School counselors work with ALL students. 

Secondary school counselors teach regular classroom lessons that address concepts all students need to know. These concepts are broken down into 3 domans (academic, personal/social, and career) and by grade level. 

School counselors respond to student needs.

School counselors also work with some students in small group and individual counseling formats if the students need more than is provided during classroom lessons. Just as with any other skill, students may be more or less advanced than the majority of their class. For students that are more advanced with personal/social skills, for example, the school counselor may suggest training them as a peer mentor. Students may also be struggling with certain situations and may benefit from short term work with the counselor, such as when grieving a loss. 

School counselors collaborate with parents, teachers, administrators, and community members.

School counselors have specific training to collaborate and consult on how to help a child become more successful at home or at school. Sometimes the needs are school-wide, such as anti-drug or anti-bullying campaigns, and school counselors can help develop and carry out action plans for those needs as well.

For much more detailed information, current research on the effectiveness of school counselors, and videos, please visit the