School counseling in the United States: Implications for the Asia-Pacific region

The impetus for this paper came about after an international conference in Asia which focused on school counseling in the Asia-Pacific region. Representatives from several Asian and non-Asian countries attended the conference and presented their scholarly work. The importance of international exchange about school counseling was emphasized at the conference. In this paper the history of school counseling in the United States (US) is summarized, including descriptions of newer models of school counselor practice and training and suggestions on how these models might strengthen the impact of school counselors. In addition, a brief overview of school counseling in the Asia-Pacific region is presented with attention to cultural issues that need to be considered. Finally, the implications of the US models are discussed and some questions presented that are potentially relevant for countries in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as those outside the region.