To study school counseling professional advocacy in Alabama, I explored the lived experiences of Alabama School Counseling Program of Distinction school counselors. Through a qualitative, phenomenological design, I examined the research question addressing the professional advocacy experiences of Alabama school counselor Program of Distinction…

In this transcendental phenomenological study and related data analysis (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Moustakas, 1994), authors explored school counselor educators' perceptions regarding recent changes in the profession. Through six focus groups, participants (n = 29) shared their experience, resulting in four themes: (a) range of reactions to…

Professional legislative advocacy is a pathway to improve the field of education as it may lead to policy changes that impact schools and the profession directly. Higher education faculty have the opportunity to infuse in their students the skills and confidence to become advocates for their respective disciplines. In this study on an approach to…

Many young undocumented students are experiencing mental health issues in K-12 schools. Researchers have found a myriad of psychological stressors that add to the complexity of being an undocumented student in the United States. Educators have noted an increased concern in undocumented students expressing concerns of fears at school, acculturation…

As the counseling profession evolves, educational standards for counselor licensure must be standardized from state to state. In this article, the authors discuss historical and current influences and present an advocacy model that has been used to standardize educational requirements in state counselor licensure laws.

This consensual qualitative research (CQR) study explored the group leadership supervisory experiences of (n = 10) school counseling internship students. Findings suggest the importance of fostering group leader advocacy skills and the need to assess students' group leadership supervisory experiences during fieldwork placement. Implications for…

Professional school counselors in the 21st century are challenged to respond to the individual needs of their students as well as responding to the needs of families and communities. In 2003, the American School Counseling Association's (ASCA) National Model addressed advocacy as one of its' themes. Counselors-in-training and professional school…

The recent endorsement of the advocacy competencies by the American Counseling Association signals their relevance to the school counseling profession. This article outlines the importance of being a social change agent, the value of advocacy in K-12 schools, and how school counselors can use the advocacy competencies as a framework for promoting…

This chapter proposes a new approach to counselor education as a means of preparing school counselors to work in twenty-first century schools. It is proposed that it is critical that school counselors move beyond their current roles as helper-responders in order to become proactive leaders and advocates for the success of all students in schools.…