It’s a good thing Jodi Mullen didn’t become a counselor exclusively for the compliments. Mullen, an associate professor and coordinator of the mental health counseling program at the State University of New York at Oswego, recalls working with a 12-year-old European American girl from a middle-class family whose presenting problem,
Tag: School Counseling
School Counseling
I remember sitting in Ms. Smith’s sixth-grade class, in full daydream mode, as she droned on and on in the background. Suddenly, Ms. Smith declared, “Now that I have explained this assignment, I want you all to get right to work on it.” My classmates immediately started working diligently at
Cynthia Chandler has a secret weapon in her counseling toolbox. He’s furry, has four legs and facilitates breakthroughs with clients that Chandler suspects would not happen otherwise. His name is Rusty, and he’s one of Chandler’s cocker spaniels. Rusty might not be able to talk, but there’s no doubt he
It was a question Randy Astramovich heard over and over: Why doesn’t the American Counseling Association have a division for counselors working with children and adolescents in a multitude of settings? This past spring, Astramovich decided it was time to take action so these counselors could have a true organizational
Current education reform initiatives and reports are fueling new debates among national and state education leaders and policymakers about the viability of U.S. schools and solutions to pervasive education problems. Initiatives such as the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top program and President Obama’s Blueprint for Reform of
Pedra Ane clearly recalls the battle that played out in her office several years ago. It was orchestrated by a 7-year-old client who deftly maneuvered several plastic Army figures even as he worked through some of his toughest, most deep-seated issues. Ane, a counselor and registered play therapist who runs
Ten years ago, I was in my office at school when a student came in, threw herself in the chair and stated emphatically, “Life really sucks, and I hate all my teachers.” She then burst into tears with such force that she began to hiccup uncontrollably. I immediately sat across