Current Trends and Issues in Guidance and Counseling

ISSUES ON GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
A Reflection

Like any other discipline, school counseling is anchored with issues subject to debates and dialogues. Among the array of issuer are: what the professional title should be; how counselors should be evaluated; and to what extent counselors should work on prevention instead of remediation.

With regards to the professional title, some prefer the term guidance counselors, while others prefer to be called school counselors. Another issue, the trends in the education systems had required counselors to sail with the flow, thus an increasing concern on evaluation of and counseling standards for professionals in the discipline.

Since counselors are found in various institutional settings, a nomenclature for professionals may be suggested. In the academe, the term school counselor may be used. However, in the Philippines, since we have Republic Act 9258, also known as the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004, the term guidance counselor could be said as the one preferred and recognized as the term appears in Section 3 of the said Act. Also, professionals of the discipline are called Registered Guidance Counselors (RGC), thus it is more appropriate and formal to use the term guidance counselor.

As with the evaluation of professionals, the Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and Counseling in the Philippines should and takes charge of it. It is clear in Section 5 of RA 9258 that the board has powers, functions, duties and responsibilities like the adoption of measures necessary and proper for the maintenance of high ethical and professional standards in the practice of the profession. Besides, the purposes of evaluation are for maintaining standards and achieving desirable outcomes. That is why, there are licensure exam, renewal of license, continuing professional education and a Code of Technical Standards for Guidance Counselors in the Philippines.

On the issue of Prevention versus Remediation, I would like to believe that intercession prior to any event is a must. As it goes, prevention is better than cure. Who would want to see learners victimized by gangs, dropout cases, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, school violence, child abuse and terrorism? No one… More so, I strongly believe that any form of any amount of pain inflicted is irremediable. Thus, counselors, who are in the position to ascertain whether anyone is “at risk” of any unlikely activities, could assist in providing a safer environment for individuals.

SCHOOL COUNSELING AROUND THE WORLD
A Reflection

As recognized, every student around the world has the same need to feel well. However, in what form and how the need to feel well is met varies from individual to another. More over, there are significant differences occurring based from students’ cultures and environments.

Although counselors around the globe use different strategies depending on the client, they come up with the same goal of creating a well-functioning individual. And the dialogues and exchange of information among countries is a great benefit, especially in developing mutual understanding and establishing networks and linkages among peoples.

MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING
A Reflection

Confucius stated, “All men are pretty much alike. It is only by culture that they are set apart.” The orientation of Asians may be far different from the orientation of Europeans, Africans and Latinos. True enough, thus the term multiculturalism.

As for counselors, there is also multicultural counseling where professionals in the discipline are required to have generic characteristics like: expression of respect for the client in a manner that is felt, understood, accepted and appreciated by the client; feelings and expression of empathy for culturally different clients; personalization of one’s observations; withholding of judgment until information is sufficed; and toleration of ambiguity. Most of all, the skill of adapting the counseling models, theories or techniques to the unique individual needs of each client is a necessity.

Furthermore, as discussed in the Multicultural Awareness Continuum by Locke, a counselor should undergo the process of understanding areas of awareness to cater to culturally different clients. The levels included in the linear and developmental continuum are: self-awareness; awareness of one’s culture; awareness of racism, sexism and poverty; awareness of individual differences; awareness of other cultures; awareness of diversity; and the implementation of skills/techniques gained as a counselor of general competence.

Multicultural counseling anchors on the diversity of individuals. And to accommodate the diversity of individuals, a counselor should: be sensitive and aware of racial, ethnic, cultural and gender groups other than his/her own; never make assumptions about people; and avoid stereotyping.

Acquiring the skills and practicing multicultural counseling is rather a tedious task and a difficult one. However, it will aid in developing understanding of other people belonging to other cultural groups.

As is could see it, it takes great courage, greater skills and the greatest perseverance for multicultural counseling. 

by Ria D. Lacson and Dexter Andrew O. Manalo

What are the different Guidance Services?

There are various services. To have a better understanding of the services, let the objectives of the Guidance Services be known first... 

