The school counselor's role in a post-COVID-19 era

In March 2020, COVID-19 caused many schools worldwide to unexpectedly end their academic year early. Some schools attempted to transition in what seemed almost overnight from traditional face-to-face delivery to remote online delivery. Remote delivery did not always mean an online delivery, but in most cases, online technology was heavily depended upon. This paper specifically looked at the role and tasks of the school counselor when students were not able to be physically located within the school building. The paper attempts to answer the question of how school counselors can effectively develop and deliver their comprehensive programs to all students during emergency closures. Initial challenges and issues highlighted by the school closure will be explored, as well as issues to consider for school counselors as schools prepare to reopen. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.

The benefits of group counseling in career and educational settings. Online group work as an alternative intervention in a post-pandemic world

Group counseling is one intervention that seems to be perceived as less valuable than individual ones in helping professions. In countries where counseling is still in an emerging stage, there is sometimes little to no specific training in group skills for future counselors. This paper addresses the history of group work in helping professions, the types of groups in career settings, the benefits and limitations of group interventions, and the opportunity offered by increasing interest and access to online interventions. The study covers the implications of the social and psychological outcomes of the COVID-pandemic on school and career counseling interventions. Challenges for practitioners and educators in countries where counseling is not a recognized profession are analyzed.

School counselors' early pandemic perceptions and experiences

I initially designed this study to explore the experiences and perceptions of recently credentialed school counselors adjusting to their new professional responsibilities. COVID-19 caused school closures after my data gathering had begun. I followed the original semi-structured interview protocol except I intentionally probed COVID-related topics introduced by participants. Because it also became impossible to recruit participants who met the original criteria of "new" school counselors, I relaxed these criteria to secure eleven participants. The participants described what drew them to the profession, what they most appreciated about their graduate school experiences, how they negotiated the sudden changes, and the joy and satisfaction of serving children's needs. The most vivid outcome is a real-time description of the day-to-day challenges of doing their best under circumstances that one had imagined possible or prepared for. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Online counseling service delivery for school counselors

While the community mental health profession has provided online counseling interventions regularly in the form of telehealth counseling, this counseling platform is not as frequently offered, nor explored, in the scholarly literature related to school counseling. With the onset of online PK-12 instruction throughout the United States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, school counselors were forced to adjust their reach to align with the virtual platform. This chapter explores the best practice recommendations related to providing school counseling interventions in an online/virtual format. © 2023 Springer Publishing Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Elementary educators' experiences implementing social and emotional learning standards during the COVID-19 health pandemic: A phenomenological study

Social and emotional learning has been recognized for positively impacting students' social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes (Durlak et al., 2011;Dusenbury & Weissberg, 2017;Taylor et al., 2017). State departments of education have taken this research and implemented statewide social and emotional learning standards for educators to incorporate into their curriculum (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2019;Ecklund et al., 2018;Yoder et al., 2020). However, there is a dearth of research on the experiences of educators who plan, prepare, deliver, and evaluate the SEL standards. Additionally, the 2020-2021 school year was profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 health pandemic that created additional challenges for educators trying to meet academic and SEL standards (Darling-Hammond & Hyler, 2020). The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of elementary educators who were implementing the state SEL standards during the COVID-19 health pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 elementary educators licensed as either general education classroom teachers, principals, or school counselors and worked for at least two years. Participants were from a midwestern state that had kindergarten through twelfth grade SEL state standards. Moustakas' (1994) phenomenological reduction process was utilized to describe the essence of the participants' experience that included: a need to prioritize SEL, a focus on relationship building while navigating barriers to connection, awareness of adult SEL needs, and educational inequities highlighted by COVID-19. Implications for elementary educators, educational training programs, and educational policy makers are discussed in addition to recommendations for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

School Counseling during the COVID-19 Crisis--From Crisis to Growth

This study focuses on the role of school counselors during the COVID-19 crisis. Previous studies indicated that school counselling lacks a robust professional identity and an unequivocal role definition. Therefore, this study seeks to explore how the school counselors operated during the pandemic and to what extent the school counselor was a significant figure in coping with the challenges of schools, teachers, students, and parents during the crisis. The study focuses on school counselors in Israel, the structure of their work before and during the COVID crisis, and conclusions for the profession's future. Based on eleven school counselors' interviews, the research findings raised the need to hold a significant discussion and reexamination of the essence of school counseling role. They emphasize that, due to the sense of chaos and uncertainty among the school staff and students, the work of school counselors in Israel during the pandemic became limited mainly to systemic work and guidance and support of the teachers. The findings attempt to reach conclusions regarding school counselor's future work structure, clarify their role, and highlight deficiencies that afflict this role.

