School Counseling Services for Student Success and Emotional Support

School Counseling for Academic and Emotional Growth

Students go through many changes as they grow and develop, both personally and academically. School counseling services offer a range of tools to help students navigate these changes and achieve academic success.

Role of School Counseling

School counselors play a crucial role in meeting students’ academic, emotional and social needs. They are leaders within the school administration who strive to help students reach personal and academic success.

Academic Guidance

School counselors provide academic counseling and guidance that help students set educational goals and develop a plan to achieve them.

They also advocate for students with special issues, needs and challenges. Furthermore, they collaborate with families and educators to ensure that every student has the opportunity to have their social emotional needs met.

Emotional/Behavioral Support

Students with emotional or behavioral struggles need support. School counselors can help students by providing short term counseling.

If someone needs more intensive help, they can refer them to community based treatment programs.

School counselors teach students the interpersonal skills necessary for social productivity, including emotion regulation. These same skills can be applied to all areas of a student’s life, helping them succeed outside of school as well.

Common Issues Addressed

Students have varying needs, both personal and academic. School counselors can help students with a wide range of issues.

Some of the most common social, emotional, behavioral, academic and mental health issues seen by school counselors include:

Anxiety
Loneliness
Social media comparisons
Bullying
Bullying prevention
Peer conflicts
Learning challenges and disabilities
Mental health diagnoses
Family stressors
Traumatic experiences
Substance abuse
Self harm
Sex and gender identity
Suicidal ideations
Grief and loss

They are an important resource for teachers and staff, too.

School counselors assess students’ needs, create and implement plans to address them and work closely with the educational team to ensure concerns are addressed and the appropriate support is given.

When a student has needs that can not be met in the school environment, the school counselor will refer them to community resources

Types of Counseling Offered

Because students’ issues and concerns vary, they do not benefit from a one size fits all approach to counseling.

Individual Sessions

Individual sessions are one on one meetings between the student and the school counselor. Sessions are a place for students to discuss their concerns confidentially, while receiving feedback, advice and skill training.

Group Sessions

Group sessions are meetings between a school counselor and two or more students. In groups, students can discuss common issues and learn coping strategies.

Additionally, they can give and receive feedback and support from peers, allowing them to feel less alone in their struggles.

Educational Planning

Many school counselor duties fall under educational planning. They help students create a clear plan for attending college, trade school or entering the workforce after they graduate.

Other responsibilities include:

Consulting with teachers
Interpreting achievement tests
Analyzing student data as it relates to achievement
Advocating for individual education plans for students with special needs

Crisis intervention is also a critical role for school counselors.

They often help to develop crisis response plans and help to implement and promote trauma informed practices that work to keep the students, staff and school environment safe.

Collaboration with Teachers and Parents

School counselors are responsible for keeping everyone involved in a student’s life on the same page.

They collaborate with teachers and parents to assess students’ needs and areas for improvement and connect them with resources to enhance their overall personal and academic well being.

Creating student support plans is one of the most essential ways school counselors collaborate with teachers and parents.

A student support plan may focus on:

Safety
Learning strategies
Social skills
Career and educational pursuits
School environment and culture
Short and long term goal setting
Connecting families to community resources
Motivating students to invest in their learning

Social emotional growth and development, as well as academic success, will help students in the real world after graduation.

School counselors work with teachers and families to help students minimize factors that prevent proper growth and development.

Early intervention strategies are one way to minimize any problems. The sooner families, teachers and counselors recognize and address concerns, the sooner they can help the student overcome them.

Interventions are strategies or techniques applied within the school environment that help regulate and improve students’ emotional, behavioral or social functioning.

Examples include individual or group counseling on topics such as trauma, school based mindfulness training, and social emotional learning.

Interventions may also include clubs that encourage inclusion and kindness, sports programs, mentorships, expressive writing, yoga, and other holistic activities.

The key is to promote healthy social emotional wellbeing while also teaching students’ healthy coping skills, mindfulness practices and emotional resilience.

Long Term Impact on Students

Student counseling services can positively impact student success by addressing the unique needs that influence their performance in school.

Counselors understand that factors such as home life, peers and underlying physical, behavioral or mental health issues can hinder a student’s academic progress.

Addressing these needs allows a student to continue moving towards their educational goals.

School counselors can help students improve their academic performance by assessing and teaching them appropriate social and emotional skills.

Social skill development refers to interventions that help students control their emotions, resolve problems, interact appropriately with others, communicate effectively and build relationships.

Emotional resilience describes the ability of a student to bounce back from small or significant stressors.

Those with low resilience can benefit from the support of a school counselor and with help, they can learn specific techniques or skills to improve their responses to events.

Whether a student needs academic support, mental health counseling, behavioral support or is struggling with social issues, a school counselor can provide services or referrals to help them overcome their obstacles.

They are professionals who prioritize assisting students in learning, growing and becoming the best versions of themselves.

FAQs

How Often Can a Student Meet With a School Counselor?

Students can meet with a school counselor as often as needed, as long as there is a legitimate issue to address.

Students should not meet with a counselor simply to get out of a class or because they are bored, for example.

If they are having mental health, behavioral, academic or social problems, a school counselor is a great resource.

What Issues Can School Counselors Help With?

School counselors can help with a wide range of issues, including mental health, behavioral, emotional, social and academic challenges.

Examples include students dealing with anxiety, depression, identity questions, learning disabilities, bullying and figuring out what to do after graduation.

Do Counselors Communicate With Parents?

Yes, counselors communicate with parents to create educational support plans that help a student reach their academic goals.

They connect parents with community resources and provide literature on topics such as college readiness and planning, school mental health support and prevention and intervention strategies.

Are School Counseling Sessions Confidential?

School counselors take confidentiality seriously. They must abide by state laws and school board policies regarding when information can be shared and when it can’t.

There are certain circumstances where they may need to discuss concerns with parents. If a student is going to harm themselves or others, school counselors must do what they can to prevent it from happening.

Other conditions that require breaking confidentiality include the student being harmed by someone else, a court order or subpoena or a student’s use of drugs or alcohol. In some circumstances, counselors may consult with other teachers and professionals to benefit the student.