Since Seligman et al. (2009) coined the phrase ‘Positiveeducation,’ it has garnered mass attention and is beingimplemented globally in various education settings.Green & Lloyd (2021) back up the importance of positiveeducation in schools and claim that it is crucial now morethan ever. To implement positive education in schools,school counsellors (SC) and psychologists play anintegral role (Green & Lloyd, 2021). Evidence-basedprograms have shown that SCs have positively impactedthe well-being of students and school staff members(Dulagil et al., 2016). Considering the growingimportance of positive education (Seligman et al., 2009),SCs and psychologists play a key role in well-beingservices. Nonetheless, Green & Lloyd (2021) assert thatdespite the major role played by SCs in bringing aboutpositive changes to students' and staff’s well-being, theyare not included as key resources when it comes tomaking and implementing decisions regarding wellbeing services.Many barriers prevent schools or the education systemfrom incorporating SCs in the decision-making processof wellbeing practices within the school. However, thisessay will only focus on three main barriers: mindsetswithin educational systems, role ambiguity, andworkload.
Barrier 1: Mindsets within Educational Systems
One significant barrier that inhibits the utilization ofschool counsellors and psychologists as key resources inimplementing well-being programs is the prevailingmindsets within educational systems. Historically, therole of school counsellors or psychologists has beenassociated primarily with providing individualcounselling to students (Dekruyf et al., 2013). Thisnarrow perception may prevent them from being seen asvaluable assets in program development,implementation, and leadership. Bozkurt (2014) statesthat leadership roles for counsellors in schools aredisputed due to lingering conventional mindsets withineducational systems. Administrators and teachers oftenstruggle to perceive school counsellors as leadersbecause their role has not historically been associatedwith leadership responsibilities (Bozkurt, 2014). As aresult, their expertise and perspectives may not be fullyintegrated into schools' decision-making processes andleadership structures.Additionally, principals' duties assigned to schoolcounsellors may divert their focus from their intendedtasks and roles (Sadana & Kumar, 2021). Theprofessional status of school counsellors within schoolsmay not be perceived as influential enough to pioneerleadership roles among other staff members. Thus, due tothe historically assigned roles of SCs coupled with themindsets towards them, schools are reluctant to involvethem in the leadership and implementation of wellbeingservices.
Barrier 2: Role Ambiguity
Likewise, the ambiguous roles of SCs seem to be anotherfactor contributing to the assertion made by Green &Lloyd (2021). It seems that the responsibilities and dutiesof school counsellors are determined by the school's linemanagement, leading to a lack of clear definition andunderstanding of their role (Bettman & Digiacomo,2022). A survey conducted by Bryan & Griffin (2010)further supports this claim. Some counsellors wereinstructed to only be involved in students’ mentalwellbeing issues, while others had to include staffmembers; some had limited assistance from the school,while others had more (Bryan & Griffin, 2010).Moreover, due to the ambiguity and conflict surroundingthe role, school counsellors frequently find themselvesassigned unrelated tasks that divert their attention fromtheir main responsibilities and have a negative effect ontheir professional standing (Bozkurt, 2014). For example,SCs are expected to do different things from differentstakeholders (principals, students, parents), eachdemanding their own thing, making it harder for SCs andeven impacting their effective practice (Sadana &Kumar, 2021).Furthermore, the organizational structures within theschool also contributed to the role ambiguity of SCs andpsychologists in the school. The organizational structureswithin schools may not provide clear pathways for theintegration of school counsellors or psychologists intoleadership roles. Hierarchies, role definitions, anddecision-making processes can hinder their involvementand limit their influence in program implementation(Schmaling & Linton, 2017). This makes it difficult toinvolve SCs in the implementation of wellbeingprograms when their roles within the parameters ofschool vary.
Barrier 3: Workload
Finally, the practice of psychology also requiresconsiderable investment in developing one’s ownexpertise, and the work is demanding and oftenemotionally draining. Some psychologists may feel theyhave limited time and energy left to devote to leadershipactivities (Atli, 2018). The lack of overt focus onleadership competencies in psychology trainingprograms may also mean psychologists, in general, lackthe confidence to engage in leadership activities and donot foresee their career incorporating leadershippositions, and even if they do, the historically lownumber of psychologists holding such positions meansthere are few role models or mentors to supportprofessional growth (Roufeil, 2018).Like many professions, psychologists who step intoleadership positions can feel like they are cut off fromtheir discipline and feel professionally isolated. Withinthe educational system, school counsellors orpsychologists' professional identity and status may not beperceived as equivalent to that of other school leaders,undermining their authority and restricting theirinvolvement in shaping and leading school wellbeingprograms and services. This discrepancy in perceptioncan create a hierarchical imbalance that hampers therecognition of school counsellors and psychologists asequal contributors to the leadership and implementationof well-being initiatives (Rockinson-Szapkiw et al.,2013). This perception can undermine their authority andlimit their involvement in shaping and leading schoolwell-being programs and/or services.
