National School Counseling Week 2022 - WSCA Resources (2024)

FAQs

What is the hardest part of being a school counselor? ›

While bullying is one of the most common problems counselors face, suicidal threats can be the scariest.

State law also requires school districts to adopt a policy that requires a school counselor to spend at least 80% of the school counselor's total work time on duties that are components of a counseling program and annually assess the district's compliance with the policy.

Although ASCA recommends a 250-to-1 ratio of students to school counselors, the national average is actually 385-to-1 for the 2022–2023 school year (the most recent year for which data is available). See how the individual states stack up: School Counselor Ratios (2022-2023)

A school counselor is not routinely a member of a student's IEP team. Rather, the school counselor's participation on the IEP team is in response to a need for his or her input regarding specific issues relative to the student.

73.9% of all school counselors are women, while 26.1% are men. The average school counselor age is 41 years old. The most common ethnicity of school counselors is White (67.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.2%), Black or African American (10.6%) and Unknown (3.8%).

34% of therapists in the United States are in their 30s and 40s, but 52% of therapists are over 40 years old. The average age of a therapist is 41 years old.

How much does a School Counselor make in Texas? As of Apr 2, 2024, the average annual pay for a School Counselor in Texas is $57,639 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $27.71 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,108/week or $4,803/month.

But as long as the parent hasn't stated that specifically, school counseling is considered a regular educational service provided by the school, so legally the counselor can see a minor student without parent consent.

School counselors earn an average yearly salary of $61,100. Wages typically start from $37,340 and go up to $78,360.

The framework of the ASCA National Model consists of four components: define, manage, deliver and assess.

What is one difference between a school counselor and school therapist? ›

School counselors work on helping students establish goals and prepare for the future, while school psychologists work on managing the social and emotional health of exceptional learners. Understanding how the two roles are different may help you determine which role is the best career fit for you.

Guidance Counselors focused on vocational guidance. School Counselors focus on academic, career, and social/emotional development. Guidance Counselors worked in isolation within schools. School Counselors work with teachers, parents, administrators, outside counseling agencies, and other stakeholders.

“I know your kid better than you do.”

It's our job to work with the parent to make the IEP the best it can be for each student, and saying something like this only creates a divide amongst the team.

School Counselor and IEPs

It is their job to gather data from all of the individuals with whom the student works, write it up, set goals for the next year, and present it to parents in an IEP meeting.

The more your counselor is told, the easier it will be for him/her to help you find a solution. Don't feel guilty if you don't open up on everything on the first appointment. However, remember that the objective is to establish a relationship with your counselor based on mutual trust.

Finding (and Maintaining) Personal-Professional Balance

For many mental health professionals, this qualifies as one of the top challenges of being a therapist. Particularly for therapists who deliver care to a vulnerable population where treatment is often needed urgently.

School counselors specifically are at risk for experiencing feelings of burnout because of their multiple job demands, including paperwork, parent conferences, school-wide testing, large caseloads, and requests from administrators (McCarthy & Lambert, 2008), and other factors such as role ambiguity and limited ...