School counselors do not provide therapy or diagnose. However, they do have an understanding of clinical mental health. School counselors are the first people to approach when you have a concern about your child’s emotional well-being, particularly at school. If you have concerns about bullying, grades, completion of credits toward graduation, or if you notice a sudden change in your child’s behavior, a school counselor can help. They can either directly provide services or can guide parents to know where to go for additional help, if needed. School counselors run groups for anxiety, ADHD, social skills, grief & loss, and organization skills. Most school counselors teach curriculum within the classroom. These lessons might include the following topics: anti-bullying, emotional regulation, social skills, and academic skills. Additionally, counselors in middle school and high school provide lessons on career choice and the necessary skills required to reach vocational goals. In the high school setting, school counselors help to ensure that students are obtaining the needed credits for graduation and guide students toward university or post-secondary education. School counselors focus on the grade K-12 continuum, always thinking about how the work that they do is preparing students for the future.
Licensed Professional Counselors provide therapy, and they can diagnose certain disorders from the DSM-5. The diagnostic process is quite different than for licensed psychologists. Licensed Professional Counselors tend to diagnose only for the purpose of obtaining the appropriate diagnostic code for treatment. Generally, LPC’s will treat anxiety, depression, bipolar, addiction, and family problems. Most LPC’s have particular specialties in treatment. Unless they have specialized training, they will generally refer out for complicated clinical issues like borderline personality disorder, significant psychiatric issues, and autism spectrum disorder.