School Counsellors and Psychologists as Leaders
Despite mindsets within the educational system towardsthe SCs & psychologists, their ambiguous roles, and theirworkload, there is a growing recognition of the valuablecontributions school counsellors and psychologists canmake to implementing well-being programs (Geesa et al.,2019). Past studies have indicated that school counsellorswho employ leadership abilities have the capacity toinitiate beneficial transformations in domains such asmental health support and crisis management (Dekruyf etal., 2013). This can be seen in the work of Betters-Bubonand Schultz (2017), who depict how an elementaryschool counsellor took a leadership role in establishing aholistic collaboration between the school, families, andthe community. This initiative addressed variouschallenges, such as geographic, linguistic, and culturalbarriers, by ensuring that students and families hadequitable access to school resources. As a result, theschool counsellor was able to meet the needs of parentsand students by increasing the students’ schoolparticipation (Betters-Bubon & Schultz, 2017). This wasonly possible because the SC was allowed to formulate and implement her well-being program as a leader withinthe school.Additionally, many scholars advocate for including theseprofessionals in program development, evaluation, andcollaboration with other stakeholders (Zuković &Slijepčević, 2022). They emphasize the importance ofleveraging their expertise in mental health, counselling,and support services to enhance the effectiveness of suchprograms. An increasing body of research demonstratesthe positive impact of school-based counselling andpsychological interventions on student well-being,academic performance, and overall school climate(Yerbury, 2021). These studies underscore the potentialbenefits of involving school counsellors or psychologistsin leadership and implementation roles within well-beingprograms. One example of school counsellors acting asleaders in implementing Multi-Tiered Systems ofSupport (MTSS) is described by Goodman-Scott &Ziomek-Daigle (2022). Their case study observed anelementary and middle school where school counsellorsplayed integral roles in MTSS. These counsellors'involvement in MTSS expanded their leadershipresponsibilities within the school setting, highlightingtheir ability to drive systemic change, collaboration, andadvocacy. This example demonstrates how schoolcounsellors can assume leadership roles in implementingMTSS, contributing to the program's overall success andstudents' well-being (Goodman-Scott & Ziomek-Daigle,2022).
How can Counsellors Sustain Leadership Roles?
Although there are some examples where schoolcounsellors and psychologists have been used as keyresources in the leadership or implementation of wellbeing programs in school, it is not ubiquitous, which iswhat Green & Lloyd (2021) assert. We still have a longway to go before SCs are used as key resources informulating and implementing wellbeing programsbecause of the mentioned barriers: mindsets towardsschool counsellors and psychologists in the educationsystem, their ambiguous roles, and their workload in theschool. Therefore, addressing these barriers andpromoting a more comprehensive understanding ofschool counsellors' or psychologists' expertise andpotential contributions to the leadership andimplementation of well-being programs is essential.To overcome the barriers mentioned, according toBozkurt (2014), school counsellors can employevidence-based and accountable counselling servicescoupled with a strong foundation of knowledge,awareness, and problem-solving skills related to positiveeducation. They should also believe firmly in the valueof their roles as leaders and advocates, particularly inestablishing connections between the school, family, and community, which is crucial for sustaining positiveeducation (Barrow, 2021). Likewise, collaborationamong school administrators, teachers, and counsellors isessential, allowing counsellors to assume leadership rolesthat complement rather than overlap with others(Kristjánsson, 2012). Additionally, independentevaluation models can help counsellors overcome powerdynamics that hinder their advocacy roles. Finally,supporting national policies is crucial for legitimizingthis transformation of the counsellor's role within schools(Bozkurt, 2014).
Conclusion
All in all, the assertion made by Green and Lloyd (2021)regarding the underutilization of school counsellors andpsychologists as various scholarly kinds of literaturesupport key resources in implementing well-beingprograms. The barriers that prevent school counsellorsand psychologists from assuming leadership positions inprogram implementation include mindsets withineducational systems, role ambiguity, and workload.These barriers stem from historical perceptions, lack ofclear role definitions, organizational structures, and thedemanding nature of their work.However, there is a growing recognition of the valuablecontributions that school counsellors and psychologistscan make to implementing well-being programs.Examples of their leadership roles can be seen ininitiatives such as developing comprehensivepartnerships, addressing barriers to access, and drivingsystemic change. Studies also highlight the positiveimpact of their involvement on student well-being,academic performance, and school climate.To sustain leadership roles, school counsellors andpsychologists can employ evidence-based practices,develop strong problem-solving skills, and establishconnections between the school, family, and community.Collaboration among stakeholders, independentevaluation models, and support from national policies arealso crucial in overcoming the barriers and promoting theinvolvement of school counsellors and psychologists askey resources in well-being program implementation.Hence, it addresses the identified barriers and promotes acomprehensive understanding of school counsellors' andpsychologists' expertise and potential contributions tofully leverage their skills and leadership capabilities tobenefit students and the overall school community.
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About Author
Master's in EducationFocus on English Language Teaching (ELT)rajiv.shahi@adelaide.edu.au