Discipline and Ideas in the

Applied Social Sciences

ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF
COUNSELOR

FIRST QUARTER- Lesson 4

 EXPECTATIONS
Specifically, this Lesson will help you to:
 show understanding of the roles and functions of counselors
o Identify the roles and functions of counselors
o Explain the role and functions of counselors

PRETEST
Direction: Write the letter only for the correct answer.

1) Below are the Counselor’s Publics group except:

a. Students c. Administrators
b. Teachers d. neighbor

2) The guidance department curriculum includes a number of activities and services

such as:

a. Course selection

b. Monitoring student academic progress

c. Facilitate Instructional Support Team meetings

d. All of the above

3) They see their function as primarily one of helping with educational and vocational
planning.
a. Students c. Administrators
b. Teachers d. Parents

4) . It requires closer teacher-counselor and parent-counselor relationships.

a. Elementary School Guidance Counseling

b. Secondary School Guidance Counseling

c. Pre-elementary Guidance counseling

2
 5. As Non-counseling Professions , see their function as:

a. Counseling with students

b. Consulting with staff and parents

c. Studying changes in the character of the student population

d. All of the above

LOOKING BACK TO YOUR LESSON

To check your understanding of the lesson on “Social Science and Its

Methods”, you should be ready to accomplish this task.
Directions: Modified True or False. Write your First Name if the sentence
is true. If your answer is false, write Last name and write the reason
why it is incorrect.

1. Geography is the study of the natural environment and how it

influences social and cultural development
2. Anthropology is the study of the relationship between biological traits
and socially acquired characteristics. Sometimes called the study of
humans
_____ 3. Economics is the study of the ways in which men and women make a living, the
most pressing problem most human beings face.

_____4 The study of social science is more than the study of the individual social
sciences.
_____5. Political Science focuses on the individual and physical processes, such as:
Biological structure and Development and maturation

BRIEF INTRODUCTION
This chapter provides readers with an overview of the roles,
functions, and knowledge base of counselors and addresses the professional issues

3
that influence the identity and practice of counselors today. The primary role of a
counselor is to assist clients in reaching their optimal level of psychosocial
functioning through resolving negative patterns, prevention, rehabilitation, and
improving quality of life. Rehabilitation counselors work with clients with
disabilities and/or chronic illnesses, including those with psychiatric conditions, in
settings such as state vocational rehabilitation agencies, hospitals, and so on.
Addiction counseling, a recently acknowledged master’s-level counseling specialty,
involves working in the substance abuse/addictions field and provides addiction
prevention, treatment, recovery support, and education. The shared practice and
knowledge domains of counselors and other helping professions coupled with the
diversity within the counseling profession has, on the one hand, produced a rich,
comprehensive, and inclusive field.

4
DISCUSSIONS

Lesson
Roles and Functions of
4 Counseling
Professional Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor
and client. Professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential
solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve
communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote
behavior change and optimal mental health. Guidance Counsellors are
professionals who work in and out of the school system. Outside of the school
system these professionals focus and interest is more on counselling and as a
result are called counsellors. Guidance Counsellors form a part of the helping
profession. They are professional helpers who have had graduate level
training in the study of human behaviour, have a variety of helping
techniques and supervised interships, counselling individuals and groups.
Gibson and Mitchell (1999) describes a helping profession as one in which
the members are specially trained and licensed or certified to perform a
unique needed service for fellow human beings. Such professions are
recognised by everyone for the providence of the unique and valuable service.
They are amongst medicine, dentistry, education ect. Ideally, counseling is
terminated when the problem that you pursued counseling for becomes more
manageable or is resolved. However, some insurance companies and
managed care plans may limit the number of sessions for which they pay.
Different groups expect somewhat different things:
 Students, Teachers, Administrators, Parents are called “Counselor’s
Publics”.
 Counselors themselves
 Those who, though not counselors themselves, are professionally involved in
the field
FUNCTIONS
As Students, students see their function as primarily one of helping with educational
and vocational planning. Though some see them as able to help with personal problems, this
is not typical.
As Teachers, the ides the teachers have depends on what they observe counselors of
that school do .Thus, they share beliefs of students and parents; they provide educational
and vocational assistance. Teachers, more often than students expect counselors to help
5
students with personal-social problems
As Administrators, they also expect help with students with school related problem
but sees counselors are involved in instructional or quasi-instructional activities like
curriculum-planning, testing, attendance and schedule making.
As Counselors they recognize the roles in both counseling and in the guidance
program, but with more emphasis on the former. He assumes other roles, such as consultant,
resource person, researcher and educator but only as these support counseling relationships.
It is essential that the majority of a school counselor’s time be devoted to individual or small-
group counseling. In a counseling relationship the counselor must :
 Assist the pupil to understand & accept himself as an individual, thereby making it
possible for the pupil to express & develop an awareness of his own ideas, feelings,
values and needs.
 Furnishes personal and environmental information to the pupil, as required,
regarding his plans, choices or problems.
 Seeks to develop in the pupil a greater ability to cope with and solve problems and
increased competence in making decisions and plans for which he and his parents are
responsible.
It is counselors responsibilities to plan a Guidance Program like:
 Assisting in defining objectives
 Developing plans of action
 Assist n continued Guidance program and curriculum development
 Identifying guidance needs of students
 Evaluating the program
 Assisting other staff in evaluating their on contribution to the Guidance Program

“Trouble-shooting” views are what others view the functions of the counselors in terms of problem
solving or crisis needs. Nonetheless, the emphasis of counselors functions is aiding development.