The Collaborative Model for Teaching o-SEL: Preparing Educators to Design Online Environments for Social-Emotional Learning

In this study, we sought to develop a model to provide educators with training and resources to effectively support and guide social-emotional learning (SEL) in PK-12 online environments, which we refer to as o-SEL. We utilized five national sets of standards and competencies to guide the development of six online modules for educators to gain skills, knowledge, and resources to help students learn SEL-related skills. Qualitative methods and analysis were employed to examine our research question. We utilized design thinking as a strategy for developing o-SEL professional learning. Five SEL experts were identified and invited to participate in a brief survey to determine areas of focus and then we conducted two one-hour focus groups. The focus group discussion was transcribed, coded, and analyzed to determine emergent themes related to areas of SEL needs in online learning environments. Based on our findings, we identified six elements (i.e., Empower, Engage, Motivate, Include, Collaborate, Extend) for educators to foster inclusive o-SEL environments for PK-12 learners that we describe as the Collaborative Model for Teaching o-SEL. We discuss the positive impact that o-SEL instruction can have on student learning outcomes, while also designing inclusive and culturally relevant support structures. This study calls for further investigation regarding teacher application of the o-SEL model and impact of o-SEL on student learning.

School Counselors and College Counseling During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The onset of COVID-19 brought myriad challenges to educational systems and the students they serve. Our study set out to explore specifically how the pandemic influenced students' college-going processes. Using the conceptual model of student college choice by Perna (2006) and the school counseling equity framework by Savitz-Romer and Nicola (2021), we exam-ined students' college-going processes through the perspectives of school counselors, who are professionals uniquely positioned to speak to students' college-planning behaviors and the institutional changes that directly affect students. Findings suggest that students' college-going and planning was directly compromised by challenges from the pandemic and indirectly by changes in their college access support landscape. © 2022 Association for the Study of Higher Education All Rights Reserved.

Factors that Affect School Counselor Retention in Rural Settings: An Exploratory Study

Teacher attrition is a well-known issue impacting K-12 schools in the United States. Sizeable research exists highlighting noteworthy factors that promote retention and attrition. However, scant research exists describing these factors within the context of school counselors working in rural settings. Considering this gap, we employed an inductive phenomenological approach to learn more about key attrition and retention factors, utilizing a sample of five rural school counselors employed in rural locales throughout the United States. Two overarching categories were identified: (a) school-based factors and (b) school community factors. Limitations and implications for rural school districts and counselor preparation programs are explored, along with areas for future research.

Elementary educators' experiences implementing social and emotional learning standards during the COVID-19 health pandemic: A phenomenological study

Social and emotional learning has been recognized for positively impacting students' social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes (Durlak et al., 2011;Dusenbury & Weissberg, 2017;Taylor et al., 2017). State departments of education have taken this research and implemented statewide social and emotional learning standards for educators to incorporate into their curriculum (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2019;Ecklund et al., 2018;Yoder et al., 2020). However, there is a dearth of research on the experiences of educators who plan, prepare, deliver, and evaluate the SEL standards. Additionally, the 2020-2021 school year was profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 health pandemic that created additional challenges for educators trying to meet academic and SEL standards (Darling-Hammond & Hyler, 2020). The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of elementary educators who were implementing the state SEL standards during the COVID-19 health pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 elementary educators licensed as either general education classroom teachers, principals, or school counselors and worked for at least two years. Participants were from a midwestern state that had kindergarten through twelfth grade SEL state standards. Moustakas' (1994) phenomenological reduction process was utilized to describe the essence of the participants' experience that included: a need to prioritize SEL, a focus on relationship building while navigating barriers to connection, awareness of adult SEL needs, and educational inequities highlighted by COVID-19. Implications for elementary educators, educational training programs, and educational policy makers are discussed in addition to recommendations for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

College admissions in the time of COVID-19: Technology, training, and the secondary school counselor

The ever-changing role and expectations of school counselors have required the acquisition of many new skills. Technology is essential in their daily tasks, especially as guides through the college admissions process. The onset of COVID-19 has suddenly and quickly added a new need and use of technology to support students. The combination of resources required in completing the college admissions process, the knowledge needed by school counselors to provide adequate support, and the effects of COVID-19 on the overall process require attention in determining best practices and future research needs. This qualitative study focuses on school counselors' experiences using technology to assist in the college admissions process while also looking at these experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty school counselors were interviewed regarding the research topic, and data was then coded and analyzed to identify themes, insights, and future recommendations. The analysis results indicated that technology is essential in their everyday role and is becoming increasingly important in facilitating the college admissions process, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the part of constructive training and professional development plays a large role in the successful use of various technologies. Updated graduate school curriculum and a productive internship experience is another result of the data analysis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

