UST Guidance Week AMV College of Accountancy Multi-Purpose Hall September 5, 2011 The Professional Counselors as Partners in Enriching the Learning Environment

Counselor Professional Counselor Environment Learning Environment PartnersEnriching

Counselor Counseling is a profession that facilitates the development of wellness and the empowerment of individuals, families and groups in diverse settings to achieve personal-social, educational and career goals. The counselor respects each individual’s dignity, worth, uniqueness and capacity for self-direction; and beyond this, works towards social transformation. (CHED Draft Policies and Standards for Graduate Programs in Counseling Sept 2011)

Professional Counselor Republic Act No “The Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004” Art I Sec 3 b: “A guidance counselor is a natural person who has been registered and issued a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid Professional Identification Card by the Professional Board of Guidance and Counseling and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in accordance with this Act and by virtue of specialized training performs for a fee, salary or other forms of compensation, the functions of guidance and counseling under Section 3 (a) of this Act.”

Professional Counselor Republic Act No “The Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004” Art I Sec 3 a: “ … It includes functions such as counseling, psychological testing, (as to personality, career interest, study orientation, mental ability and aptitude), research, placement, group process, teaching and practicing of guidance and counseling subjects, particularly subjects given in the licensure examinations, and other human development services.”

Guidance and Counseling or Counseling? Traditionally, this profession was referred to as “guidance and counseling”; however, by the early 1980s, the profession has been referred to in the literature as simply “counseling” to refer to the contexts of its uses, in the social community, in schools, in college, and in private clinical practice. In the Philippines, the professional who is licensed to practice counseling is referred to as a “guidance counselor”, however,, the title of “counselor” is preferred by those who practice in areas outside the school, like marital counselors, community counselors, pastoral counselors, rehabilitation counselors, crisis counselors, etc.

Environment Counselors are found wherever there is a need for them: Schools, Community, Clinics, Hospitals, Parishes, Offices, Rehabilitation Centers, Disaster Areas, Crisis Centers, through phones, radio and online

Learning Environment Assisting individuals Facilitating groups

Partners Students Faculty Support Services Administrators CounselorsStaff

Enriching  Learning  Relationships  Values  Careers  the whole person

REMEDIAL DEVELOPMENTAL GROWTH Disturbed minority Ordinary people Sub-normal functioning Normal functioning Supra-normal functioning Goals for counseling various clients

Teachers – spot, report Staff – observe, confirm Administrators – support recommendations Counselors – assess, counsel, refer, recommend action Remedial Disturbed Minority

Teachers – initiate, do, coordinate Staff – support Administrators – approve Counselors – plan, do Counsel, coordinate Normal Majority Developmental

Teachers – spot, innovate, initiate, do, coordinate Staff – support Administrators – approve Counselors – assess, plan, do counsel, coordinate Exceptional Minority Growth

How can you help in counseling? Don’t pretend Don’t advise Don’t moralize Don’t squeal Don’t judge Don’t attempt full counseling session Do spot Do approach Do be there Do refer Do be natural Do a mini-counseling session

The Professional Counselors as Partners in Enriching the Learning Environment Counselor Professional Counselor Environment Learning Environment PartnersEnriching

Dr. Barbara Wong-Fernandez Vice President for Academic Development Far Eastern University