Educational counselling: Theory and Practice

BVM Holy Cross College

Introduction

Counselling is an art of helping

people According to C H Patterson, “Counselling is a

process involving a special kind of relationship

between a person who asks for help with a

psychological problem and a person who is trained to

provide that help.”1 The need of counselling is

obviously clear in the present world of insecurities

where men live with stress and strain deep inside but

all alone and has no shoulder to cry upon or to get

practical and rational assistance in deciding the

course of life. This gives birth to the necessity of

help that is scientific; professionals who assist

people in overcoming the stress and pressure of their

1 JOAN CHUNKAPURA and ANTONY MANNARKULAM, Psychotherapies and Counselling (Kottayam,Trada Publications 1997) 14. Hereafter referred as PC.

Department of Social Work


lives. Counselling had been present from the

beginning of human civilization in its rudimentary

form as men might have sought help from his close

associates at the time of distress. But as a science

it developed in the 1960’s.2 At present counselling

is a full fledged, systematic science that deals with

multiple fields like family, youth, children,

educational settings, old aged etc. Of which

school/educational counselling is one that is worth

mentioning.

“Educational counselling has emerged

as a discipline to provide help to students on

campuses of schools, colleges and universities such

that they are not tormented by their internal

2 Cf. PC.15



conflicts, do not become cynical and do not resort to

self destructive strategies.”3 Educational

counselling thus begins from elementary school and

extends to the higher education systems too ensuring

that the developmental tasks of every age during

education is met and problems are not let to be

accumulated by tackling them at the very onset.

Educational institutions are where the citizens of

the future bloom and right steps taken during this

time is very essential in creating a society that is

peaceful and serene. Hence counselling during this

period is crucial.

Theoretical Basis of School Counselling

There are three major theories that have shaped how

3 NARAYANA RAO, Counselling and Guidance (New Delhi, McGraw Publications 1991) 203. Hereafter referred as CG.



counselors provide therapeutic interventions in

schools.

1. Psycho Analysis

The first of these is based on the theoretical

foundation provided by psychoanalysis, first defined

and elaborated by Sigmund Freud. These approaches

include those that can be described as neo-Freudian

and those that contain elements first identified in

Freud’s writings.Eric H. Erikson, Alfred Adler, and

Otto Rank have built models for practice based on

these approaches and theories.

2. Behaviorist Theory

The early behaviorists provided the second theory

that guided approaches to therapeutic interventions.

Behaviorism was first defined in psychological



laboratories with carefully controlled experiments to

look into how individuals learn and respond to their

environments. Related theories describe goal setting

and brief solutions-focused counseling, strengths-

based counseling, cognitive therapy, behavioral

counseling, and cognitive behavioral techniques. Each

of these methods is based on helping clients learn

new ways of thinking, processing information, and

responding to their environments.

3. Person Centered Approach

The third major theoretical basis in counseling is

devised by Carl R. Rogers. His person or child-

centered approach is one that does away with the

notion that a counselor is going to fix a problem the

student is having. The approach is one that helps the



student better understand his or her own thinking and

find a resolution within. School counselors have also

adopted an abbreviated approach for providing

student-focused interventions that are time efficient

and highly effective. Central to these solutions-

focused methods are strength-based school counseling

and narrative therapies.4

General Principles of Value for School Counseling

The principles basic to counseling are evident in the

works of Miller, Gribbons, Beck, Wren and Kehas. The

general principles of value for the practice of

counseling in educational setting or school are:

1. Counseling is concerned primarily and

systematically with the personal development of the

4 Cf. Vernon, A., Thinking, Feling, Behaving: An Emotional Curriculum for Adolescents(Illinos, 2006) 7–12.



pupil.

2. The approach and technique to be adopted depend on

the individuals behaviour.

3. Counseling is oriented towards cooperation between

the pupil and and the counselor and is not a

compulsive predetermined process.

4. The counselor firmly recognizes individual’s worth

and dignity and one’s right to choose and to make

decisions.

5. Counseling in its essence is an educational

process. It is an essential dimension of education.

6. Counseling in school should never be treated as an

emergency reaction pattern but as continous,

sequential and programmatic.

Basic Rules To be Observed by a School counselor



Counselors working in public schools must establish

ground rules with students who begin the counseling

relationship.

1. Everything discussed by the student and counselor

is kept in confidence by both parties.

2. There is a strict time limit to the length of each

counseling session.

3. Counselors must establish boundaries, including

the fact that they are paid

professional employees of the school who may never

break the school’s rules or policies.

4. The counselor works in the interest of each

individual student; however, as a professional, the

counselor maintains a separation from students who

are receiving counseling services.



5. Counselors do not play favorites, make exceptions,

or do anything to discourage any student or group of

students from seeking assistance.

Factors Necessitating Counseling at School

The factors that contribute to the necessity of

counseling at the level of school is manifold of

which a few are as follows:

1. New comers find it difficult to adjust with the

changed situations presented newly at the school.

2. The changes in body and emotions are often seen as

distress by the children.

3. The curiosity regarding matters of sex during the

phases of growth has to be properly channelized and

guided

4. Growth is identical to freedom. With rising



freedom the children should learn to use it

effectively.

5. There are students who finds it difficult to study

and hence fail to succeed academically who need

proper guidance.

6. Some students are poor in establishing good

relationships with colleagues.

7. A few find it difficult to communicate with

others.

8. Rarely, there are also students who frequently

resort to neurotic patterns of behaviour.

9. There might be students who posses learning

disabilities and a counselor can locate them at the

initial stage and provide professional help.

10. Counselling ensures that a student never trails



in personality.

