School Counsellor Vs. School Psychologist
Everyday life has become more stressful than ever. For this reason, experts have started to believe that stress can negatively impact a student's life including behavioral and academic performance. Awareness has caused more and more educational institutions to start looking for school counselors and school psychologists. This has not only raised demand significantly, but the truth is that there is a huge need for such professionals in the United States currently. Anyone who opts for a masters in school counseling online has loads of opportunities and great payouts waiting for them.
The United States BLS estimates that school counselor and psychologist jobs will increase by 10% to 11% between 2020 and 2030. The main question is whether there is a difference between a school psychologist and a school counselor or whether they are the same. If you are interested in helping youngsters in schools with life problems but do not know exactly what career path to choose, then you are in the right spot. Today, we shall go over both school counselors and school psychologists in detail to help you decide.
School Counselor
School counselors are as important as school psychologists and play a critical role in any educational institution. They support students to ensure academic success. School counselors serve a broader spectrum of students, and are not very focused on mental health when compared to school psychologists.
School counselors aid students with behavioral and social challenges. They help students develop critical life skills that help improve academics and prepare them for post-graduation. A counselor also helps students pick suitable colleges and decide on the best possible career path.
School Psychologist
School psychologists focus on mental health and its challenges. They are mental health professionals who work to improve both academic performance and the mental well-being of students. They also have a license for education and psychology and are expected to work not only with students but also parents and teachers.School psychologists work on the following to help improve the mental well-being of youngsters:
- Conduct psychological evaluations
- Educate teachers and parents on mental health issues
- Assist with crisis response
- Implement and create academic/behavioral intervention plans
- Monitor the behavioral, social, academic, and overall progress of students
School administrators usually consult school psychologists to see if there are any issues in the school system so that intervention strategies targeting students, faculty, and staff can be implemented.
5 Major Differences Between a School Psychologist and School Counselor
1. Spectrum
School Psychologist
School psychologists work with both teachers and students and may even cater to students' parents. They guide individuals facing academic or mental health issues in a school setting. Some teachers may not know how to address behavioral, academic, or social issues in the classroom. School psychologists come in and guide these teachers so that they can enjoy a better classroom atmosphere with healthy students. If required, a school psychologist also works directly with students that are facing or causing problems in class.
School Counselor
A major difference between school counselors and psychologists is the spectrum of individuals they work with. School counselors cater to an array of students and focus on helping them develop social skills, set goals, improve academic performance and even pick the most suitable career path. A school counselor does not work with anyone other than students and their main goal is to create a strong relationship with them. This allows them to work as perfect career advisors but this means they rarely interact with students' families or teachers.
2. Job Requirements
School Psychologist
School psychologists act as a connection between teachers, parents, and students. Their main target is better academic results along with balanced mental health in students. They also work closely with school administrators and are also expected to do the following:
- Diagnose students with mental health issues
- Support individuals with special care needs
- Implement and create behavioral plans
- Derive strategies to improve students' academic performance
- Train the staff and teachers regarding how they should behave, respond and speak in class
- Conduct behavioral and psychological assessments
- Teach emotional health, social and behavioral skills
- Assists with prevention and crisis response
School psychologists also learn how mental health concerns like anxiety affect student reactions so they are a great confidant that students can speak to if the need arises. They can come up with strategies to diagnose a student's situation easily.
School Counselor
Both school counselors and psychologists have some similar responsibilities and can even collaborate for the well-being of students. However, school counselors serve a broader spectrum of students. They assist with student behavior, offer career advice, and provide other general counseling services. The main responsibilities of a school counselor include:
- Helping students overcome social challenges and allowing them to better understand social issues
- Collaborating with youngsters to help them meet their career and academic goals
- Reporting student abuse and guiding students toward the correct resources
- Giving counseling sessions to individuals or groups of students
- Addressing and evaluating behavioral issues to see how they affect academic performance
- Helping students develop critical learning skills such as creative thinking and time management
3. Training and Education
School Psychologist
To become a school psychologist, you will need to get a Bachelor's degree in psychology or get a NASP master's degree. This course takes around 3 years to complete and requires intensive examinations and specialized training. However, graduates are made ready for a dedicated job in a school soon after graduation.
School Counselor
School counselors also require a Bachelor's or Master's degree but do not require psychology training or individualized counseling. They do not need to be trained to diagnose learning problems, implement plans or support a student's math or reading performance either. All this means that education is simpler for potential school counselors.
4. Licensing
School Psychologist
School psychologists are required to have a NASP degree, and a passing score on the Literacy Skills/Communication tests while also completing an internship of at least twelve hundred hours. Six hundred hours out of these must be completed in a school. Once licensure is obtained, school psychologists are expected to maintain their licenses, keep up with professional development and foster sharp skills.
School Counselor
School counselors also require licensure but this requirement varies from state to state. Most well-known institutions require school counselors to have a Master's degree in counseling, have a passing score on the Communication/Literacy Skills Test, and complete 450 hours of practicum in an educational institution.
5. Salary
School Psychologist
School psychologists earn $79,820 yearly according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Licensure, training, and expertise may cause this amount to vary.
School Counselor
School counselors earn $58,120 yearly according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. This value depends greatly on education, training, and the state a school counselor works in.
Endnote
Both school counselors and school psychologists play major roles in an educational setting. Each one has a huge impact on a student's educational development and social well-being. No matter what career path you pick, helping youngsters stay mentally healthy while improving academic performance is surely a rewarding career.
