By Levi Leo
Mental health counselors have the privilege of opting to work in educational environments where they can invest in the next generation. With the hope of improving students’ lives in various ways, there’s also the potential for the counselors themselves to discover an ideal work environment.
Of course, any work setup comes with challenges and draws. We discuss this mental health niche in detail to help counselors make smart decisions towards achieving career satisfaction while helping a demographic in great need of assistance.
The importance of mental health counselors in today’s educational facilities
A major driving force behind having mental health counselors in schools and other educational facilities is the many ways their work can impact a life. If students do choose to trust these workers and make the most of counseling, one can hopefully see some or even all of the following:
- Improvement in the mental health of young people.
- Decrease in mental health crises thanks to noticing warning signs and counselors acting proactively.
- Students functioning better in various setups, such as classroom participation or as part of their households.
- Development of personal and social skills, which can affect their achievements and quality of life for years to come.
- Better academic performance, thanks to being better equipped—such as handling stress better than before.
- Making wiser decisions in terms of future education.
- Better career planning.
With over 70% of undergraduate students experiencing psychological distress of a moderate or serious nature, it’s clear how important it is to provide a valuable resource to the youth.
Common facilities for mental health counselors to work
Statistics about graduate students form only a small part of the real picture. Research about adolescents and children as young as three years old also reveals shocking statistics about young people’s mental health. For example, the CDC states that around one in six children between the ages of two and eight have some form of behavioral, developmental, or mental disorder.
From battling with bullying or ADHD, to facing anxiety and depression, there is a great need for support. The support that counselors can provide is necessary at tertiary facilities and schools. This creates the opportunity to identify problems early on, limit their impact, and empower children to take control of their situations.
Mental health counselors in schools – the unsung heroes
The need is clear, but who performs this work?
Some families reach out to professionals on their own accord. However, not everyone has the financial means to do this. Furthermore, not all families realize that a child in the household—or the family as a whole—may require assistance.
Therefore, in many cases across the US and the globe, mental health counselors in schools play the important role of helping students navigate life. The school environment is the perfect setting to notice the effects of mental health challenges. This can be in the form of a drop in academic performance, noticing social anxiety in a classroom setup, or identifying bullying. Of course, there are many more signs that counselors can become experts at noticing.
Types of mental health services
Luckily, mental health services occur in many of today’s educational facilities. Professionals provide it in different ways. There is value in each of the following, but all of them may not be available in every school:
- Individual interventions.
- Classroom and group interventions.
- Counseling for families dealing with loss or other crises.
- Assessment of needs.
- Family-focused interventions, such as conflict resolution.
- Mental health screenings for each student in a school.
- Telehealth services.
- Case management.
There may also be referrals to external role players. This is necessary if a case is beyond the scope of what a mental health counselor can assist with, if a counselor is not available, or if their workload is simply too much.
A smart approach is to have counselors and other professionals in the community work together. Redistributing the workload can ensure that students obtain the specific type of support they require.
The positives of being a school mental health counselor
Anyone working with people daily is aware of how draining it can be. Still, many mental health counselors find much value in their daily tasks.
A big part of this drive to help young people are the intrinsic rewards that this profession offers.
The power of change
Firstly, the ability to bring about real change in the world is a major force driving counselors to continue their work. In almost any industry, employees want to know that their tasks have some meaning. For counselors, there’s the benefit that daily their work can impact a life or lives. In some cases, it may be even more satisfying to see change than to receive the salary for their work!
In addition, this change is not limited to a single scenario or discussion. With activities such as teaching communication skills or helping a student overcome anxiety, the change has a long-term effect on that person’s life. Counselors may even view this as their legacy and one worth being proud of. That’s enough to motivate them to keep going, as it’s possible to achieve this goal in more and more people’s lives.
Furthermore, the change sparked in one life has the potential to affect other people’s lives. For example:
- Students help classmates with the skills they learn during counseling.
- A student can learn how to handle scenarios at home, resulting in a different (positive) dynamic that can benefit their parents or siblings.
- You may prevent someone from committing suicide—and his or her family having to face the almost inevitable guilt along with the grief.
- Helping someone make better choices in terms of career and education sets them up for more success throughout their lives, eventually impacting the family they will one day have.
