Who Are Professional School Counselors?
Professional school counselors, formerly referred to as “guidance counselors” are professional educators who have a master’s degree or higher in school counseling, and are certified or licensed by the state in which they work. Professional school counselors possess the qualifications and skills necessary to address the full range of students’ academic, personal, social, and career development needs. School counselors provide services in the schools based on student needs and interests, including but not limited to: Mental, emotional, social, developmental, and behavioral services to students and families; Academic support services, including organizational, study and test-taking skills for students; Career awareness, exploration and planning services; School crisis intervention and response services; Coordination and referral to area mental health resources for students and families. Today, there are over 100,000 highly trained professional school counselors working in America’s public
