BICOL UNIVERSITY

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences

MODULE 1: Professionals and Practitioners in Counseling

What is this lesson about?

Counseling started out with certain basic premises that were learned from working with
students and collaborating with fellow counselors. One is that every student will sometime need help.
Guidance is not for the few extreme deviates but for all the students in the school. The needs of
individual students are quite different, but many students may have similar problems. Since the
counselor is so important in the counseling process, the counselor should know his basic functions as
well as his/her purpose in conducting counseling. The duties of the guidance counselor vary
somewhat, depending upon whether he is serving in a relatively small school, district, division or
university. The breadth and nature of his work, then, are determined by the size of the school or
district, the availability of other special personnel, and the competence of the school head. The
topics on professionals and practitioners in counseling are roles, functions and competencies of
counselor, areas of specialization where counselors work, career opportunities of counselors, rights
responsibilities, accountabilities and code of ethics.

Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
• show understanding of the roles and functions of counselors;
• identify specific work areas in which counselors work;
• identify career opportunities for counselors;
• value rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities; and
• distinguish between ethical and unethical behaviors among counselors.
WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF GUIDANCE COUNSELORS?
A guidance counselor assists the person or persons (clients) in realizing a
change in behavior or attitude, to assist them to seek achievement of goals, assist
the to find help, and in some cases, the role of counselors includes the teaching of
social skills, effective communication, spiritual guidance, decision-making and career
choices.

WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF GUIDANCE COUNSELORS?

The most fundamental functions of a guidance counselor are:
➢ Helping a client develop potentials to the fullest;
➢ Helping a client plan to itilize his or her potentials to the fullest;
➢ Helping a client plan his or her future in accordance with his or her
abilities, interests and needs;
➢ Sharing and applying knowledge related to counseling such as counseling
theories, tools, and techniques; and
➢ Administering a wide range of human development services.

WHAT ARE THE COMPETENCIES OF GUIDANCE COUNSELORS?

Guidance counseling is not for everyone, and it takes someone with
several important attributes to effectively guide clients through the challenges
they’re experiencing or may face. A good guidance counselor must have the
following abilities and characteristics:

✓ Ability to administer and maintain career guidance and counseling

programs;
✓ Capable of career advocates; and
✓ Can facilitate conduct of career advocacy in collaboration with career
advocates and peer facilitators.
OTHER COMPETENCIES/ FOUNDING SKILLS OF GUIDANCE COUNSELORS:
✓ Communication skills. A big part of being a counselor is his/her attending and listening skills,
and then responding thoughtfully and effectively. In some cases, clients won’t easily share
their problems with a counselor. A warm and inviting demeanor is key to working with clients.
✓ Reflective skills. A guidance counselor must consider how the client’s socioeconomic status,
race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity may impact the client’s well-
being. To do this effectively, you must be able to empathize with what your clients are going
through and channel this into a compassionate response.
✓ Probing skills. A guidance counselor at times have to help clients dealing with neglect, abuse,
risky behavior, or other dangerous circumstances. Being able to recognize a harmful or
potentially life-threatening situation and taking the steps to help remove them from these
situations is a key skill for any counselor. A school counselor must be able to listen to and help
clients from all walks of life.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION OF COUNSELORS

Areas of specialization where counselors work

Counselors are practically found in all spheres of human development, transitions, and
caregiving. Peterson and Nesenholz (1987) identified 11 major areas:

1. Child development and counseling. Child development and counseling as area of specialization
includes parent education, preschool counseling, early childhood education, elementary school
counseling, child counseling in mental health agencies, and counseling with battered and
abused children and their families

2. Adolescent development and counseling. Adolescent development and counseling as area of

specialization covers middle and high school counseling, psychological education, career
development specialist, adolescent counseling in mental health agencies, youth work in a
residential facility, and youth probation officer.

3. Gerontology (the aged). Gerontological counseling (the aged) as area of specialization is

considered the fastest growing field and essentially involves counseling of older citizens. It includes
preretirement counseling, community centers, counseling, nursing home counseling, and hospice
work.

4. Marital relationship counseling. Marital or relationship counseling includes premarital counseling,

marriage counseling, family counseling, sex education, sexual dysfunction counseling, and
divorce mediation.

5. Health. Health as an area of specialization offers possibility for nutrition counseling, exercise and
health education, nurse-counselor, rehabilitation counseling, stress management counseling,
holistic health counseling, anorexia or bulimia counseling, and genetic counseling.

6. Career/lifestyle. As an area of specialization, career and lifestyle counseling includes guidance

on choices and decision-making pertaining to career or lifestyle; guidance on career
development; provision of educational and occupational information to clients; conducting
education on career and lifestyle trends; provision of various forms of vocational assessment
appropriate to a setting; addressing the career and life development needs of special
populations and appropriate career services in given settings; facilitation of work-related activities
as an integral part of development and formation across the lifespan; modeling application of
decision-making across the lifespan; information dissemination of current career, vocational,
education, occupational, and labor market information; giving assistance to clients on
developing skills necessary to plan, organize, implement, administer, and evaluate clients own
career development; facilitating understanding of the interrelationships among work, family, and
other life roles and factors including diversity and gender, their influence on career development
and choices; identification of ethical and legal considerations,, characteristics and behaviors that
influence career; and may also include provision of needed skills in managing or going through
job interviews.

7. College and university. College and university as an area of specialization offer the following
opportunities: college student counseling, student activities, ‘student personnel work, residential
hall or dormitory counselor, and counselor educator.
8. Drugs. Drugs as an area of specialization has several options such as substance abuse
counseling, alcohol counseling, drug counseling, stop smoking program manager, and crisis
intervention counseling.

