Professional School Counseling

Book excerpt: Today’s children and adolescents are constantly facing new and unique challenges, and school counselors must respond to this by expanding their role and function within the schools. This revised and expanded edition of Thompson’s important text explores these issues, as well as the necessary steps school counselors need to take in order to adapt and effectively deal with them. Thompson advocates for the need for standards-based school counseling, outlining the framework and benefits of the ASCA National Model® and comprehensive guidance and counseling programs. She addresses the newest research in implementing evidence-based practices; the mental health issues that may be faced by children and adolescents; consulting with teachers, parents, administrators, and the community; and crisis intervention and management. New to this edition are chapters that focus on minority and disenfracnshised students and emphasize the need for school counselors to be able to advocate, coordinate, and collaborate on services for these students and their families. This is an essential resource for every school counselor in a time when the profession is becoming increasingly important.