Contact Information
Contact information for school counselors can be found on every individual school website. Visit our Schools and Centers page to search for your school's website.
School Counseling Services
Achievement. Wellness. Endless Possibilities.
FCPS K-12 school counseling programs strive to empower students to become independent and productive individuals. They provide developmentally appropriate academic, social, emotional, and college and career counseling services. The belief that all students can achieve academic success is a touchstone of the program.
All students in FCPS have the opportunity to work with a state-certified school counselor. School counselors integrate education, prevention, and intervention activities into all aspects of students' lives. They teach the knowledge, attitudes, and skills students need for future success.
Each FCPS high school also has a college and career specialist (CCS) on staff. CCS work with school counselors to provide support to students in college and career exploration and planning.
How School Counselors Support the Whole Child
- Setting, reflecting on, and reaching goals.
- Developing a positive attitude toward learning.
- Understanding individual learning styles.
- Developing an educational plan.
- Providing academic advising.
- Improving study and test-taking skills.
- Recognizing and utilizing academic strengths.
- Exploring college and career opportunities.
- Developing skills in college and career decision-making.
- Analyzing the interrelationships of interests and abilities.
- Understanding college and career readiness.
- Using college and career planning tools to determine postsecondary options.
- Developing self-knowledge.
- Making effective decisions.
- Developing relationship skills.
- Making healthy choices.
- Resolving conflicts.
Services Provided
FCPS school counseling programs analyze student needs to provide specific and targeted services. As a result, school counseling programs may vary due to specific school size, student population, community, and academic, social/emotional, and college/career readiness needs. Under VA code, School Counselors are expected to spend 80 percent of their time in direct counseling and 20 percent in program planning and school support.
- School Counseling Curriculum Lessons and Activities: Classroom or school wide lessons and activities. Student's work towards school success through learning appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills.
- Small Group Counseling: Counseling small groups of students with similar identified needs. Small groups promote positive achievement, attendance, mental health and wellness, and behavioral outcomes.
- Individual Counseling: Brief, goal-focused counseling to individual students. Sessions address issues relating to:
- mental health and wellness
- social and emotional development
- academic achievement
- college and career readiness
- Appraisal and Advisement: Students explore abilities, interests, skills, and achievement. Students use this information to make decisions and make short and long term goals and plans. Academic advising and post secondary planning are key components of this category.
- Crisis Counseling: Working with individual or small groups of students to help navigate critical situations such as emergencies and crises.
- Consultation: Share and receive information to support a students needs. Counselors consult with students, families, school staff, and community partners.
- Collaboration: Working and communicating with students, families, school staff, and community partners to:
- promote achievement for a specific student and/or,
- address the needs of groups of underserved or underrepresented students.
- Referrals: referring students to outside providers and resources as necessary.