9. Consultation. Consultation as an area of specialization covers agency and corporate consulting,

organizational development director, industrial psychology specialist, and training manager.

10. Business and industry. Business and industry areas of specialization include training and
development personnel, quality and work-life or quality circles manager, employee assistance
programs manager, employee career development officer, affirmative action, or equal
opportunity specialist.

11. Other specialties. Other specialties may include phobia counseling, agoraphobia, self-
management, intra-personal management, interpersonal relationships management, and grief
counseling. In all specialties, the counselor could be self-employed as a private practitioner or
may be employed by the agency, which may be a government or a non-government
organization (NGO). In any specialty area, additional education and trainings beyond graduate
and post-graduate education are required.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES OF COUNSELORS

Counseling Careers
If you are looking to become a counselor, there are several different careers and
specializations that you may consider. Counselors often work in a wide array of settings - even
when in one specific career. Sometimes you may find a mental health counselor at a hospital,
police station, in a family's home or in private practice. Depending upon your career choice and
specialization, your counseling career path could bring you to all corners of the community you
serve.

Types of Counseling Careers

1. Mental Health Counselor. Mental health counselors provide therapeutic support to
clients faced with mental, emotional and/or behavioral health issues, such as
anxiety, depression, stress, low self-esteem and other concerns.
 2. School Counselor. Professional school counselors provide services to students to
support their academic, personal, and social development while working with
teachers, administrators and parents.
3. Career Counselor. Career counseling helps individuals understand themselves and
the world of work to make solid occupational, education, and life decisions.
4. Child Counselor. Child and adolescent counselors help children and teens with
physical, emotional, or mental roadblocks that impede healthy development.
5. Grief Counselor. Grief counselors support client growth from profound loss, death of
a loved one, debilitating injury, terminal illness, divorce, or other personal
bereavements.
6. Rehabilitation Counselor. For individuals with physical, mental, developmental,
and/or emotional disabilities, rehabilitation counselors assist them in leading fulfilling
and successful independent lives.
7. Substance Abuse Counselor. Substance abuse and addiction counselors work
with clients to support their mental and physical health in order to
accurately provide a holistic treatment of substance abuse disorders.

RIGHTS, RESPOSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES OF COUNSELORS

Counselors are protected. They are governed by scientific theories, practices and
processes as well as professional standards and ethics. They are responsible for the practice of
their profession in accordance with their mandates and professional guidelines and ethics. They
are accountable to their clients, the professional body, and the government. They must act in the
best interest of their client(s) and maintain a professional relationship, maintain a reasonable level
of current knowledge and skills in their therapeutic practice, and be in good standing with their
professional association(s).

Counselors must observe confidentiality at all times. The values included an assertion that the
work of the guidance counselor involves a special relationship and trust.
 Code of Ethics of Counselors
The code of ethics states that counselors live and work in accordance with the professional
standards of conduct set forth for the practice of guidance and counseling. The following are the
four overall ethical principles that subsume a number of specific ethical standards (Institute of
Guidance Counselors):
Principle 1: Respect for the rights and dignity of the client. Guidance counselors honor
and promote the fundamental rights, dignity, and worth of clients. They respect clients’
right to privacy, confidentiality, self-determination, and autonomy, consistent with the
law

Principle 2: Competence. Guidance counselors maintain and update their professional

skills. They recognize the limits of their expertise, and seek support and supervision to
maintain the standard of their work. They undergo trainings, seminars, and postgraduate
education.

Principle 3: Responsibility. Guidance counselors are aware of their professional

responsibility to act in a trustworthy, reputable, and accountable manner toward clients,
colleagues, and the community in which they belong.

Principle 4: Integrity. Guidance counselors seek to promote integrity in their practice.

They represent themselves accurately and treat others with honesty, straightforwardness,
and fairness.

Effective counseling deals with ethical understanding, legal responsibilities and moral
realities. Counseling does not take place in a fantasy world, but in a world of reality where people
are required to make ethical choices and decisions. Adherence to professional ethical standards
protects both the public and the counselor.
LET’S TRY THIS!
ACTIVITY 1 |My Idea of a Counselor!
Instruction: Through a 50-word essay, write down your idea of a counselor. To make it
comprehensive, you can include the roles and functions of a counselor.

1. My idea of a counselor is
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LET’S DO THIS!
ACTIVITY 2|Know your Counselors!
Instruction: Based from what you have discovered, write down at least three rights,
responsibilities and accountabilities, and ethical and unethical behaviors of counselors. Write
your answer in the table provided.

1. Describe the rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities of counselors.

Rights Responsibilities Accountabilities
Example: act in the best Example: maintain Example: accountable to their
interest of the client professional relationship clients
2. List down three (3) ethical and unethical behaviors of counselors.
Ethical behaviors Unethical behaviors
Example: respect clients’ rights to privacy Example: disclosed client’s information

3. If you were to be a future counselor, how would you exhibit or embody the ethical
standards of your profession?
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References:

• Sampa, Elias M. Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social

Sciences. Rex Bookstore, 2017 p. 25-32.
• Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences SLM, Quarter
1 Module 3.
• https://prezi.com/w9xxsfe4hvsc/professionals-practitioners-in-
the-discipline-of-counseling/
• https://www.coursehero.com/file/44042576/Week003-Modulepdf/
• https://www.waldenu.edu/online-masters-programs/ms-in-school-
counseling/resource/five-traits-of-a-great-guidance-counselor
• https://onlinecounselingprograms.com/become-a-
counselor/counseling-careers/