School Counseling

1. School Counseling A Relatively New Profession with Historical Roots

2. Ancient Philosophers and Religious Leaders • Considered to be the first counselors • Moses 1200 BC • Buddha 500 BC • Confucius 500 BC • Socrates 450 BC

3. Ancient Philosophers/Religious Leaders as First Counselors • Inspired and encouraged thru teaching • Tried to impart wisdom to stimulate growth • Helped followers find way to peace • Hippocrates—Medical philosopher, first psychiatrist; credited with homeostasis, prognosis 400 BC

4. Ancient Philosophers/Religious Leaders as First Counselors • Descartes—studied mind as distinct from body—first psychologist 1596-1656 • Inhumane early treatments

5. Three Parallel Movements • Psychometric Movement • Guidance Era • Mental Health Movement

6. Psychometric Movement—First Quarter of 20th Century • Reliability • Validity • Standardization

7. Psychometric Movement • 1905 Alfred Binet and T. Simon develop scale to measure mental ability • WWI Army Alpha—group • Uses in vocational guidance

8. Guidance Era 1895-1915 • Need for skilled workers • Belief that individual development could be directed

9. Guidance Era—Parsons • Frank Parsons—founder of guidance movement, 1905 organized Boston Vocational Bureau, formed model of vocational guidance which included: • Analysis of interests, abilities, aptitudes • Exploration of available occupations • Reasoning to find appropriate match

10. Guidance Era • Model led to niche for guidance personnel in schools for 60 yrs. • End of WWII fueled vitality of guidance movement • Sputnik launching led to 1958 National Defense Education Act

11. Guidance Era--NDEA • Federal grants for education including • Counselor Training • School Counseling programs • Programs in math, science and foreign languages

12. Mental Health Movement • Freud • Comprehensive model for understanding human behavior • Catharsis • Hypnosis • Unconscious

13. Mental Health Movement • Clifford Beers—compassionate friend approach • National Mental Health Act 1946 • Carl Rogers—Client Centered Therapy p. 30

14. Mental Health Movement-Rogers • Stressed importance of relationship • Rejected medical “mental illness” model • Added element of client responsibility • Counseling relationship necessary and sufficient for client change (KEY) • 1960’s & 70’s competition from theories who argued relationship is needed but not sufficient for change

15. School Counseling: An Overview • Guidance movement--key influence • Career/vocational orientation • Directive approach • Guidance to meet needs of workforce/nation • Psychometric movement added standardization/data

16. School Counseling: An Overview • Mental Health movement • Freud—talking cure • Rogers—importance of relationship; primacy of person over problem

17. School Counseling: An Overview • Creation of APGA now American Counseling Association • 1964 NDEA Amendments extended talent search to elementary school • 1960’s Gilbert Wrenn advocated developmental approach (prevention) rather than remedial approach (intervention)

18. School Counseling: An Overview • 1970’s & 80’s – developmental approach and accountability • Critical Issues • Looking to the Future