What is Group Counseling in a School Setting?

Group counseling in schools is typically organized in a structured and purposeful manner. The process begins by identifying any specific needs or concerns among students that would benefit from group counseling, such as academic stress, social difficulties, or emotional challenges. Once the needs have been identified, the school counselor then begins to form groups that may be based on similar issues, grade levels, or specific goals. These groups are typically small to help facilitate effective communication and interaction among students.

Once parental consent is obtained for students to participate, sessions typically begin during scheduled school hours. Each session is carefully structured with activities and techniques that engage students and help to facilitate their growth and development. Throughout the process, the school counselor monitors, supports, and evaluates the effectiveness of the group to ensure the program is positively impacting each student.

Why is Group Counseling So Important?

Group counseling in a school setting offers specific benefits that contribute to students’ personal and academic growth. These benefits include:

A Supportive Environment

Group counseling provides students with a supportive and inclusive environment where they can connect with their peers who may face similar challenges. In group sessions, students share their experiences, challenges, and emotions with one another. This interaction helps students gain a deeper understanding of what others are going through which can help reduce feelings of isolation. These shared experiences can help foster empathy and understanding which can help promote a sense of belonging.

Learning from Peers

Group counseling allows students to learn from one another. Students can enhance their interpersonal, communication, and conflict-resolution abilities through discussions and activities. Students can gain valuable perspectives, advice, and peer feedback by sharing coping strategies, problem-solving techniques, and personal insights.

Skill Development

Participating in group counseling helps students develop essential interpersonal skills, such as active listening, empathy, communication, and conflict resolution. They learn to express themselves effectively, understand different viewpoints, and collaborate with others, which are all valuable skills that can positively impact their relationships and academic performance.

Promotes Acceptance and Reduces Social Stigma

Group counseling helps normalize the challenges students face, reducing the stigma associated with seeking support for mental health concerns. Sharing experiences with peers who have similar struggles creates an environment where seeking help becomes more socially acceptable and encouraged.

Improved Self-Esteem

Participating in group student counseling can reduce feelings of isolation, enhance self-esteem, and improve mental well-being by offering a space for students to express themselves and receive feedback from their peers and school counselor. The experience of being heard and understood contributes to improved mental well-being, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and promoting overall emotional health.

Is Group Counseling More or Less Effective Than One-On-One Counseling?

Group counseling and one-on-one counseling each have their own unique benefits and can be effective in different ways. However, both approaches are suited to address various therapeutic needs. Let’s take a look at each approach.

Individual counseling allows for personalized attention and a focused exploration of an individual’s specific concerns and challenges. A student meets one-on-one with a school counselor in a private confidential space where their therapy is tailored to their unique individual needs. This can be effective for students who have more complex issues or who prefer an individual experience.

On the other hand, group counseling provides a more supportive, inclusive environment where students can connect with others who may share similar experiences or challenges. It can help to foster a sense of belonging, normalize struggles, and reduce feelings of isolation. Students can gain diverse perspectives, receive support, and learn from one another.

The effectiveness of counseling, whether individual or group, depends on various factors such as the nature of the concern, the goals of therapy, the skills and experience of the counselor, and the preferences of the student that is seeking counseling. Some students may benefit more from one-on-one counseling due to their specific needs, while others may find group counseling to be an effective therapeutic option. Ultimately, the choice is up to the student, their guardian, and the school counselor.

Group counseling can be a formidable asset in helping students grow and heal. By addressing a wide range of social, emotional, and behavioral issues, group counseling can equip students with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of adolescence and emerge as well-rounded individuals. The benefits of group counseling extend far beyond the students who participate. Students gain self-awareness, empathy, and communication skills, all of which can help create a future where students thrive.

Interested in pursuing an advanced program in school counseling? Explore our available programs and start your next journey today!

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Helping Students in School

From a school perspective, it is important to be mindful of developing students’ social and emotional skills. This initiative is usually led and directed by a school counselor. But what if your school does not have a full-time school counselor, or worse yet, your school does not have one at all?

School counselors are not mandated by every state. This is an astonishing fact, especially when students today need more support than ever before. School districts’ budgets are stretched thin as it is and will not usually accommodate non-mandated budget items such as school counselors. So the question remains: Who can assist students when they are in crisis? Who can help students manage their emotions? Who can help students cope with the developmental changes and general life issues that occur? Who can assist students in making career plans and supporting their academic growth?

When a school counselor does not exist in your school, how you provide the academic, social/emotional, and career development support that students need? This support will usually fall on the shoulders of all faculty and staff to provide. Primarily, teachers take on the added duties of counselor so that their students are supported. In addition, the administrators will wear the school counselor hat, as do the school nurses, building secretary, and even the custodians.

Strategies to Use When Working without Adequate Counseling Support

In addition, there are a few strategies you could research to assist in filling the void of not having adequate school counseling support. Please know these strategies do not replace the role of the school counselor, nor does it come close to what a full-time school counselor could provide. These strategies can help lessen the added duties school faculty and staff must take on in order to ensure students are provided with adequate support necessary to grow and thrive academically as well as social-emotionally.

The first strategy to consider would be implementing a school wide social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. This could be a standalone curriculum or could be embedded in your daily school-wide and classroom routines and procedures. Please be sure to utilize research-based curricula resources. Most SEL programs will consist of developing students’ skills in the areas of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, communication skills, and responsible decision-making.

