What is a School Counselor?
School counselors are individuals who support and focus on the needs, interests, and issues related to the various stages of student growth. The school counselor is a certified professional educator who assists students, teachers, families, and administrators.

What does a School Counselor do?
A school counselor promotes educational success by supporting the development of academic skills, interpersonal skills, and self-understanding. School counselors also educate students in decision making, problem solving, goal setting, self-esteem, and educational opportunities.

Services
Individual Counseling
Individual Counseling is personal and private interaction between a counselor and a student in which they work together on problems or topics of interest. School counselors establish trust and build a helping relationship during one or more sessions. These face to face interactions with a counselor provide a student with the privacy in which to freely explore ideas, feelings and behaviors. Counselors respect the privacy of information, however counselors are under obligation by law and ethical standards to report when a person's well being and welfare is in jeopardy.

Small Group Counseling
Group counseling involves a counselor working with two or more students. Group discussion can be based on structured learning activities during which participants can share ideas, give and receive feedback, increase their awareness, gain new knowledge, learn positive behaviors, and practice skills. These groups provide an opportunity for students to learn from each other.

Classroom Guidance
Classroom Guidance consists of organized objectives and activities that are facilitated by the school counselor in the classroom. Guidance curriculum gives attention to particular developmental issues and areas of concern voiced by students or in collaboration with teachers.