UST Guidance WeekAMV College of Accountancy Multi-Purpose Hall

September 5, 2011

The Professional Counselors as Partners in Enriching the Learning

Environment

The Professional Counselors as Partners in Enriching the Learning Environment

CounselorCounseling is a profession that facilitates the development of wellness and the empowerment of individuals, families and groups in diverse settings to achieve personal-social, educational and career goals.

The counselor respects each individual’s dignity, worth, uniqueness and capacity for self-direction; and beyond this, works towards social transformation.

(CHED Draft Policies and Standards for Graduate Programs in Counseling Sept 2011)

Professional Counselor

Republic Act No. 9258 “The Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004”

Art I Sec 3 b: “A guidance counselor is a natural person who has been registered and issued a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid Professional Identification Card by the Professional Board of Guidance and Counseling and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in accordance with this Act and by virtue of specialized training performs for a fee, salary or other forms of compensation, the functions of guidance and counseling under Section 3 (a) of this Act.”

Professional Counselor

Republic Act No. 9258 “The Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004”

Art I Sec 3 a: “ … It includes functions such as counseling, psychological testing, (as to personality, career interest, study orientation, mental ability and aptitude), research, placement, group process, teaching and practicing of guidance and counseling subjects, particularly subjects given in the licensure examinations, and other human development services.”

Guidance and Counseling or Counseling?Traditionally, this profession was referred to as

“guidance and counseling”; however, by the early 1980s, the profession has been referred to in the literature as simply “counseling” to refer to the contexts of its uses, in the social community, in schools, in college, and in private clinical practice. In the Philippines , the professional who is licensed to practice counseling is referred to as a “guidance counselor”, however,, the title of “counselor” is preferred by those who practice in areas outside the school, like marital counselors, community counselors, pastoral counselors, rehabilitation counselors, crisis counselors, etc.

Environment

Counselors are found wherever there is a need for them: Schools, Community, Clinics, Hospitals, Parishes, Offices, Rehabilitation Centers, Disaster Areas, Crisis Centers, through phones, radio and online

Learning Environment

Assisting individuals

Facilitating groups

Partners

Enriching

Learning Relationships Values Careers the whole person

REMEDIAL

DEVELOPMENTAL

GROWTH

Disturbed minority

Ordinary people

Sub-normalfunctioning

Normalfunctioning

Supra-normalfunctioning

Goals for counseling various clients

Teachers – spot, reportStaff – observe, confirmAdministrators – support recommendations

Counselors – assess, counsel, refer, recommend actionRemedial

Disturbed Minority

Teachers – initiate, do, coordinateStaff – supportAdministrators – approve

Counselors – plan, do Counsel, coordinate

Normal Majority

Developmental

Teachers – spot, innovate, initiate, do,

coordinateStaff – supportAdministrators – approve

Counselors – assess, plan, do counsel, coordinate

Exceptional Minority

Growth

How can you help in counseling?Don’t pretendDon’t adviseDon’t moralizeDon’t squealDon’t judgeDon’t attempt

full counseling session

Do spotDo approachDo be thereDo referDo be naturalDo a mini-

counseling session

The Professional Counselors as Partners in Enriching the Learning Environment

Dr. Barbara Wong-FernandezVice President for Academic Development Far Eastern Universitybfernandez@feu.edu.phbarbiewf@yahoo.com