This quantitative survey study aimed to identify differences between school counselors' and administrators' perceptions of the school counselors' role and if demographic criteria of years of experience, years in education, enrollment size, and grade level impacted these perceptions. Currently employed school counselors and administrators in…

The need for schools to produce graduates ready to meet increasing workforce demands and postsecondary admission requirements has called for more individualized career and academic planning with high school students. School counselors have a unique yet complex role in providing college and career guidance, monitoring, and opportunities. This study…

School counselors have a variety of opportunities to serve as advocates and leaders for students identified as twice exceptional (2E). We explore these opportunities and discuss the academic and social/emotional challenges 2E students face and current operational definitions for this population. We also discuss strategies school counselors can use…

Throughout the past decade, scholars have argued that the persistent achievement gap between Black male students and their White peers is a result of unequal and inadequate educational opportunities instead of inherent differences in their capability or character. School counselors can help support Black males by using equity-focused…

This current and comprehensive handbook will guide educators, students, and clinicians in developing the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to work effectively with LGBTQI+ populations. Twenty-five chapters written by experts in the field provide direction for working with clients in an authentic, ethical, and affirmative manner that is…

Research shows that teachers' and educators' responses to gender diversity issues in schools either improves or limits the experiences of students. The school counsellor has an important role to play in this process by working closely with other stakeholders to advocate for transgender, intersex and genderqueer (TIG) students. Following a review…

The author introduces a humanistic theory for school counseling called Advocating Student-within-Environment (ASE). According to this theory, the student is an adaptive agent who operates within ever-evolving environments. With ASE, a school counselor can use the capacities of the student, the school environment, and their shared agency to promote…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) students often face considerable isolation, discrimination, and violence at school, which can exacerbate the acute psychosocial and academic problems they already encounter. The purpose of this article is to introduce gay-straight alliances (GSAs) as a social justice and advocacy approach…

Given the disproportionally dire educational outcome data for students from families with low income, school counselors are challenged to advocate, educate, and collaborate with stakeholders to address the pernicious and prevalent achievement and access gaps. After an examination of the inequitable current conditions for these students and…

Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern. Since 1960, the prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States increased dramatically from 5% to 16.9%. To date many interventions to address obesity in schools have focused on healthy changes to the content of vending machines, school lunches, and the addition of after school…

This article compares administrators' perceptions of the high school counselor role in a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) versus the perceptions that administrators had of the high school counselor role in counseling departments that had not received the RAMP designation. An analysis of the data revealed that administrators from both RAMP and…

With the array of challenges facing today's youth, school counselors are in a unique position to recognize and respond to the diverse mental health needs of students. After a brief examination of the challenges and some promising responses, this article will consider the use of advocacy, collaboration, and professional development to aid school…

In this article, four vignettes are presented and deconstructed in order to demonstrate that school counselors are advocates, collaborators, and leaders when engaged as consultants. School counselor consultation appears to be a complex process based on a student advocacy disposition shared by consultees, and the process is a collaborative one…

The transformed role of school counselors as advocates is key in reducing the academic achievement gap. Redefining the school counselors' role requires culturally competent practitioners, social justice advocates, and organizational/social change agents. A major obstacle to implementing culturally responsive social justice advocacy and change in…

A case is made to consider social justice as a fifth force complementary to the psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, existential-humanistic, and multicultural forces in counseling. This article explores how social justice is shifting the counseling paradigm and how the ACA (American Counseling Association) Advocacy Competencies (J. A. Lewis, M. S.…