Another strategy would be to revise an existing or implement a positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) program in your school that focuses on developing and reinforcing social-emotional skills and development. A PBIS program is data driven and teaches students specific behavioral expectations that are important to a particular school. A PBIS program is guided by data and contains behavior reinforcement and acknowledgement components, as well as clearly defines a tiered system of student behavioral interventions.

Resources Outside of School

Schools can contact local agencies in your community to find out what school-based outreach services they offer. These agencies may be able to offer free classroom presentations and lessons about various topics that school counselors would typically put in place. These services could be classroom lessons on dealing with bullies, anti-drug use, anger management, coping skills, and grief and loss, to name a few. Some of these agencies may offer after-school programs that could be implemented on-site at the school. Community and family workshops might also be available to assist parents and families in supporting students at home.

Schools could also reach out to parent or community organizations to inquire if they would finance assemblies or host inspirational speakers to address the student body on a particular issue your students deal with regularly. A school could also develop grade level- or classroom-driven community service projects to help students learn important social-emotional skills such as working effectively with others, effective communication, and developing empathy for others.

No matter what strategies you put in place, one should insist that adequate school counseling services be provided. All students deserve and need adequate support to ensure a chance at positive future outcomes.

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What is a Master’s Degree in School Counseling?

A school counseling master’s degree is typically designated as a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree. This graduate degree represents the completion of comprehensive coursework and rigorous counselor training designed to prepare an individual to facilitate student wellbeing and achievement.

The primary goal of a school counselor is to support students’ development across three specific, critical domains:

1. Academic
2. Social/Emotional
3. Career

Accessibility and Prerequisites

This graduate degree is accessible to individuals with an undergraduate degree in any major. However, applicants often hold a bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) in fields such as education, psychology, or social work.

Credentialing and Certification

Graduating with an M.Ed. in School Counseling signifies that a person possesses the credentials required to become a certified school counselor. Depending on the program’s structure and accreditation, graduates may also qualify for additional, highly valuable credentials:

• Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) eligibility within the state the program is located.

School Counseling Program Structure and Accreditation

School counseling graduate programs vary widely in affordability, accessibility, and academic quality. Crucially, they also differ in program formats, admission procedures, course credit totals, and the credentials you can acquire.

Program Delivery Formats and Credits

To accommodate diverse lifestyles and careers, programs offer various formats, including:

• On-campus day and evening classes.
• Virtual asynchronous classes.

Most school counseling programs require between 48-54 credits, which typically equates to five semesters of full-time enrollment. The increased number of credits is directly related to the required clinical experience hours.

Clinical Experience Requirements: Practicum and Internship

A hallmark of a high-quality school counseling program is the required clinical experience, which provides essential, supervised, real-world experience. These hours are supervised by qualified faculty and on-site supervisors.

Accreditation and Program Quality

Programs that require these extensive practicum and internship hours are typically accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

CACREP accreditation ensures a program meets stringent standards for professional training. Some programs may also hold accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Admissions and Application Procedures

Admission to a school counseling graduate program is competitive and requires specific materials:

Required Admissions Exams

Commonly required graduate school admissions exams include the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) – General Test or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Some programs may waive an admissions exam requirement altogether, but those that require one often set their own specific passing score range.

Undergraduate GPA

All school counseling graduate programs will require a specific undergraduate G.P.A. While this minimum requirement varies, a strong academic record is always advantageous.

Career Paths and Opportunities with an M.Ed.

While the primary career path is becoming a certified school counselor, this degree’s associated credentials, clinical knowledge, and experience offer flexibility for other professional pursuits.

School and School District Employment

• School Counselor: The most common role. School counselors are regarded as faculty members and often receive the same benefits as teachers, including salary, health insurance, and retirement. They serve as the lead advocate for students, mediating concerns between students, teachers, parents, and administrators, and performing administrative-type tasks.
• School-Based Therapist: Graduates may pursue a career as a therapist employed by a community agency but working directly within a school setting.

Alternative Counseling Careers

The comprehensive clinical preparation allows graduates to pursue roles outside the school setting. The ability to pursue other counseling careers, such as opening a private practice, is dependent on the specific program’s structure and the state’s licensure requirements.

Common alternative careers include:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Therapists
• Behavioral Specialists
• Mobile Therapists employed by community agencies
• Therapeutic Day Treatment Counselors

Professional Benefits and Skills Gained

Beyond the degree itself, completion of a school counseling graduate program confers critical professional skills, preparing graduates to excel in diverse settings:

• Ethical and Professional Considerations: A deep understanding of the ethical framework for the counseling profession.
• Clinical Counseling Skills: Possession of core counseling and intervention techniques.
• Assessment and Evaluation: Ability to conduct assessments and interpret results to inform interventions.
• Educational Systems Knowledge: Understanding how educational systems impact student development.
• Leadership Qualities: Development of necessary skills to serve as a leader and advocate within the school community.

The complex, multifaceted work of a school counselor—facilitating student wellbeing, achievement, and development across academic, social/emotional, and career domains—is made possible by the comprehensive preparation provided by a high-quality graduate program.

For more information about school counseling careers, please visit the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

You’ve got important career goals — we have the graduate program to get you there. Check out our available graduate degree programs to advance your career today!

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