Inducting the transformed school counselor into the profession

Theory Into Practice, Summer, 2002 by C. Marie Jackson, Brent M. Snow, Susan R. Boes, Paul L. Phillips, Rebecca Powell Stanard, Linda C. Painter, Mary Beth Wulff

NEW SCHOOL COUNSELOR education graduates from programs such as those developed through the Transforming School Counseling Initiative (TSCI) (Education Trust, 1997) have been prepared to facilitate learning opportunities for all students in a diverse environment. These TSCI graduates also have been prepared as leaders in attaining equitable opportunities for all students. According to House and Martin (1998) an increasingly global society calls for better use of resources and demands closing the achievement gap between poor and minority children and their more advantaged peers. This new vision developed through the TSCI has focused on the need to increase academic achievement and has acknowledged the role of counselors as change agents and advocates for the removal of barriers that impede student success. Thus, an academic focus must become the primary goal of these newly transformed school counselors. These new graduates will be faced with the challenge of entering a changing profession, not yet fully operational under the transformed models to which they have been introduced. Supporting these transformed counselors who are eager to implement their newly acquired attitudes, knowledge, and skills will be necessary for implementation of the new vision. Never has it been more important to recognize that the early stages of induction to the profession are critical for the development of a lasting identity and continued growth of the school counseling profession.

Brott and Myers (1999) explored the professional identity development of counselors. According to these researchers, professional identity development is a process evolving over time, beginning during counselor training programs, and continuing throughout one's career. They discussed the process of transformation that takes place in determining a school counseling program. They described the school counselor's view of the counselor role as moving from an externally influenced one (influences such as the graduate training program) to a more internally influenced conceptualization of role. Literature relative to professional socialization and development cited by Brott and Myers (Hall, 1987; Watts, 1987) reported that one's early training in a profession is merely the beginning of professional growth and development. Ultimately, the counselor's role concept is determined by his or her individual personal guidelines evolving as the role is internalized on the job. These internalized personal guidelines may determine to a great extent what and how school counseling is delivered.

The findings of the Brott and Myers (1999) study supported the need for careful induction into the profession (e.g., mentoring, new counselor academies, networking, attending professional conferences and seminars with others in and across the profession). An important implication of this study is "that counselors-in-training be prepared with a mindset that they will evolve and change in their professional role, that they will be made aware of the factors that impact their professional development, and that they will ultimately determine the counseling program and services offered in the school setting" (p. 346). Their findings underscore the value of preprofessional counselor training programs and mandate that counselor educators include decision-making opportunities through seminars related to issues in schools, and practical experiences for understanding relationships with the various stakeholders throughout the training program, especially during early clinical experiences.

Practicum and internship provide the first opportunities for counselors-in-training (CITs) to enter practice in the "real world." These clinical experiences within the curriculum encompass a significant portion of the student's academic experience. As counselor preparation programs are restructured to reflect the TSCI vision, clinical experiences must also be restructured to reflect the practices that have been integrated throughout the coursework. Changing the nature of these experiences must be done in order to align new "theory with practice." Supporting, supervising, and mentoring these CITs with an understanding of the challenges before them is a necessity. Borders and Leddick (1987) spoke of the early developmental stages of new counselors as times of dependency and imitation. It is quite normal for counselors in these early stages to be characterized by feelings of confusion, doubt, and internal conflict. VanZandt and Perry (1992) reported that the early stages of induction into the profession are critical. It seems even more so when the profession is in the midst of change.

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the importance and impact of the induction phase for graduates of TSCI programs and to provide a rationale for strengthening the involvement of counselor educators in this valuable process. We have included a review of literature and further discussion on (a) current practices in practicum and internship, (b) the mentoring process and supervision experiences, (c) the need to develop onsite supervisors, (d) the need for novice counselors to develop relationships with the various stakeholders, and (e) the continuing need for professional development for practicing school counselors.