The practice of school counseling in rural and small town schools

Professional School Counseling, April, 2002 by John M. Sutton, Jr., Richard Pearson

   In the past few years, things have changed a bit. As we've had some new
   families move in, there is a bit of a division developing. There are the
   upwardly mobile people who have chosen this as a residential community.
   They don't have any intention of working here or making it their total life
   base, and they kinda bring a different set of needs and expectations than
   most of the people who have been here for generations.

Such diversity emphasizes the reality that rural and small town areas differ from one another. They also are dynamic--signs of change are evidenced in apparently stable areas. In the face of such variation, we were surprised to find a number of patterns and issues surfacing repeatedly that could be traced to the cultural context of ruralness. These patterns and issues focused upon the physical and sociological nature of the communities within which rural/small town school counselors work and the impact of the setting and the personal and professional lives of those counselors.

Culture

An issue often raised by the informants was the perception of the importance of recognizing and responding to the culture of the area. A number of participants in the study, not native to the areas in which they counseled, mentioned that they had to spend considerable time and energy early in their tenure, striving to learn and understand the local culture. One counselor stated, "In my first year here, I quickly learned that it would be helpful in connecting with my male clients if I learned to talk hunting and fishing." However, even with a sensitivity to local ways and expectations, the majority found that it was often difficult to gain access to local people, especially if one were "from away." One counselor noted:

   It's tough to really get to many of the families. Just physically, many of
   them are not able to get in--they work, or don't have reliable
   transportation, or just refuse to have anything to do with the school.
   People tend to keep problems within the family and see others' concern, or
   efforts to help, as meddling. I've been here five years and am only now
   starting to break through.

On the other hand, if one stays long enough, the stability of many rural/small town settings can confer some advantages with reference to access to families. One counselor with more than 20 years of experience the same school reported:

   A lot of students I work with now, I know their parents--had them as
   students. I know a lot of people and they know me. There are few strangers
   to me in the district, and that's gratifying. I know these families down
   through several generations, and this makes it easier for me to talk with
   them. I wouldn't hesitate to call them or go see them about almost
   anything--I know them that well.

For counselors who grew up in urban or suburban communities, working in a rural or small town setting can be an experience in culture shock. A counselor working in an economically depressed rural area shared the following perspective: