Kate Lubrano's E-Portfolio
My Philosophy
School counseling is vital to the school, whether it be elementary, middle, or high school. At each level the counselor is promoting academic, personal, and school success. School counseling is not for everyone, and I truly believe that it is a calling that one should only go into whole heartedly. School counseling is a growing and changing profession, and it is important as a school counselor to keep up with that growth. There are many ways to describe my style and abilities as a school counselor that make me unique.
The relationship between the counselor and the student should be trusting, comfortable, and welcoming. I believe that students need to recognize the role of the counselor as an adult in the school, but understand that they have a unique relationship with the counselor, who will act as the advocate and confidante.
A students family is equally important to a school counselor. It is important to develop relationships with families, and for them to also feel that the school and the school counselor can be trusted and is a welcoming place to be. Parents are a valuable source of information that should not be dismissed. Parents are a significant part of collaboration. Change is not a one-sided thing (meaning at school), but often needs to be approached from multiple angles, including the home.
Collaboration is also important in the school with both teachers and administration. Teachers are an excellent source of information and are an invaluable resource because of the amount of time spent with the child. Teachers are perfect to partner with, but school counselors should exercise caution around issues of confidentiality. This is also true for the administration. Again, they are an excellent source of collaboration, and support. I believe that administrators such as the principal, and assistant principal act as a support system for the counselor to the teachers and parents. For me, it is important to have strong relationships with this group of people at a school.
As a counselor, I bring a bag of personal strengths with me to the profession. I believe that the way I am able to communicate puts people at ease, but at the same time gets the job done. I have a confidence in this profession that shows. I believe that students can feel my empathy, and feel that I am a trusting adult. Within in the school I bring a strong sense of leadership without being overwhelming, which is important to me. Finally, my sense of humor is a strong personal strength as a school counselor. It has been a tool for me that can make students feel comfortable (when appropriate).
Each school contains different students, and will effect how I approach school counseling. I have been in urban schools, worked in private schools, and then those schools in between. It is important as a counselor to know the community that I am working in because it says a lot about how the climate will be at the school. It is also vital to recognize any biases that I may have to a background that is different to my own. For me awareness is they key idea.
As with student identity, development plays a significant role in my work as school counselor. Depending on what level I am working with, there will be certain signs to look for in students. I believe that as a counselor I can not treat everyone the same from age five through 18, and I need to be aware of where they are developmentally. This also is true for working with students who are developmentally delayed. Understanding where a student is developmentally is crucial to the counseling process.
Developmental awareness feeds into my theoretical approach. As a school counselor it is important to define which population that I am working with. For students from fourth grade on, I think that the reality theory is appropriate. It allows students to see how their choices are causing them to get or not to get what they want. This theory and approach is developmentally appropriate for this population. Also being a school counselor, I do use solution focused counseling. Because of the nature of this type of counseling, solutions need to be found quickly. Solution focused is effective for all levels of counseling. Finally, client centered plays into counseling at all levels. The idea of being empathic and creating a trusting relationship is the bottom building blocks for my counseling approach.
As a counselor it is important to me to include individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom guidance into my day. These activities benefit students, and is a support system many can not do with out. I also believe that being involved in after school programs that coincide with counseling goals are needed. As a counselor I believe that observing the surroundings and the needs of the school will tell me what I need to be doing in that school.
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