From Guidance Counselors to School Counselors: Understanding the Evolution
Have you ever wondered why a school counselor isn't called a guidance counselor anymore?
The shift in terminology from “guidance counselor” to “school counselor” is more than just a name change. It reflects how the role has evolved to meet the changing needs of students and schools.
What Was a Guidance Counselor?
In the past, guidance counselors had a specific, somewhat limited role:
Reactive: They mainly responded to issues as they came up, rather than preventing them.
Services to Some: Their help was often directed at specific students instead of everyone.
Feelings-Based: Their success was measured by how students felt about their services.
Support Role: They were seen as helpers on the sidelines of the main educational process.
Isolated Work: They often worked alone, separate from other staff.
What Is a School Counselor?
Today's school counselors have a much broader and more integrated role:
Proactive: They anticipate issues before they arise
Data-Driven: They use data to guide their programs
Programs for All: They create and manage programs that support every student in the school and usually spearhead MTSS (Multi-tiered system of supports)
Data-Based Impact: Their effectiveness is measured through concrete data like grades, attendance, behavior, and in the best cases, whole-child outcomes such as social-emotional development
Key Role: They are essential to student success and school improvement
Leadership: School counselors are leaders who develop and manage comprehensive programs that often act as the foundation for how students experience school
A Bit of History
Norman C. Gysbers, Ph.D., sheds light on this evolution in his book, “School Counseling Principles: Remembering the Past, Shaping the Future: A History of School Counseling.” He explains that the terminology has shifted over time to better reflect the changing focus of the profession.
Originally, the term was “vocational guidance,” focusing on helping students find careers. Over time, “guidance” and “counseling” were both used to describe what these professionals did. But as the role expanded and placement and follow-up services became less central, “counseling” took center stage.
Why the Change?
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) now strongly supports the term “school counselor” to more accurately describe their comprehensive role. Guidance is still a part of what they do, but it’s only one piece of a much larger puzzle. The change from “guidance counselor” to “school counselor” reflects a more proactive, inclusive, and data-driven approach to helping students succeed. School counselors are now seen as essential leaders in the educational system, playing a key role in creating a supportive environment for all students.
Why does this matter?
At Closegap, we LOVE school counselors. We believe they are some of the most important people in a school building. They provide essential emotional support to students, helping them navigate mental health challenges and ensuring they feel heard and understood. By teaching coping strategies and promoting resilience, school counselors play a vital role in fostering students' overall well-being. Their dedication to mental health makes schools a safer, more supportive place for everyone, and we couldn’t appreciate them more!
References
American School Counselor Association (2012). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs, Third Edition. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Gysbers, N. (2010). Remembering the past, shaping the future: A history of school counseling. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.
Lambie, G. W., & Williamson, L. L. (2004). The challenge to change from guidance counseling to professional school counseling: A historical proposition. Professional School Counseling, 8(2), 124-131
Next time you see your school counselor, you’ll know just how much their role has grown and evolved to support every student no matter what!
