Culturally Responsive School Counseling

This session discusses culturally responsive school counseling and includes action steps School Counselors can take to advocate for all students. As School Counselors, we have an ethical and professional responsibility to serve all students and advocate for their needs. School Counselors must continuously build their toolbox to understand and effectively address the needs of a diverse student population. According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), “School counselors recognize and distinguish individual and group differences and strive to equal value all students and groups. School counselors are advocates for the equitable treatment of all students in school and in the community”. When working with diverse populations, we must be cognizant of the inequities our students may face and understand our role in advocating against those inequities. We must also recognize our own biases, so we can acknowledge and address them. While we won’t always know all our students’ specific needs, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves about how cultural experiences affect them academically, behaviorally, and socially, & emotionally. We must then take action to ensure their equitable treatment.