The Rise of School Counseling in the United 
                       States
   • Throughout history, every society has found methods to give 
     selected young people direction and support as they questioned 
     who they might become.
   • But “guidance” and “counseling” were neither planned nor made 
     available to all young people.
   •                             th
     With educational reform in the late 19  century and the 
     impending industrial revolution, the field of school guidance and 
     counseling was formed.
      – the roots of school counseling are in vocational guidance. 
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            Vocational Guidance
 •Frank Parsons - “the father of guidance in 
    America!”
 •Parsons’ legacy in vocational guidance lived on 
    through his book, Choosing a Vocation, which 
    laid out the principles and methods for 
    implementing vocational guidance.
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          Vocational Guidance
  • His most famous contribution to the field is what became known as 
    the trait and factor approach. This involves a person’s self- evaluated 
    traits and personal needs being matched with a career.
  • This approach involved 3 steps:
     – Understanding self
     – Having knowledge of the careers/work
     – Combining both for true reasoning in making a decision for a good match/fit 
       between self and the career.
  • Many leaders in American education then began to adapt to Parsons’ 
    paradigm of vocational guidance.
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           Educational Reform
   • At the turn of the century, the rapidly growing industrial 
     society called for less bookish information and more of a 
     focus on industrial education.
   • School systems began to focus on individualized 
     education.
   • This facilitated the use of the guidance worker for not 
     only vocational guidance but also for educational success.
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    School Counseling in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s
    • Five other roles of the professional school counselor in addition to 
        vocational guidance.
    • Student Personnel Administration:            •
                                                     Psychologists: 
                                                   •
    • Counselors became the Dean of Students         Counselors administered 
       in some schools. Their job was to deal      achievement and diagnostic 
       with personal and disciplinary problems.  tests. Also, they were responsible 
       They were also in charge of admissions      for providing specialized 
       and placement.                              services to students experiencing 
                                                    learning or behavioral problems.
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