School counselors work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, private organizations, non-profits, and schools. In schools, counselors assume many responsibilities to meet students' developmental needs through counseling, guidance, consultation, and referrals. However, counselors are often assigned non-counseling tasks like teaching or administrative work that pull them away from counseling activities. The roles of school counselors in the Philippines have been prescribed to focus on developmentally appropriate classroom guidance, individual/group counseling, parent education, consultation, referrals, and crisis intervention at different grade levels. It is important for counselors to collaborate with other stakeholders to effectively fulfill their counseling duties.

1. THE SETTING, PROCESSES,
METHODS, AND TOOLS IN
COUNSELING
JAH-NISSI S. GALAROSA
Teacher
The Lewis College of Sorsogon City

2. Do this:
You have two minutes to reflect on any life-
changing event/experience that you have
personally gone through. Think of how you
coped with it, did you effectively move on
from it?

4. GOVERNMENT SETTING
Counseling settings vary widely but the processes,
methods, and tools used by counselors are very similar.
Counseling professionals in government setting work
with various government agencies that have counseling
services such as:
• Social welfare
• Correctional department
• The court system
• Child and women affairs
services
• Schools
• Military
• Police
• Mental and foster homes
and,
• Rehabilitation centers

5. PRIVATE SECTORS SETTING
In the private sector, counselors
range from independent providers of
services or work for NGOs, or
specialized for profit centers and
organization that render a variety of
counselling services

6. CIVIL SOCIETY SETTING
The context of civil society is generally charities
or non-profit and issue-based centers or
organizations such as:
• For abused women
• Abandoned children and elderly
• Veterans
• Teachers
• Professionals or,
• Religious groups

7. SCHOOL SETTING
In the school setting, the role of the
school counsellor is more complex since
the needs of students can vary widely.
This gives rise to the more dynamic and
complex role of school counsellor; it
depended on a school’s local
circumstances as well as the dynamism
within the profession itself.

8. SCHOOL SETTING
As such, school counselors assume many
different responsibilities and task based
on the [articular needs students in the
school context.
“Guidance process occurs in an individual
in a developmental sequence to the age
of maturity”
(Coy 1999)

9. GUIDANCE
TENDS TO BE MORE
CENTERED ON THE
DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS
OF THE INDIVIDUALS

10. Changes in School
Counselor Training
School counselors are now educated
and experienced in knowledge and skill
based programs that stress counselling,
guidance, consultation, coordination and
referrals.
(Coy 1999)

11. Concerns That Interfere
With Learning
School counselors are now educated
and experienced in knowledge and skill
based programs that stress counselling,
guidance, consultation, coordination and
referrals.
(Coy 1999)

15. It is very important that
school counselors
“define their role better
by recognizing that
they cannot do their
work alone and they
need to collaborate
with other
stakeholders” (Sears and Granello
2002)

16. MULTIPLE ROLES OF
SCHOOL COUNSELORS
Apart from their counselling roles, school counselors
are also assigned non-counselling roles. There can
range from:
• Part-time teaching
• Secretarial responsibilities
• Substituting teachers when not available
• Lunch duty and,
• Other responsibilities assigned by the administrators and
staff looking for extra assistance.

17. Non-counselling tasks can take a
considerably amount of time and pull
counselors away from more
appropriate counselling activities.
Presence of these non-counselling
roles often brings confusion and lack
of effectivity to the guidance programs
of the school

18. In the Philippines, the roles of the
school counselors have been
prescribed and proffesionalized the
practice (R.A. 9258)

19. ROLE OF THE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL COUNSELOR (K-6)
Include:
• development and implementation or facilitation
of classroom guidance activities
• Individual and group counselling
• Parent education,
• Individual and group counselling,
• Parent education,
• Parent-teacher consultation,
• Referrals to professionals and public agencies
and,
• Crisis intervention and management.

20. ROLE OF THE JUNIOR HIGH
SCHOOL COUNSELOR (7-10)
Provide guidance and counselling in
dealing with peer relationships and
social interactions, and as such,
includes work with students, teachers,
and parents in the attempt to help
each understand the other.
(Ward and Worsham 1998)

21. ROLE OF THE SENIOR HIGH
SCHOOL COUNSELOR (7-10)
Provide guidance and
counselling pertaining to
educational and career
decisions as well as college
placement counselling
(Ward and Worsham 1998)

22. ROLE OF THE
COLLEGE COUNSELOR
Provide counselling,
appraisal and assessment,
information, placement,
research and evaluation,
follow up and students
activities
(CMO 21 s. 2006)