School Counselor

What Is a School Counselor?

School Counselors support all students in grades PreK-12 with academic achievement, social and emotional development and career planning. School Counselors are licensed and have completed an approved master’s program and an extensive internship before becoming licensed. 

A school counselor’s work is multifaceted meaning that each day brings something different. School Counselors guide, teach, encourage, and lead. Sometimes you’ll find us with a student in an individual meeting, others times we can be found teaching classroom lessons about understanding and managing our emotions, using appropriate communication skills, or resolving conflicts. On other days, we may spend time supporting students with behavioral needs, or encouraging healthy friendships, coping skills, and self-regulation skills with students through small group counseling. School Counselors work hard every day to ensure that each of our students are set up for success not only academically, but socially, emotionally, and psychologically. Taking a “whole child” approach and addressing overall wellness, School Counselors recognize the significance, benefit, and advantage to maintaining a healthy balance between each of these areas. 

Many of our strategies are enhanced by our collaboration with passionate teachers and administrators, community agencies, local ISD's, and research-informed social-emotional curriculum and programs such as Second Step, the Zones of Regulation or even our own Core Values initiative.

However, there are also times when the scope of the services that School Counselors provide may need to be supplemented with additional resources, and we make referrals to outside agencies to connect you, our students and families, with the help you need, when you need it. School Counselors are here to help in any way that we can. 

Want more details? Check out this video on The Role of an Elementary School Counselor.