School Counselor Consultation, 2nd Edition

Introduction and Overview Building Consultation Skills

An Application-Learning Model

Counselors entering schools should be prepared to support the school’s academic mission by promoting and enhancing the learning process. To accomplish this goal, counselors need the knowledge and skills that allow them to facilitate the personal/social, career, and academic growth of students through interventions with students, teachers, parents, and administrators. These interventions include individual and group counseling, classroom guidance, and consultation and are part of a balanced comprehensive developmental guidance program. Consultation, as a counselor intervention, is the focus of this text. An application-learning model is used to develop skills in two primary areas: case consultation and workshop presentation.

Preparation for Consultative Role

State and national agencies that oversee counselor preparation have recognized the need for consultative skills to be well developed, as large numbers of students can be impacted through work with parents, teachers, and administrators. Both the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) National Model (2019) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2016) include consultation as a key component of a comprehensive school counseling program. We believe consultation is an essential component with specific skills that can be used to make a difference with students through working with the ...