Running head: SCHOOL COUNSELOR BELIEF STATEMENT 1

School Counseling Belief Sae!en

Ese"#o $Se"en% M& Ono
Seale Uni"e'si(
COUN )*+
Ma'ch ,- .*1.
SCHOOL COUNSELOR BELIEF STATEMENT .
School Counselo' Belief Sae!en
Introduction
As he agen of change- I- he school counselo'- s'i"e o /'idge ad"ocac( co!0eenc(
1ih ehical sanda'ds o e!0o1e' sudens h'ough a holisic a00'oach and 0'o!oe e2ui( o
di"e'se 0o0ulaions& I /elie"e ha !( 0'i!a'( 'ole is o /e an agen of change- fi's as an agen
of change in a suden3s life- secondl( as an agen of change in he school seing as 1ell as he
co!!uni( 'e0'esening he sudens& Thi'dl(- as an agen of change- !( 'ole is o adhe'e o he
needs of socie( ha affec he sudens& This is ad"ocac( co!0eenc(- 1hich focuses on
sudens and sa4eholde's $School saff- 0a'ens5gua'dians- co!!uni(% ha hold u0 he
educaion s(se!& I /elie"e ha e6isenialis!- along 1ih 'eali( heo'( fi !( /es heo'eical
a00'oach o ad"ocae fo' sudens and c'eae s(se!ic change& I also a4e ino conside'aion
ehical sanda'ds ha hold fas o he ad"ocac( co!0eenc( issues of di"e'si( and e2ui(& B(
focusing on issues of di"e'si( and is influence on e2ui(- social 7usice is no 7us fo' sudens-
/u fo' he 1holeness sudens- including his5he' fa!il( and co!!uni(&
Theory
8isce'ning 1hich heo'ies fi ho1 I /es 1o'4 1ih sudens leans o1a'ds he e6isenial
hu!anis a00'oach- ho1e"e'- I also 0'efe' 'eali( heo'( and ho1 i uses 98E:; 9ans-
8i'ecion- E"aluae- :lan s(se! $8ahi'- < Sone- .*1.- 0& =1% as a 1a( o f'a!e1o'4 e6isenial
heo'(& E6isenialis! sa(s- >:eo0le li"e /( he choices he( !a4e& Self;dee'!inaion is
f'eedo! of choice? $8ahi'- < Sone- .*1.- 0& =@%& One of he goals in counseling A;1. cliens is
eaching he! o !a4e choices ha 1ill /enefi he ouco!e of hei' li"es& E6isenialis! hel0s
cliens /e a1a'e of 1ho he( a'e- ha"e 'es0onsi/ili(- f'eedo!- and 0oenial in indi"iduali(
$8ahi'- < Sone- .*1.- 0& =@%& In si!ila' fashion- >'eali( he'a0( hel0s cliens unde'sand he
SCHOOL COUNSELOR BELIEF STATEMENT B
need o /e 0s(chologicall( s'ong and !a4e healh( 0'oduci"e choices in hei' ine'0e'sonal and
in'a0e'sonal 'elaionshi0s? $8ahi'- < Sone- .*1.- 0& =*%& Using hu!o'- 'ole;0la(- feed/ac4-
seing u0 goals- designing 0lans as 1ell as conf'onaion and eaching cliens o e60lo'e his5he'
o0inions a'e 1a(s 'eali( he'a0( gi"es cliens a fo'!a o !a4e healh( 0'oduci"e choices&
Because e6isenial heo'( does no use s0ecific echni2ues in he counseling 0'ocess $8ahi'- <
Sone- .*1.- 0& =@%- using a s'ucu'ed fo'!a h'ough 'eali( he'a0( 1ill /enefi sudens o find
"alue- !eaning- and 0u'0ose in life $Selig!an- < Reichen/e'g- .*1*- 0& 1@C%&
School Counseling Practice
The co'e 'es0onsi/ili( of school counselo's is o /e agens of change& >School
counselo's can no longe' 0assi"el( 'eac o he challenges facing schools and (ouhD i is a
c'iical i!e o a4e acion and acce0 he challenge of con'i/uing o he e0ide!ic of non;school
co!0leion? $8ahi'- < Sone- .*1.- 0& 1B%& School counselo's a'e change agens as 1ell as
colla/o'ao's and ad"ocaes $A!e'ican School Counseling Associaion- .**)- 0& 1*%& If he goal
o suden g'aduaion is o ge he! o /e college 'ead( sudens- hen he counseling o/ligaion
needs change as 1ell& One e6a!0le is /( gi"ing sudens a "oice in ho1 cu''iculu! is !anaged-
!a4ing su'e ha all sudens a'e 'ecei"ing cou'ses needed no 7us fo' high school g'aduaion-
/u fo' college 0'oficienc(& >School counselo's colla/o'ae 1ih !an( sa4eholde's o ensu'e a
2uali( school counseling 0'og'a!& Th'ough his coo0e'ai"e effo'- school counseling 0'og'a!s
/eco!e an ineg'al 0a' of he oal school !ission? $A!e'ican School Counseling Associaion-
.**)- 0& 1@%& The 4e( o he 1o'4 is ha"ing he colla/o'aion /e an integral part of the total
school mission& If he colla/o'aion is no a conneced co!0onen of he school3s !ission- hen i
does no 1o'4& School counselo's 1o'4 colla/o'ai"el(- ad"ocaing fo' change in he educaion
s(se! o ensu'e ha sudens a'e uli!ael( college /ound&
SCHOOL COUNSELOR BELIEF STATEMENT =
