Individual Counseling

I am very curious as to how many hours a week a student counselor has individual counseling sessions.  I am hoping that I will gain a greater insight to this as I start my counseling hours in the schools.  When I was in school the counselor was seen as someone who worked with testing and possibly helped in some career counseling.  I am not sure that they did any individual and group counseling.  I feel that since I have left high school that this has changed and I hope that is the case.  I realize that schools are operating on a limited budget and have to assign many duties to the staff, but I think it is important to remember what the school counsleor is there for.  Our students need more guidance now than they ever did so I think it is important that counselors have time in their schedule each day to have individual counseling, especially when working with older students.

My Thoughts on Counseling for Week 2

A counselor is someone professionally trained to help others through various situations they encounter throughout life.  A counselor will provide guidance and tools to assist individuals in reaching their goals and overcoming obstacles.  Counselors are very important to the area in which I live.  There are students who need school counselors to guide them in making important decisions about higher education and careers.  School counselors are also needed to help students who are dealing with emotional and behavioral disorders.  There are so many students in my area who come from broken homes and homes where one or both of the parents are in jail.  These students need someone to listen to them and to help them through a difficult time in their life.  Older students face issues with peer pressure and substance abuse and need someone to provide them with the guidance they need to make smart decisions.  Mental health counselors are needed as this world becomes more and more stressful. This is causing people to have more issues with worry and anxiety as they feel they cannot keep up with this fast paced lifestyle.  More and more individuals in this area are dealing with substance abuse as well and need counseling.  The need for career counselors is great in this area as well.  People are losing their jobs every day and need guidance from a counselor in how to cope with job loss and to prepare them for their next step in finding a new job.
I want to be a counselor so that I can simply help people deal with this unpredictable life.  I enjoy listening to others and really hearing what is going on in their lives.  I chose the student counseling path because I have a passion for the little ones as well.  There are so many children and young adults that are facing very difficult situations and need someone to listen to them and help them get through the hard times. In many situations the child's parents are not always available or willing to give them the guidance they need so it is important that they have a positive role model that they know they can depend on.  I find it rewarding to be that person.  I want to teach these students the skills and tools that they need to work through their problems that they can use throughout their lives.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  Blogging is a new experience for me but I am excited to learn more about it.  I will be posting blogs related to my student counseling practicum experiences and anticipate that it will help me in the reflection process of counseling.