Assessment, Instruction, Services, and Student Development Across Domains, Part 1

Question 1: Discuss how counselors should approach the issue of confidentiality with students.

Answer 1: It is important that the student not only understands the tenets of confidentiality, but also feels comfortable with the counselor’s obligations and respect of confidentiality issues. Younger students may participate in a counseling situation with their parents present, but it should be clearly explained to both parents and students that information divulged in a session without the parents will be protected. Although young students need to understand that this confidentiality can be breached in the presence of threat to self or others, it is more an assurance to parents to indicate that this aspect of confidentiality is in place. On the other hand, adolescent students are particularly sensitive to protection of their confidentiality, and it is important that they be aware of the criteria for breaching that confidentiality. To best respect the rapport established with an adolescent, a counselor could approach these criteria using humor or exaggerated examples.

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Question 2: Discuss the importance of assessment.

Answer 2: Assessment of both the student and the situation in any counseling sessions is very important, in that it serves to provide the counselor with both treatment and methodology for that treatment. A counselor will consider each student’s developmental stage and environment to determine the best method for approaching a particular circumstance or problem. In addition, school or district policy can affect the counselor’s methods, as for instance whether to use formalize methods or to be more informal and flexible in developing a treatment for a particular student. Assessment can be formal or informal, and can be rather individualized among counselors. A comprehensive assessment of student needs, the precipitating event or situation, and a careful choice of approaches and actions based on this assessment is a very important factor in the success of a counseling relationship.

Question 3: Discuss the distinguishing characteristics of effective assessment methods in an academic setting, for instance compared to assessment within a mental institution.

Answer 3: In contrast to the assessment methods used in a mental health institution, assessment in an academic setting is less formal and more geared toward establishing a trusting and collaborative relationship with the student. In a mental health setting, the counseling session might be well served if the counselor asks direct questions to the client, in order to assess the problems. However, in an academic setting, an effective counseling relationship depends not only on the student’s cooperation, which is facilitated by a less direct approach to assessment, but also on the incorporation of student needs not readily divulged. A counselor in an academic setting needs to be aware of, for instance, a student’s body language when assessing and treating the student. It is important for a counselor in an academic setting to listen and observe carefully, and to engage in non-intrusive inquiry.

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