Counseling Services in Higher Education

Counseling Services in Higher Education

Introduction to the Research Problem

Counseling at college level is often of the essence to help these students adapt to a new environment that is plagued with uncertainty, ambiguity, dynamism, and lack of functional or sufficient support systems. Students further have to deal with various personal, emotional, and psychological problems that span from concerns for future careers, adjustment to new environmental, developmental, learning, and mild mental illnesses. A consensus exists in these institutions of higher education that counseling assists in promoting student’s adjustment, learning, and development while reducing the likelihood of experiencing dangerous behavior that can lead to harm on self or others. This situation, in turn, helps the student thrive in the new environment, both as a person as in academics. However, counseling services and techniques used to achieve the goal of smooth transition vary from one institution to another and is a function of resources, mission, vision, and philosophy of the institution, and student needs. On a different note, counseling services can be in a variety of forms depending on the need, for instance, career, psychotherapy, academic and learning, and psychological. While some institutions have this systematic perspective, others integrate counseling only in the academic confines, disregarding mental health dimensions. However, an effective system that can benefit all students in the institution is one that incorporates all domains.

Overview of Relevant Literature

Different pieces of researches have been compiled to explore the topic of counseling in higher education. One study that underlines the need for counseling services in higher education is the research by Atik and Yalçın (2010). The study found that students in the university required counseling in major areas of need that include academics, relationships, overcoming procrastination, fear of failing, and career, among others. However, the student did not appear to have a significant need for counseling in self-defeating behaviors such as drug use, gambling, suicidal thoughts, and sexual concern. Based on the finding, the researchers underlined the need to offer both preventive and developmental counseling services. In another study, Broglia, Millings, and Barkham (2017) embarked on assessing the problem that the education system faces in efforts to address the mental health issues of students. The researchers noted that increasing the need for services is straining the services provided in the sector, creating demand for expansion and creation of new counseling methodologies such as the use of mobile applications. On a different note, Simpson and Ferguson (2014) recognize that support services within institutions of higher learning were critical to enhancing the effectiveness of the services and improve student outcomes..

Gaps in Literature

While the majority of available pieces of literature underline the need for counseling services in institutions of higher learning, they do not satisfactorily analyze gender roles as far as the need for counseling services is concerned. The literature has categorized all students under one umbrella and does not depict how stressor levels or need vary for male and female students. A possibility exists that counseling programs within the institutions could be designed with this variance in mind to achieve better results.

Study Significance

The current study would influence how institutional design and implement their counseling services and the kinds of counselors that they engage. By identifying the major areas of need for the female and male students in isolation, institutions would be able to implement strategies that are not generic but rather more student-centered. This would, in turn, have a more significant impact on student performance.

Preliminary Purpose Statement

The purpose of the current study is to explore the role of gender as it pertains to the need for counseling services in students in higher learning and their effect on program design to attain optimal results.

References

Atik, G., & Yalçın, I. (2010). Counseling needs of educational sciences students at the Ankara University. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 1520–1526. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.228.

Broglia, E., Millings, A., & Barkham, M. (2017). Challenges to addressing student mental health in embedded counselling services: a survey of UK higher and further education institutions. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 46(4), 441–455. doi: 10.1080/03069885.2017.1370695.

Simpson, A., & Ferguson, K. (2014). The role of university support services on academic outcomes for students with mental illness. Education Research International, 1–6. doi: 10.1155/2014/295814.