Who are school counselors?

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) describes the role of the school counselor in the framework of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program, providing four primary types of services: counseling (individual and group), large group guidance, consultation, and coordination. School counselors are highly trained in counseling techniques and can hold a B.A or an advanced graduate degree.  In addition, school counselors are increasingly involved in gathering and using research data to design programs to prevent problems in the school setting and to evaluate the effectiveness of those programs. In addition, ASCA has developed a new National Model of School Counseling that emphasizes the roles of advocacy, leadership, and promoting systemic change.