School Counselors and Refugee Students: Application of the Refugee Well-Being Project Intervention to Address the Social Determinants of Health

As migration and displacement continue to increase around the world, guidelines are needed clarifying how school counselors can use their power and privilege in working with refugee students and their families across K–12 education, more so in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. We introduce the Refugee Well-Being Project intervention to school counselors and school counselor interns, focusing on the social determinants of health impacting the overall well-being of refugee students. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Professional School Counseling is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Parentification as a Social Determinant of Health: Implications for School Counselors

Parentification has been found to impact both the short- and long-term physical, mental, and social/emotional well-being of children and adolescents and can be viewed as a social determinant of health. The COVID-19 pandemic has only compounded these effects. We demonstrate how school counselors are uniquely positioned to identify and assist parentified students. Using a multitiered approach, we suggest school counseling strategies and interventions that support this vulnerable group of students. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Professional School Counseling is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

An Investigation of How School Counselors Adapted Their Delivery Due to COVID-Induced Disparities

We utilized a mixed-methods design to understand how a national sample of 589 school counselors adapted their approach to address K–12 students' academic, social/emotional, and career development during the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, we examined how COVID-19–induced disparities influenced school counselors' delivery of services. We identified six themes using thematic analysis and conducted a t test to further understand what services and strategies counselors were actively using 6 months after the onset of COVID-19. Our findings suggest that school counselors continued to adjust their comprehensive school counseling programs to address pandemic-induced disparities. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Professional School Counseling is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Psychological Counseling during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clinical Thoughts and Implications Arisen from an Experience in Italian Schools.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked as a psychologist in two schools: a comprehensive school (an institution including three school levels: kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school of first grade) and a Provincial Center for the Education of Adults (CPIA). This paper provides some clinical considerations that arose from this personal experience, focusing on practical implications for school psychological counseling. Among the main points, I noticed that students were eager to disclose information about themselves in a professional space, were not afraid of being ridiculed by classmates for attending the service, and spontaneously used artistic media. Using English (a non-native language for both the Italian psychologist and the CPIA student) emerged as an added value for immigrant students who were not fluent in Italian. This allowed them to attend the psychology service and share their thoughts and feelings despite their difficulties with Italian. In conclusion, psychological counseling services should be implemented in all schools and across all school levels worldwide to favor psychological well-being and spread a culture prone to asking for psychological help. Moreover, using a non-native language might be helpful when working with international students. Finally, sandplay therapy (and art) might be an additional option to verbal counseling in school settings.

The effects of online instruction on counseling skills development in students enrolled in a community college counseling program

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of type of instruction on counseling students in their development of counseling skills and emotional intelligence. This study took place in an addiction counseling program at a Midwestern community college. The research design was quantitative and quasi-experiential as students based on their own needs and interests registered for either online or face-to-face classes. The results showed stronger correlations between categories in the pre surveys compared to the post survey results. Additionally, the categories that included modeling as well as differentiated teaching appeared to play a significant role in both online asynchronous instruction as well as in face-to-face instruction;however, it was also discovered that the focus of some of those factors shifted with the move from face-to-face to being online for their class instruction. For example, the findings showed that there was a greater correlation between modeling and the pre-survey responses, compared to the results for the post-survey responses. Overall, the results showed significant differences in several of the examined categories. Lastly, the impact of Covid-19 in the Spring 2020 semester necessitated changes to this study after the procedures began. This provided interesting outcomes that revealed a discussion of many new and more intricate questions regarding the conclusions and recommendations for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Experiences of pandemic coping during the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak and among college students in the United States

Over the past year, the novel coronavirus disease, also called SARS-COV-2 or COVID-19, has plunged the world into a period of upheaval and tragedy. Throughout the uncertainty, psychologists have attempted to stay abreast of the tidal wave of potential psychological impacts of the pandemic. Some scholars contributed predictions of what mental health consequences we might expect based on learnings from past viral outbreaks or on understandings of human sensibilities and behavior. Others studied the psychological outcomes in real time, allowing people to share their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic as it unfolded. This dissertation contributes two texts to our growing base of pandemic knowledge.Part I includes a longitudinal study with surveys sent on March 18 and April 15 of 2020, two of the very first months of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. During this unique period of time, participants offered insight into their experiences of psychological distress and pandemic coping. Descriptive analyses showed widespread disruption to participants' lives and high rates of distress. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed reported use of Socially Supported Coping strategies was related to less loneliness, while use of Avoidant Coping strategies was associated with more loneliness and greater psychological distress overall.Methodological limitations - including use of a non-representative sample and adapted measures - are considered and implications for pandemic coping and adjustment are discussed. This study is one of relatively few conducted during this unique time period and holds both empirical and historical value as a look at the coping experiences of a subset of Americans during the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak.Part II includes a review of the current literature regarding the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students in the United States. Also discussed are empirically based recommendations for coping, including helping students cultivate social support, locate identity affirming spaces, build healthy routines, hold flexible mindsets and engage in positive coping, utilize psychotherapy, and access instrumental support.Together, these two texts comprise novel research findings, synthesis of scholarship, and clinical recommendations that may be useful to researchers, clinicians, historians, or any human interested in better understanding and navigating the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Psychological problems and post-traumatic stress disorders in Italian university students during the first lockdown from Covid-19 and online EMDR therapy

