School Psychologists & School Counselors – What’s the Difference?
School Counselors and School Psychologists play important roles in academic success – but many parents don’t know the differences between them. The confusion is understandable, as both roles work to ensure that students have an optimum learning experience. While there is some overlap, there are also key differences in their job descriptions.
So what are the differences between school psychologists and school counselors?:
1. Clinical vs. Counseling
In the psychology field, therapists often specialize in either counseling or clinical psychology. Counseling psychology focuses on coaching, advising, and motivating. Clinical psychology focuses on identifying and treating mental health conditions.
As their title would suggest, school counselors use a counseling approach, mentoring students toward academic achievement.
School Psychologists are trained from both an educational and clinical approach; this allows them to understand how a student’s diagnosis impacts their learning, and make effective recommendations for educational services and accommodations.
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2. Educational requirements
Prerequisites vary by state for both school counselors and school psychologists, with each field having different criteria. Both are generally required to earn post-graduate degrees, complete a certain amount of internship hours, and pass credentialing and licensing exams. Credentialing exams for each field are determined by state departments of education, and licensing requirements are developed by state boards.
3. Areas of study
Because school psychologists work closely with special education students and students at risk for retention, they receive much more training in special education than counselors. They’re also highly trained in diagnostic testing, behavioral analysis, and research methods. A school counselor’s training is focused more heavily on child and adolescent development, educational strategies, aptitude testing, college and vocational planning, and helping kids navigate common transitions and challenges.
4. Assessments
School counselors and school psychologists are both responsible for conducting important evaluations, but the goals of these assessments are different. School counselors analyze student records to identify trends and issues, and determine areas of improvement for students’ well-being. School psychologists perform diagnostic tests to identify learning disabilities, psychological disorders, or giftedness. Depending on their findings, they offer recommendations to support a student’s academic plan.
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5. Services for students
School counselors offer individual and group guidance on topics that are relevant to most students, such as choosing classes, applying to colleges, conflict mediation, stress management, or substance abuse prevention. School psychologists also conduct student counseling, but given their expertise in assessing individual learning differences, they often primarily work to determine students’ eligibility for special education services, academic placement, and accommodations based on their diagnosis.
6. Student population
Every student will likely meet with their school counselor at one time or another. A school psychologist usually only works with students who have (or are suspected to have) a mental or medical diagnosis that impacts their academic success. Intellectually gifted students or kids with conditions such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, oppositional defiant disorder, or autism may be evaluated by a school psychologist to determine needs for services or accommodations in an IEP or 504 plan.
7. Colleague consultations
Students aren’t the only ones assisted by school counselors and school psychologists. Both roles assist teachers with different types of support for classroom management. School counselors provide teachers with insights on general behavior management strategies. School psychologists evaluate problem behaviors in specific students by observing them during instruction and preparing reports or behavior intervention plans (BIP) for their IEPs.
School Psychologists also collaborate with the administration to influence district policies and develop effective services. They may provide teacher trainings on evidence-based strategies like Teacher-Child Interaction Therapy (TCIT), or share insights on creating a mentally healthy classroom.
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What they’ve got in common
Both roles are important to creating an environment where all kids can reach their academic potential. Counselors and Psychologists complement one another and often collaborate to meet students’ needs. Sometimes, however, support from a 3rd party can benefit the work of both counselors and psychologists at your child’s school.
How We Can Help
Variations Psychology is a group practice of doctorate level Diagnosticians specializing in Educational Psychology.
There are several reasons families seek a 3rd party to assist with their child’s mental, emotional, and academic needs. While the National Association of School Psychologists recommend 1 psychologist for every 500 students, many districts have 1 psychologist stretched between 2,000-3,000 kids, causing kids to receive less than adequate attention.
In addition, parents don’t always agree with evaluations conducted by the school. Our Doctors offer Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE) to ensure your child’s academic needs are being met.
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More about Variations Psychology
Variations Psychology is a group practice specializing in diagnostic testing to identify psychological conditions. Our primary focus is Educational Psychology, guiding families on beneficial pathways toward student success and training educators in effective strategies to maximize student potential.
Our comprehensive evaluations test for conditions that impact mental health and development such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, learning disorders, and developmental delays.
In addition to diagnostic services, we offer Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) of K-12 students to assess needs for accommodations in school and determine their appropriate placements. IEEs provide an objective second opinion on existing IEP and 504 Plans.
For K-12 and post-secondary students, we offer evaluations to assess needs for accommodations on standardized tests, college entrance exams (e.g. - SAT, ACT, AP Exams), and graduate and professional licensing exams (e.g. - MCAT, LSAT, GRE, CBEST, NCLEX, GMAT, CA Cosmetology Exam, CA Contractors State Licensing Exam, CA Bar Exam).
Schedule your consultation to learn how our diagnostic services can support you and your family.
Variations Psychology is located in Newport Beach, CA and provides psychological testing to residents throughout Orange County and its surrounding areas including Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Irvine, Shady Canyon, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Coto de Caza, Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Yorba Linda, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Pelican Hill, Crystal Cove, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, Lake Forest, Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach, Seal Beach, and more.
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How to Cite This Blog Article:
Shinn. M.M. (2020). School Psychologists & School Counselors - What’s the Difference? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/school-psychologists-school-counselors-whats-the-difference