Counseling to Empower (Paperback)

Counseling to Empower is an examination of the issues surrounding why and how children and students are experiencing levels of disservice through school counseling programs. The goal is to transform the school counseling profession to better serve children and students in a socially and educationally responsible manner. School counseling has the potential to positively or negatviely impact the lives of everyone involved in the education of children and students. Examining my lived experiences as well as literature pertaining to school counseling, counseling theories, education, race, and empowerment help illustrate why this issue needs to be addressed, why a philosophical and conceptual approach is needed, and what core factors influence the status of school counseling from historical inception to present-day theory and practice. The result of this examination is a recommendation to shift away from the traditional school counseling paradigm to an empowerment philosophy, which will require critical reflection of self, actions/practice, and world view, including one's life purpose, social responsibility, and concept of others.