Introduction to Counseling: Providing helping Skills for Teachers

Reflection Think about your school days. What did counselors do? What do you remember about your interaction with the counselor? What level do you remember most?

Further Reflection Why do you think there is an Introduction to Counseling class for teachers? Do you think the need for helping skills in the classroom has changed over time? Why or why not?

Counseling Defined Helping clients work through personal issues Profession with standards distinct from other helping professions Designed to help relatively normal functional people work through developmental or adjustment issues Involves a relationship that is caring, honest & open

Counseling Defined Multidimensional dealing with feelings, thoughts, and behaviors as well as past, present & future Process with multiple components determined by theoretical orientation Separate profession from psychotherapy which deals with mental illness Adapted from Kottler & Brown

More Reflection How would you define counseling in your own words? How do the definitions presented resemble/differ from the role of a school counselor and the classroom teacher?

Components of School Counseling: Prevention Activities offered to all students to meet anticipated developmental needs before those needs occur; avoidance of pervasive social problems such as AIDS, substance abuse, suicide, violence, teenage pregnancy; accomplishments of developmental outcomes like social skills competence, appropriate assertiveness, positive self concept and self-esteem

Components of School Counseling: Intervention Reactive rather than proactive; usually offered to those who are referred; includes early identification and treatment for at-risk students experiencing problems that are not yet overwhelming and remedial intervention for those with chronic problems

More Reflection Is prevention or intervention most frequently discussed in a general definition of counseling? Why? How does school counseling differ from general counseling? At what level do you think prevention is a primary focus? Intervention?

CAVEAT We are teachers learning helping skills. We are not preparing school counselors.

ICEBREAKER Create lifeline leading to your decision to become an educator. Explain lifeline to partner you did not previously know. Partners introduce each other to class. Reflection Why use lifeline? Why include career choice? Why group introduction