WHAT IS SCHOOL COUNSELING? — STUDENT HANDOUT
The ASE Academy — intern-resources.html
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Adapt language and school counselor name before distributing.

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VERSION A: GRADES K–5

Hi! My name is _________________, and I'm the school counselor.

You might be wondering: what does a school counselor even do?

I'm not here to get you in trouble. I'm not your teacher. And I'm not a doctor.

I'm here to talk with you. About school, about friendships, about things that
feel hard or confusing. About what makes you feel good and what makes you
feel stuck.

Everyone goes through hard things — at school, at home, with friends.
That's normal. Sometimes it helps to have someone to talk to who's just
there to listen and think with you. That's my job.

What happens when we talk is private. That means I won't tell your teacher
what you said to me. (There are a couple of exceptions — I'll always explain
those when we meet.)

You don't have to come see me if you don't want to.
But if you ever want to, I'm here.

Come say hi:
[Counselor name] | [Room number] | [Contact / drop-in hours]

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VERSION B: GRADES 6–12

The school counselor is not here to fix you.

That might sound like a strange way to start an introduction. But it matters,
because a lot of students expect counseling to be someone telling them what to
do, or reporting back to their parents, or giving them a quiz about their
feelings.

Here's what it actually is: a conversation. About whatever is making school —
or life — hard right now. About what you want, what's in the way, and what
you've already tried.

I'll listen. I'll ask questions. I'll share a perspective when I have one.
And I'll take seriously that you are a person dealing with real conditions —
at school, at home, in your neighborhood, in the world — not just a set of
symptoms that need to be corrected.

What we talk about stays between us. I'll explain the exceptions clearly —
there are a few situations where I'm required to act. I'll always tell you
about them in advance.

You are not required to come. And if you come once and decide it's not for
you, that's okay too.

But if you're dealing with something — and most people are — I'm here.

[Counselor name] | [Room number] | [Email] | [Drop-in hours]

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