The literature has highlighted psychological disorders during the Covid-19 lockdown. A research was conducted with 49 students who contacted the Psychological Counseling Center of the University of Salerno between March and May 2020. The objectives were: a) to investigate the psychological disorders and in particular of PTSD;b) evaluate the effectiveness of a short course with online EMDR protocol for those students with PTSD linked to the reactivation of previous trauma following pandemic stress and lockdown. The data collected in the pre and post treatment phase (with psychological interview and the SCL-90-R Scale scoring) show: PTSD (25%), anxiety and stress (100%), depression (88%). In post-EMDR treatment, a reduction in cut-offs from clinical to regulatory range was highlighted on the IES-R Scale and at SCL-90-R scale a shift from clinically significant scores on the syndromic scale to normative scores. In particular, on the SCL-90-R Scale, the score on the Global Severity Index-GSI, a global indicator of the current intensity of psychic distress perceived by the subject, confirms, in the post-test, the achievement of a regulatory clinical framework. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Italian) La letteratura ha evidenziato problemi psicologici durante il lockdown da Covid-19. E stata condotta una ricerca con 49 studenti che si sono rivolti al Centro di Counseling psicologico dell'Universita di Salerno tra marzo e maggio 2020. Gli obiettivi sono stati: a) indagare l'eventuale presenza di disturbi psicologici e in particolare di PTSD;b) valutare l'efficacia di un percorso breve con protocollo EMDR online per quegli studenti con PTSD legato alla riattivazione di traumi pregressi in seguito allo stress da pandemia e lockdown. I dati raccolti in fase di pre e post trattamento (dai colloqui psicologici e dallo scoring della Scala SCL-90- R) mostrano: PTSD (25%), ansia e stress (100%), depressione (88%). Nel post-trattamento EMDR si e evidenziata, alla Scala IES-R, una riduzione dei cut-off da range clinico a range normativo e alla SCL-90-R un passaggio da punteggi clinicamente significativi nelle scale sindromiche a punteggi normativi. In particolare, alla SCL-90, il punteggio all'indice Global Severity Index - GSI, indicatore globale dell'intensita attuale del disagio psichico percepito dal soggetto conferma, nel post trattamento, il raggiungimento di un assetto normativo. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring school counseling during the first wave of COVID-19

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, school counselors played an essential role in helping students, teachers, and families pivot to new learning environments and implemented services to promote students? academic, social-emotional, and career development. In this study, we analyzed school counselors? (N = 589) delivery of program services and their individual and school characteristics to identify four approaches to school counseling: reactive, universal, consultative/collaborative, and comprehensive during the first wave of the pandemic. School counselors in the reactive profile spent most of their time engaged in noncounselor-duties and reported the highest levels of burnout. Conversely, counselors belonging to the comprehensive profile devoted the most time to delivering consultation, coordination, counseling, and curriculum services and limited engagement in noncounseling-related duties. This study emphasizes the importance of defining the school counselors? roles and responsibilities and the extent to which school counselors were able to deliver their school counselor services during the global pandemic.

School Counseling Skills Needed To Activate Distance Learning In Light Of Covid-19 Pandemic

The problem and the aim of the study: COVID-19 pandemic had affected all sectors including the educational sector. The educational system shifted from the traditional face to face teaching method to use online means in order to ensure the safety of the students and the social distancing. These changes also affected the roles of the educational members including the school counselors. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the school counseling skills needed in light of COVID-19. Research Method: The study relied on the descriptive approach and administrated by a questionnaire to collect the data from the school counselors. The study sample consisted of (400) Jordanian schools counselors from both genders whom chosen randomly to respond to the study tool. Results: The study found that the main required skills are the cognitive, emotional and humanitarian skills, professional and ethical skills, technical and electronic skills. The study found that the most needed counseling skills are similar to the traditional education, but due to the shift from the from face to face education to the distance education the most concentration will be on the counselors IT skills._