Impacting the youth: Why you should consider becoming a high school counselor

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We live in a world where people are experiencing anxiety and stress at an all time high. One group in particular, high schoolers, are dealing with these emotions on an even larger scale. With homework, social controversies, and the “unknown” of the future at the forefront of the minds of high schoolers, there is an even greater need for high school counselors. If you have a passion for helping others navigate the ups and downs of life, a compassionate attitude, and a willingness to serve, then maybe you should consider becoming a high school counselor.

Over the next few minutes, we are going to look at the role of a high school counselor, the need for counselors, and how you can go about becoming a high school counselor.

 

The Role of a High School Counselor

High school counselors can easily be described as superheroes without a cape. They have a wide variety of roles within a school setting. From helping students select which classes to take, which college to go to, and also how to handle life’s twists and turns, they are seemingly well versed in almost any problem a high schooler might face. Also known as guidance counselors,, the original “role” of a high school counselor was to assist students in making future college and career choices. Today you can expect a high school counselor to handle questions regarding sex-education, substance abuse, mental health needs, and so much more.

 

The Need for Counselors

As mentioned earlier, anxiety and stress, especially in adolescents, is at an all time high. This is one of the biggest reasons as to why high school counselors are needed. Being able to understand what causes anxiety, depression, and stress, is beneficial to anyone; but it can be life changing for those still trying to figure life out. Besides learning how to handle personal struggles, high school counselors are also needed to help make sense of what is going on around the student. Some students are experiencing a rough home-life, or substance abuse, and again a counselor can help steer the student towards the right resources & agencies to help them heal.

There is no denying the need for high school counselors. By offering sound counseling, you have the ability to change the trajectory of a student’s life. Now let’s turn to the last topic of this discussion: how to become a high school counselor.

 

How to Become a High School Counselor

In order to work in the public school setting, you must hold a graduate’s degree. The question then isn’t what level of education should you chase after, but rather, which master’s program is right for you.

While earning your master’s in counseling, MAC, it is important to pick the right program. Let’s look at a few in particular:

● Counseling Diverse Populations: This program focuses on learning how to counsel different people groups as well as the cultural significance that can be associated with some topics.

● Substance Abuse Counseling: By learning how to properly communicate and help students (and/or their families) recover from abusing drugs or alcohol.

● Professional School Counseling in Secondary Schools: This program focuses on career and life planning for students in high school. As a broad program, it surveys a variety of the daily challenges that high school students face.

These are just a few of the many different programs that are available while earning your master’s in counseling. The first step to this rewarding career is to find your program, open your mind, and start the education process.

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