As Non-counseling Professions , see their function as:

 Counseling with students
 Consulting with staff and parents
 Studying changes in the character of the student population
 Performing a liason function

SCHOOL COUNSELORS

Since students’ developmental needs are different in different levels of schools,

counselors’ roles and services provided to students in particular schools are vary.
Elementary, middle school, high school, higher education.
 Elementary school- “ Elementary school counselor” is comparatively new
hence its more difficult to differentiate functions as a specialist and as a
member of the guidance team. It requires closer teacher-counselor and
parent-counselor relationships. It has greater need for manipulation of
environment and elementary children are not able to benefit from direct
counseling hence must be tuned in to the dynamics of the classroom.
 Secondary Schools- Although not too different from Elementary Guidance,
the context of secondary education focuses n Educational and Vocational
assistance. Secondary counselors frequently work directly with individuals
while elementary counselors work indirectly.
6
 o Primary role: provide assistance in development
o Secondary role: participating as a member of the guidance team
ROLES OF GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
There is a discrepancy between what counselor do and what is done like:
 No complete consensus on what should he do ( If there is no
consensus, these are generally only suggested activities. Guidance
needs vary from school to school)
 Its only recent that professional groups presented their detailed views
on this
 Schools have different resources
The primary role of the high school guidance counselor is to be a student’s advocate,
providing each student with the opportunity to acquire the academic, civic, and social skills
essential to graduating from high school and becoming productive citizens who respect
themselves and others. In addition to working with students, counselors are a part of the
educational team including parents, teachers, administrators, and specialists.
The guidance counselor follows the student through her high school years, allowing
an opportunity for the counselor and student to develop a working relationship. Students
may seek a counselor’s assistance with any or all types of questions and concerns.
Academics, work habits and study skills, post-secondary planning, and personal concerns
are all common issues of high school students.

Responsibilities of a Guidance Counselor Services

The guidance department curriculum includes a number of activities and services
such as:
• Course selection
• Monitoring student academic progress
• Facilitate Instructional Support Team meetings
• Attend parent/teacher conferences
• Participate in ISP and Section 504 meetings
• Consultations with teachers, administrators, parents and students
• Provide mediations for students to help resolve conflicts
• Assist with freshmen year transition
• Development of Four Year Plans
• Curriculum development aligned with National and State Standards
• Individual counseling and small group counseling
• Academic/Personal counseling

7
 ACTIVITIES
Activity 1.1 Data Retrieval Chart
Direction: List down 10 the Roles and10 10 Functions of Counselors.
Roles Functions

1) 1)

2) 2)

3) 3)

4) 4)

5) 5)

6) 6)

7) 7)

8) 8)

9) 9)

10) 10)

8
 ACTIVITIES
Activity 1.2
Direction: On the listed roles and functions in your Activity 1, explain each role
and function briefly.
Roles Functions

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

6. 6.

7. 7.

8. 8.

9. 9.

10. 10.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Conduct an observation on a counseling session. Watch counseling session online and write
the type of counseling the video had done ( marriage counseling, guidance counseling,etc.) . Post your
picture while watching it and write a reaction text after watching the video. .Submit it to your teacher
through online.

9
 POST TEST
Directions: Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the
chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.

1. They follow the student through her high school years, allowing an opportunity for the
counselor and student to develop a working relationship.
a. Professional Counselor c. Non-professional counsellor
b. Guidance Counselor d. Councilor
2. . They are professional helpers who have had graduate level training in the
study of human behaviour, have a variety of helping techniques and supervised
interships, counselling individuals and groups.
a. Professional Counselor c. Non-professional counsellor
b. Guidance Counselor d. Councilor
3. They help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause
emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills;
strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal mental
health.
a. Professional Counselor c. Non-professional counsellor
b. Guidance Counselor d. Councilor

4. They recognize the roles in both counseling and in the guidance program, but with
more emphasis on the former.
a. Students c. Administrators
b.Teachers d. Counselor
5. The primary role of the high school guidance counselor is to be a student’s advocate,
providing each student with the opportunity to acquire the academic, civic, and social skills
essential to graduating from high school and becoming productive citizens who respect
themselves and others.
a. TRUE b. FALSE
6. Below are the Counselor’s Publics group except:
a. Students c. Administrators
b. Teachers d. Counselor
7 - 8. The guidance department curriculum includes a number of activities and services
such as:
a. Course selection b. Monitoring student academic progress
c. Writing essay d. All of the above
9. It requires closer teacher-counselor and parent-counselor relationships.
a. Elementary School Guidance Counseling
b. Secondary School Guidance Counseling
c. Pre-elementary Guidance counseling
10 . As Non-counseling Professions , see their function as:
a. Counseling with students
b. Consulting with staff and parents
c. Studying changes in the character of the student population
d. All of the above

10
Answer key:

PRE TEST
1. a
2. d
3. a
4. a
5. d

LBTYL
1. First
2. first
3. first name
4. first name
5. last name , psychology

POST TEST
1. b
2. b
3. d
4. a
5. a
6. d
7. a and b
8. a
9. d

11