Professional Counselors - Serving People
Professional Counseling . . .
Professional counseling is the application of mental heath, psychological
or human development principles, through cognitive, affective, behavioral
or systemic interventions, strategies that address wellness, personal growth,
or career development, as well as pathology. To prepare for this challenging
career, professional counselors undergo extensive education and training.
This includes at least a master's degree and field training with a solid
foundation in human growth and development, career and lifestyle development,
social and cultural foundations, group work, practice and internships.
Professional counselors serve at all levels of schools and universities,
in hospitals, mental health agencies, rehabilitation facilities, business
and industry, correctional institutions, religious organizations, community
centers and private practice. The following include some examples that
illustrate how counselors positively affect the lives of many different
people...
Serving all people,
from the very young to the older
adult . . .
In the schools . . .
School counselors are certified professional educators specially trained
in counseling interventions, theories and techniques. School counselors--as
an integral part of a school's total education program--work with students,
teachers, parents, administrators, local business leaders and community
leaders to help students become responsible and productive citizens. School
counselors promote educational success, interpersonal skills and self-understanding.
The following two examples illustrate the unique way counselors work with
students.
Children and adolescents . . .
Many schools call upon professional counselors for alternatives
to traditional ways of curbing violence. One method, the invitational approach,
maintains that everything the school does, as well as how it was done,
invites a response from students. Counselors strive to create a total school
environment in which students see themselves as important players in the
success of both the school and themselves. To accomplish this, professional
counselors use a number of techniques, including conflict management seminars,
peer mediation teams, student mentoring, group guidance activities and
rumor control. All represent safe avenues of expression, minimizing a child's
desire to resort to violence.
Young adults . . .
Recognizing that the key to our nation's competitiveness
is a high-quality workforce, professional counselors are at the forefront
of a national movement to prepare "work-bound" young adults. Unlike those
who are college-bound, at least half of all high school graduates aspire
to enter the workforce immediately. Professional counselors assist these
young people to personalize education and planning so the students can
maximize their talents and opportunities. They create, develop and shape
innovative strategies to enable students to be satisfied learners as well
as productive, educated citizens.
Adults in a unique
group . . .
Emergency and rescue workers routinely respond
to life-threatening incidents that inflict a level of job stress few will
ever know. Counselors join with other professionals to prepare these personnel
who are called to such incidents as the bombing of a federal building in
Oklahoma City, a hurricane that devastates the Gulf Coast or a rescue operation
at a burning day care center. Counselors help these men and women identify
stress in themselves and others, as well as take constructive action to
alleviate acute stress responses at the scene or within days of an incident.
Older adults . . .
Improvements in lifestyle choices, nutrition and health care are helping
more Americans live longer lives. The fastest growing subgroup in America,
older adults present a unique set of challenges for professional counselors.
For example, retirees can experience a deep sense of loss. Some feel that
their lives no longer have meaning, that they are no longer useful to society.
To assist in the transition into senior adulthood, professional counselors
guide many older adults in assessing their interests, abilities and potential
in preparation for a second career. For many living on a fixed income,
a successful second career often provides new options.
Families . . .
The number of single-parent families in America has grown at an alarming
rate. With help and guidance from professional counselors, however, single
parents and their children can learn to redefine relationships, live in
harmony and lead productive lives. Working with parents who may be widowed,
divorced or unmarried, professional counselors help them to overcome the
negative stereotypes that society has perpetrated. Single parents learn
how to identify their unique strengths and to use them advantageously in
raising their children. Counselors also assist single parents in practical
matters, such as dealing with school personnel and making career decisions.
Source: American Counseling Association
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