General Functions of Counselors at School Level

1. The counselor helps emotionally disturbed children

to arrive at happier and satisfying solutions to

their problems

2. The counselor helps the children with their

academic difficulties.

3. The counselor is concerned with preventive and

remedial measures.

4. The counselor cooperatively works with teachers to

help them gain a greater understanding of pupils in

their classes.

5. The counselor helps parents obtain a better

understanding and appreciation of their children.

6. The counselor uses appropriate test devices for



diagnosis and counseling purposes.

7. The counselor maintains extensive reports

concerning pupils for whom he is responsible.

8. The secondary school counselor spends much of his

time in helping students to opt the college, course

or job that suits them.

9. The school counselor aids needy students to obtain

assistance.

10. All school counselors work closely with other

specialized personals.5

Levels of School Counseling

1. Elementary School Counseling

Children of elementary school are often

observed to be happy and are seemingly ignorant about

the problems of adjustment. They are taken up by

5 CG 210.



little things and hence if they encounter a hostile

childhood at school it may lead to a lot of problems

in later stages of life. Counseling children at the

elementary school level involves helping them with

learning problems and making their experience at

school enjoyable and engaging. The major aim of

counselling at his level is the prevention of

emotional breakdown which may arise from adjusting

problems during the transition from home to school or

resulting from victimization of bullying.6 Counseling

at elementary school is supposed to provide students

with assistance in:

Understanding self and developing a positive self

image.

6 Cf. CG 205.



Showing respect for the feeling of others.

Understand the decision making process.

Maintaining effective relationships with peers and

adults.

Developing effective study skills.

Being prepared to make the transition to the

intermediate school.7

2. Counseling at High School

The students of high school are

adolescents and hence their school lives are co-

terminous with early adolescence and post puberty

years. Hence the major task of a high school

counselor hence is to help the students to deal with

the problems of growing up. The students, during

their age of adolescence, have individualistic ideas,

7 RAMESH CHATURVEDI, Guidance and counselling for School Students, (Delhi,Cresent Publishing Corporation 2007) 2. Hereafter referred as GCS.



interests and emotions and are keen to express them.

The role of a counselor at this stage lies in showing

warmth and friendliness by which he can gain the

confidence and trust of the pupil and using this

trust and confidence cultivate and nurture desirable

attitudes, interests and goals. The counselor helps

the pupil to gain insight into his problem and seek

rational and practical solutions to the same. He can

also help the student to develop vocational

consciousness and occupational interest. Further,

academic performance can also be helped with, by

directing the students in matters like:

Choosing the curriculum which suits the student’s

abilities, interests and aspirations.

Acquiring efficient study habits like and



practices which could enable one to achieve

desirable level of academic success.

Developing skills and talents that are outside the

general curriculum requirements.

Understanding the purpose of education and the

functions of education in relation to one’s needs.

Developing vocational interests and an urge to

work in the chosen vocation.8

3. Counseling at College Level

At college level an individual is

supposed to develop a sound philosophy of life, an

ability to enjoy life in its multidimensional

aspects, sensitivity to different aspect of

environment and a capacity to be a free willed

individual. The essential theme of counseling at this

8 CG 206.



level involves understanding the personal experiences

of pupils in all their variety, depth and intensity

in terms of the opportunities available and choices

open to them. Counseling, hence, help the pupil in

recognize their strength and weaknesses and interpret

them realistically. Hence, counseling should be

viewed as an integral part of total college program.

Counseling at this stage hence has a few specialties.

It is the culmination of the guidance the pupil

receives at all the lower school levels.

It emphasizes constructive self guidance among

students in meeting adult responsibilities.

It provides necessary assistance to overcome

academic and social deficiencies and thus helps to

enrich their lives.



It helps in developing healthy vocational and

professional interests among the students.

The functions of counseling are manifold and the

major functions among them include:

The appraisal service to asses objectively the

potential of pupil - academic, vocational,

personality - by utilizing a variety of personal,

psychological and social data.

The information service to provide accurate, up to

date, exhaustive and reliable knowledge in

educational, vocational and social fields so that

the students are able to make better choices and

take wiser decisions.

Assistance towards self understanding and

development through face to face and small group



relationships.

The planning, placement and followup services

designed to increase vocational development by

facilitating students to choose and utilize

appropriate employment opportunities.

The evaluation service to provide feedback

information for the benefit of the college

administration and the community at large.9

Conclusion

To summarize educational counseling is a

philosophy, a function, a role and an activity. As a

philosophy, counseling, in educational context, is a

process by which educational experiences are related

to students’ experience. As a function, counseling is

a set of responsibilities that the institution should

9 CG 208.



legitimately perform. As a role, counseling should be

seen as the institution’s responsibility to provide

services to the students. As an activity, counseling

comprises a variety of functions that different

persons with counseling role perform for students

which are consistent with the philosophy, the

function and the role. The realm of counseling at

school level runs through diverse situations like

counseling for gifted children, ethnic minority,

abused children, migrant students etc. Counseling at

the level of educational settings poses a large

challenge to the counselor and proper theoretical

knowledge aided by experience can lead to the welfare

of the pupil.

Bibliography



1.CHATURVEDI, RAMESH Guidance and Counselling for School Students,

(Delhi,Cresent Publishing Corporation 2007) 2. Hereafter

referred as GCS.

2.CHUNKAPURA, JOAN and MANNARKULAM, ANTONY Psychotherapies and

Counselling (Kottayam, Trada Publications 1997)

3.RAO, NARAYANA Counselling and Guidance (New Delhi, McGraw

Publications 1991)


Educational counselling: Theory and Practice

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