Sense of safety
Additionally, knowing that they are the safe harbor for many children who do not have anywhere else to go is enough to serve as motivation for many counselors. Without a counselor’s presence in a student’s life, they may not have any positive input or hope, which is enough to ruin a young person’s life. A counselor’s mere presence can prevent this from happening and helps counselors show up for work every school day.
Community impact
Often, school counselors also can be part of processes that can benefit the community. Having first-hand knowledge about what kids or students experience, they can advise other role-players in a community about what policies or programs are necessary to uplift young people.
Seeing how a counselor’s skillset can affect society at large can spark immense satisfaction, which is powerful enough to carry them through challenging days.
Practical skills to teach young people
It takes special skills to work with young people, as they view the world and process information differently from adults. Skills that they can acquire and which can benefit them and those around them include but aren’t limited to:
- How to resolve conflict.
- Becoming mindful.
- The value of staying open-minded.
- Breathing techniques to use for anxiety or stressful situations.
- Effective communication and how to collaborate with others.
- The value of self-care.
- Emotional intelligence, to better function in their peer group.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving, to be less overwhelmed by a challenging situation.
Common challenges for counselors working with students
Helping students manage mental health is clearly an important task, and counselors can find a sense of purpose by joining these ventures in today’s educational facilities. However, any scenario has challenges, and counselors should take on their work with realistic expectations.
By understanding what challenges may arise and preparing for them practically and mentally, it will be easier to navigate circumstances.
Despite doing important work and the fact that they may attain public recognition—such as from staff and parents—many counselors find their work challenging. Common complaints include:
- Seeing the same problems over and over.
- Employers or school government bodies that have too high of expectations.
- The weight of the responsibility of helping others handle very challenging scenarios that can determine their life outcomes.
- Doubting their own skillset.
- Not always having a way to measure the impact of their work.
This can lead to doubting whether their work—and even their life—has meaning.
But there are efficient ways to combat or even prevent this.
How to stay encouraged as a school counselor
Some counselors find enough motivation to maintain a positive mindset simply by being part of other people’s development. Seeing people improve and even thrive has the potential to inspire.
However, despite the many ways your work will be rewarding, any counselor will be wise to implement strategies that keep them from burnout or becoming demotivated. After all, you never know when a challenging time may arise, so practicing certain habits is a great preventative measure.
Healthy habits
Self-care should be as important as caring for the student’s well-being. This can be as simple as prioritizing a healthy diet and exercise or making time for friends. Choosing to maintain balance in practical ways, such as never taking work home, to give oneself a break from the heartache that often accompanies a counselor’s work.
Continual growth
One can also implement their growth processes, such as completing courses to grow professionally. This can significantly help if they identify specific challenges in their work and require more insight on a topic. Programs like the Master of Science in Education in School Counseling at St. Bonaventure University provide the students with the necessary support to build a comprehensive skillset, be it tackling conflict resolution in schools or becoming better at helping students make smart career choices. With the benefit of quality online courses, pursuing advanced education while balancing life commitments is possible.
Remember your successes
Another practical way of managing motivation is finding tangible ways to prove the value that is added to people’s lives. For example, writing success stories in a journal that can be paged through whenever in doubt as to if anything is being accomplishing. Or keeping a box of letters received from students, and reading through them to inspire to help others in similar circumstances.
Ask for help
Finally, it’s also wise to monitor and manage one’s own mental health. Scheduling regular visits with another professional, whether it’s a counselor at a different school or another mental health professional. Being honest about the pros and cons of the job so that one can keep giving their best and find joy in challenging times.
By committing to habits like these, a counselor will have the best possible chance of continuing to efficiently perform their duties and benefit students.
Conclusion
Some societal problems, such as abuse within a family setup, have been all too common for centuries. Today’s students are also growing up in environments quite different from a few decades or years ago. Simply, the speed at which technology has evolved means that parents may not always understand how unique the challenges are that their kids face.
For all these reasons, young people need help.
Mental health counselors at schools and any educational facility have the privilege of getting to know what the youth face. They can understand how it creates challenges for them and then help them navigate their situations.
Journeying with them can be very rewarding despite the challenges of the role. Having a skillset to draw on to impart knowledge in a person’s life can spark change. Counselors can help today’s youth and impact situations for decades to come.
