View of Human Nature. My philosophy of counseling is built on the premise of a simple quote: “No child is lost as long as one person in the world has faith in him” Bert Brown. This quote reflects my core belief in the fundamental principle of faith and a belief in the human capacity to learn, develop and grow. It begins with meeting students’ basic needs that extend beyond food clothing and shelter, to include social, personal, and emotional needs. Students need to feel loved, accepted, and cared for in a school environment to achieve success. These beliefs are aligned with the advocacy and delivery component of the ASCA National Model (American School Counselor Association, 2012) .

The professional school counselor provides a link between affective skills and cognitive development, utilizing conduits to help students achieve success. School counselors focus on systemic programs changes and initiatives that remove academic, personal and career barriers to success.  Removal of systemic barriers contributes to academic performance and career, personal, and social development. The accelerated pace of technological advances, explosion of information and globalization, and multiculturalism create unique problems for members of our society and is especially true for our student population. These rapid changes negatively impact mental health and emotional wellbeing while contributing to increased alienation and disconnectedness (Erford, 2015).

Change Process. A professional school counselor is an agent of change that works to transform our society through advocacy, leadership, collaboration, a systematic approach to effecting short term and long term change (American School Counselor Association, 2010). I view educational counselors as humanitarians committed to serving the needs students by providing access and opportunities that lead to social, personal, academic and career success.  I believe that an effective education system caters to the varied needs of students, with a systematic approach to counseling that incorporate students with emotional disorders, mental health, disabilities, and complex problems (American School Counselor Association, 2012). Implementation of a comprehensive counseling program positively impact the contribution of students as citizens of a local, national and global community, in addition to playing an integral part in the evolution of our society.

The School Counseling Process. The professional school counselor provides a link between affective skills and cognitive development, utilizing conduits to help students achieve success. The accelerated pace of technological advances, explosion of information and globalization, and multiculturalism create unique problems for members of our society and is especially true for our student population. These rapid changes negatively impact mental health and emotional wellbeing while contributing to increased alienation and disconnectedness (Erford, 2015).

Dollarhide and Saginak (2017) examine six elements of a comprehensive school counseling program that include being holistic, systemic, balanced, preventive, integrated, and reflective. These six elements of an effective comprehensive school counseling program are grounded in the ASCA National Model (2012). My personal philosophy encompasses these elements in varying degrees as I continue to grow as a student counselor. One of the greatest challenges for an inexperienced student counselor is establishing and maintaining a balanced program that is responsive to needs of all stakeholders.

Counselor Roles and Responsibilities. The counselor needs a multidisciplinary and multileveled approach in order to coordinate interdisciplinary resources that include partnerships with community services and organizations (Erford, 2015). Therefore, the school counselor serves as a coordinator of interdisciplinary resources. Working with students experiencing complex issues such as substance abuse, crisis intervention, teen pregnancy, suicide, or school violence require systemic interventions and responses that extend beyond the capacity of schools. Thus, the school counselor leadership, advocacy, and collaborative skills result in capacity building that utilize a multifaceted comprehensive counseling program to provide access and opportunities.

Active Advocate. The professional counselor is an advocate who works on the removal of environmental and systemic barriers that contribute to academic performance and career, personal, and social development (Hackney & Cormier, 2013). Counselors who advocate for social justice view clients’ problems contextually rather as being exclusively as clients’ problem and therefore work to remove environmental barriers that are oppressive (Lewis, Ratts, Paladino, & Toporek, 2011). The professional school counselor plays a vital role as an active advocate for social justice as a means of breaking down environmental barriers such as historically disadvantaged groups, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. I will work to create a playing field that factor in the context of my students’ life and experience in a bid to reduce barriers providing and advocating for equitable service to my all of my students.

Incorporation of Resources. The counselor needs a multidisciplinary and multileveled approach in order to coordinates interdisciplinary resources that includes partnerships with community services and organizations (Erford, 2015). Therefore, the school counselor serves as a coordinator of interdisciplinary resources. Working with students experiencing complex issues such as substance abuse, crisis intervention, teen pregnancy, suicide, or school violence require systemic interventions and responses that extend beyond the capacity of schools. Thus, the school counselor leadership, advocacy, and collaborative skills result in capacity building that utilize a multifaceted comprehensive counseling program to provide access and opportunities.

Goal Setting and Accountability. The school counselor uses data as a foundation for decision making, responsive services, collaborative partnerships, and designing and implementation of an effective counseling program (American School Counselor Association, 2012). The professional school counselor understands that all members of the organization must continue grow and develop in order to achieve excellence and sustain growth and development. Additionally, the counselor plays a crucial role in educating members of the community on the connection between students social, emotional, personal, and general well-being on cognitive development, maturity, and academic performance.

Based on the ASCA National Model (2012) the school counselor uses data as a foundation for decision making, responsive services, collaborative partnerships, and designing and implementation of an effective counseling program (American School Counselor Association, 2012). The professional school counselor understands that all members of the organization must continue grow and develop in order to achieve excellence and sustain growth and development (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2017). Additionally, the counselor plays a crucial role in educating members of the community on the connection between students social, emotional, personal, and general well-being on cognitive development, maturity, and academic performance.

Utilizing the ASCA National Model and effective local and national resources for the development of effective school counseling program will remain a high priority throughout my career as a professional school counselor. Key to this goal requires reflective practice that relies on honest self-assessment and investment in continuous professional growth.  Collaborating with other professional counselors and working with professional and community organization will be beneficial in achieving and sustaining professional growth.

Throughout my journey in the school counseling program my view of counseling evolved from a simplistic individual centered concept of counseling to a deeper understanding of the complex and dynamic role of the professional school counselor. After completing the courses in the counseling program, I have undergone a new paradigm in my understanding of the counseling profession, and some of the constructs on which it is grounded. In order to achieve these goals, I will continue my development of counseling skills grounded in scientifically based theory and practice. I will also engage in professional learning and independent studies that further these goals.