ASCA Ethical Standards
9hile conside'ing ehical sanda'ds in he school;counseling field- i is i!0o'an o
o/se'"e all as0ecs of 'es0onsi/ili(: Sudens- 0a'ens5gua'dians- colleagues and 0'ofessional
associaes- school and co!!uni(- e"en one3s self and he ho1 one 'e0'esens he counseling
0'ofession $A!e'ican School Counseling Associaion- .**)- 0& 1=.;1=+%& 9hile ad"ocaing fo'
sudens h'ough e!0o1e'!en and ad"ocac(- i is essenial o loo4 a ad"ocac( co!0eencies
1ih sudens- co!!uni( and he 0u/lic a'ena $Ras- .**+- 0& 1,@% as 0a' of a co!0onen of
ehical sanda'ds& Ad"ocac( should no /e se0a'ae f'o! ehics and 'es0onsi/iliies o sudens&
Areas of Interest: Diversity & Equity
>Toda(3s schools !i''o' he changing de!og'a0hics of he neigh/o'hoods and
co!!uniies ha 'eflec he di"e'si( of A!e'ica? $8ahi'- < Sone- .*1.- .)B%& In o'de' o
add'ess hese changes- >culu'all( co!0een schools "alue di"e'si( in /oh heo'( and 0'acice
in all as0ecs of eaching and lea'ning as 0a' of he o"e'all school cli!ae? $8ahi'- < Sone-
.*1.- 0& .))%& Add'essing school cli!ae h'ough heo'( and 0'acice is also a 1a( o de!and
e2ui( in school& Because of he hiso'ical ine2uali( fo' access o acade!ic achie"e!en in
!ino'i(- 0oo' and fo'eign 0o0ulaions- e2uali(- ha is- he sa!e a!oun fo' e"e'(one- is no
longe' sufficien& E2ui(- diffe'en a!oun fo' diffe'en 0eo0le so ha all a'e e2ual- is no1
needed /ecause schools 1e'e una/le o add'ess acade!ic achie"e!en 0'o0e'l(& M( ho0e is ha
I !a( /eco!e an agen of change /( loo4ing h'ough a lens fo' e2ui( in di"e'se co!!uniies&
Social Justice
8ahi' < Sone $.*1.% saes:
School counselo's a'e in an influenial 0osiion o challenge he saus 2uo and
assis hose 1ho ha"e /een "ici!s o' a'e 0oenial "ici!s of social and
SCHOOL COUNSELOR BELIEF STATEMENT )
educaional 0'o/le!sE 9o'4ing f'o! a social 7usice !indse 'e2ui'es school
counselo's o gi"e s0ecial ca'e o hose 1ho hiso'icall( ha"e no 'ecei"ed
ade2uae educaional o00o'uniiesE $0& .))%
Alhough I ag'ee 1ih his sae!en- I /elie"e ha 0'o"iding ade2uae educaion
o00o'uni( is no enough& In a socie( 1he'e a A;1. educaion is no enough fo' sudens o
'ul( succeed in life- 0'o"iding educaion 1ih e2uia/le social needs is he 4e(& B( aiding he
0'o"ision fo' /asic fa!il( needs $shele'- food- clohing- e!0lo(!en% "ia colla/o'aion 1ih
social agencies- he educaion ga0 can /e add'essed& Besides fa!il( su00o'- ohe' e2uia/le
social needs can /e co!!uni( de"elo0!en- /eing a "oice in he co!!uni(- as 1ell as a
'e0'esenai"e fo' he co!!uni( in local go"e'n!en gahe'ings& B( add'essing issues in e2ui(
h'ough a holisic social 7usice f'a!e1o'4- school counselo's a'e a/le o add'ess no onl( his5he'
educaion /u also he suden as a 1hole 0e'son&
Conclusion
As saed /efo'e- as he agen of change- I- he school counselo'- s'i"e o /'idge
ad"ocac( co!0eenc( 1ih ehical sanda'ds o e!0o1e' sudens h'ough a holisic a00'oach
and 0'o!oe e2ui( o di"e'se 0o0ulaions& Alhough his is easie' o sa( han o do- i is no a
los cause& In o'de' fo' sudens o 'ul( h'i"e in he educaion s(se!- e!0o1e'!en !us sa'
1ih aduls- es0eciall( hose 1ih a "oice& School counselo's ha"e a uni2ue 0osiion in he
educaion s(se!& I is i!0e'ai"e ha 1e use his 0osiion of 0o1e' o /enefi sudens 'ahe'
han a4e a1a( 1ha he( ne"e' 'ul( had: e2ui(- an e2ual o00o'uni( o succeed in life&
SCHOOL COUNSELOR BELIEF STATEMENT ,
Refe'ences
A!e'ican School Counselo' Associaion $.**)%& The ASCA National Model: A Framework for
School Counseling Programs, Second Edition& Ale6and'ia- FA: Auho'&
8ahi'- C&A&- < Sone- C&B& $.*1.%& The Transformed School Counselor, Second Edition&
Bel!on- CA: B'oo4s5Cole&
Ras- M& G& $.**+%& Social 7usice counseling: To1a'd he de"elo0!en of a fifh fo'ce a!ong
counseling 0a'adig!s& ournal of !"MAN#ST#C C$"NSE%#N&, E'"CAT#$N AN'
'E(E%$PMENT )*- 1,*;1@.&
Selig!an- L&- < Reichen/e'g- L& 9& $.*1*%& Theor+ of counseling and ps+chotherap+: S+stems,
strategies, and skills, ,
rd
edition- Boson- MA: :ea'son Educaion- Inc&