• To organize a fully functional counseling and testing center that would cater to the students and other members of the institution. 
• To promote the services of the Guidance Center to the students, faculty members and employees of the institution.
• To establish a “catharsis center” where students, parents and faculty can pour their feelings in full confidentiality.
• To provide opportunities for the students to enrich their social lives through the development of skills in interpersonal relationship, with the end in view of helping facilities the maximum utilization of their academic potentials.

The Services

a. Counseling Services
This is considered as the “heart and soul” of the guidance program. This service aims to assist students in gaining deeper self-understanding and awareness of one’s problems and the effective use of the decision process by formulating alternatives and projecting consequences of each that allow students to review critically what has taken place and makes provision for future meetings if they are needed.
Different approaches, skills and theories are implemented by counselors because people and situations are different. Sometimes one or the other is best, and sometimes the combination of techniques produces the most benefit. These counseling services are the following:

• Individual Counseling  
• Group Counseling
• Family Counseling   
• Counseling Special Cases

 

b. Testing Services
In many educational institution as well as employment offices, tests are probably the most widely used specialized techniques in guidance. Test will be useful as a guidance tool if combined with appropriate planning for individual development. Test provides “information in meaningful terms through quantitative description.”
These services cover the administration, scoring, interpreting and evaluating results of selected test such as:

• Admission Tests
• Intelligence Tests
• Individual Intelligence Tests
• Group Intelligence Tests
• Aptitude Tests
• Interest Tests
• Personality Tests
• Projective Tests
• Special Tests

 

c. Student Inventory Record
This is a continuous process of accumulating, recording and utilizing the information on each student for guidance and counseling purposes and obtaining a complete picture of the individual.

d. Training/ Seminar/ Forum
These are programs designed to help students discover their innate ability and talents a well as develop their emotional intelligence. Symposium and Forum are organized as information program to tackle important life issues like Love, Dating and Marriage; Natural Family Planning; abortion and Contraceptive Methods; Gender Issues and other relevant topics affecting the life of a person.

e. Placement and Career Services
Graduating students are being prepared by the series of career talks by experts in the different field of occupational endeavors. They are coached on how to write an application letter, resume and the development of self-confidence in facing interview by the prospective employer. Afterwards, an annual “Jobs Fair” and In-Campus Recruitment is organized where educational and medical institutions, industrial, commercial, and technical companies are invited to screen, evaluate, and accept the graduating students as job applicants.

f. Research Services
Research capabilities of the guidance center are conducted in conjunction with relevant educational studies like students’ delinquency problems, teenage pregnancy, faculty-student relationship and others. Researches help bridge the gap that currently exists between theories and practice in counseling. Result of the findings in research will serve as guideposts for guidance and educational planning.

g. Career and Life Planning
Career Development Program is a package of activities designed to develop skills in self-exploration, values clarification, values clarification, career planning and decision-making, and life goal setting.

h. Freshmen Enhancement Program
Freshmen Enhancement Program is a package of activities for freshmen designed to facilitate adjustment into college life, enhance self-awareness and understanding, and develop the basic skills in coping effectively with rigors of academic life. The components of this program include psychological testing and evaluation; study skills development; time management; stress management; and group growth session.

i. Orientation and Information
Orientation and Information service consists of accumulation dissemination of information about the different guidance activities, vocational opportunities, and educational information for better adjustment and personal growth.

j. Referral
Special cases, which require service beyond the scope of guidance and counseling program, are referred to other agencies.

k. Linkages
The Guidance and Counseling Program also carry out collaborative activities with school and community-based organizations.

l. Extension Services
Guidance staff functions and responsibilities go beyond the students. They extend themselves by helping others through training, seminars/workshops, or conduct research as they are often invited in occasions needing their skills and knowledge. In most instances, they render the service for free.

m. Peer Facilitation
Peer Facilitators are trained to help the staff in delivery of the guidance services, as well as extension services. On the other hand practicum students are provided the opportunity for on-the-job experience in the guidance field. 

RIA D. LACSON & DEXTER ANDREW O. MANALO