PGCA CRASH COURSE IN GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

History

 The guidance (school) counseling formally started at the turn of the twentieth century.
 The foundations of counseling and guidance principles can be traced from ancient Greece and Rome with
the philosophical teachings of Plato (Idealism) and Aristotle (Realism).
 Some of the techniques and skills of modern-day guidance counselors were practiced by Catholic priests
in the Middle Ages, as can be seen by the dedication to the concept of confidentiality within the
confessional.
 Formal guidance programs using specialized textbooks did not start until the turn of the twentieth century.
 During the Industrial Revolution, the difficulties of people living in urban slums and the widespread use
of child labor outraged many.
 One of the consequences was the compulsory education movement and shortly thereafter the vocational
guidance movement, which, in its early days, was concerned with guiding people into the workforce to
become productive members of society.
 The United States' entry into World War I brought the need for assessment of large groups of draftees, in
large part to select appropriate people for leadership positions.
 These early psychological assessments performed on large groups of people were quickly identified as
being valuable tools to be used in the educational system, thus beginning the standardized testing
movement that in the early twenty-first century is still a strong aspect of U.S. public education.
 At the same time, vocational guidance was spreading throughout the country, so that by 1918 more than
900 high schools had some type of vocational guidance system.
 In 1913 the National Vocational Guidance Association was formed and helped legitimize and increase the
number of guidance counselors.
 Early vocational guidance counselors were often teachers appointed to assume the extra duties of the
position in addition to their regular teaching responsibilities
 The 1920s and 1930s saw an expansion of counseling roles beyond working only with vocational
concerns. Social, personal, and educational aspects of a student's life also needed attention.
 After World War II a strong trend away from testing appeared. One of the main persons indirectly
responsible for this shift was the American psychologist Carl Rogers.
 Many in the counseling field adopted his emphasis on "nondirective" (later called "client-centered")
counseling.
 Rogers published Counseling and Psychotherapy in 1942 and Client-Centered Therapy in 1951.
 These two works defined a new counseling theory in complete contrast to previous theories in psychology
and counseling.
 This new theory minimized counselor advice-giving and stressed the creation of conditions that left the
client more in control of the counseling content.
 1980s to 1990s
- American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Standards for Counseling.
- 3 Core Domains: Academic, Career, Personal-Social

Highlights of Guidance and Counseling in the US

I. 1900 – Frank Parsons and the Vocational Guidance Movement
II. WWI – Psychological Assessments in Military Recruitment
III. Great Depression – Expansion of counseling roles beyond vocational concerns
IV. Post WWII – (1) the personal and career problems of veterans, (2) the influx to higher education
V. Cold War – Increased emphasis on school counseling as part of the Nat’l Defense Education Act

PGCA Crash Course in Guidance and Counseling

History of Counseling in the Philippines

 Pre–Colonial Philippines was much like neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia, and counseling still shows
vestiges of indigenous help-seeking through
(a) superstition;
(b) reliance on elders, faith healers, and fortune tellers; and
(c) belief in the supernatural (Bulatao, 1992)
 In 1521, the Philippines was rediscovered by Ferdinand Magellan, which began the Spanish colonization,
resulting mainly in religious conquest: 80% of Filipinos are Roman Catholics (CIA, 2011).
 The American occupation, from 1898 to 1941 (and military bases into the 1990s) followed Spanish
colonization. From public school to government, the United States has had a strong influence on the
country (NSO, 2010).
 The language of instruction in the country is English, and greater respect is given to anything American
over anything Filipino. The United States has even had a significant impact on counseling because
Filipino counselors and psychologists often trained there (Salazar-Clemeña, 2002).

Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP)

Founded in 1962, the PAP endeavors to promote excellence, teaching, research, and the practice of psychology.
Its first annual national convention was held in January 1964.

The PAP publishes the flagship journal Philippine Journal of Psychology, an international refereed journal that
aims to promote psychological studies in the Philippines and of the Filipino people.

Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA)

The Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA) is a professional organization for guidance
counselors, supervisors, and counselor educators conceptualized in 1964 by a group of educators, psychologists,
and counselors, some of whom were trained in the United States.

Philippine Milestones
 From the 1970s to the 1990s, the movement in counseling was primarily indigenization (e.g., Bulatao,
1992; Enriquez, 1977) of assessments, constructs, and theories, focusing on the differences between the
counseling models learned in the United States within the context of Philippine culture and the realities of
its social issues.
 The most significant development in Philippine counseling is the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004
(Republic Act No. 9258). The Act was intended to professionalize the practice of guidance and
counseling and to create the Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and Counseling, which is under
the administrative control and supervision of the Professional Regulatory Commission.
 Prior to 2004, mental health workers did not need a license to practice nor was there a regulatory board to
ensure adequate training and ethical practice.
 Guidance counselors pioneered regulation for counseling, and psychologists are following suit through
the Philippine Psychology Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 10029), which will regulate psychology and
create a professional regulatory board for licensing psychologists (Kabiling, 2010).

Highlights of Guidance and Counseling in the Philippines

I. 1913-1943 – Counseling in the Philippines began during the American occupation
II. The first psychological clinic was established at the University of the Philippines; 2 more colleges in Manila
started providing Guidance and Counseling
III. WWII – The growth of Guidance and Counseling was hampered by the war
IV. 1940-60s – birth of professional organizations, counselor training started

PGCA Crash Course in Guidance and Counseling

V. Prior to 2004, counselor and other mental health workers did not need a license to practice, nor was there a
regulatory board to ensure adequate training.
VI. Enactment of RA 9258, Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004
VII. Enactment of RA 10092, Psychology Act of 2009
VIII. Enactment of RA 11036, Mental Health Act of 2018

Comparative Table of Counseling Practice

Country Regulating Authority Scope of Practice
Philippines Government (Professional Regulatory Specialization (on process)
Commission)
USA Government (State Boards) Specializations (certified by the
SBs)
Australia Professional Organization Specializations (certified by the
org)
Singapore Professional Organization -
New Zealand Professional Organization Specializations (certified by the
org)

Professionalization of the Practice of Guidance and Counseling

Guidance and Counseling

It is a profession that:
 involves the use of an integrated approach to the development of well-functioning individual primarily by
helping him/her
- to utilize his/her potentials to the fullest and
- plan his/her future in accordance with his/her abilities, interests and needs.

It includes functions such as:

 counseling
 psychological testing (personality, career interest, study, mental ability and aptitude)
 research
 placement

It includes functions such as:

 group process
 teaching and practicing of guidance and counseling subjects, particularly subjects given in the licensure
examinations, and
 other human development services

Guidance Counselor
- a natural person
- registered and issued a valid Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card
- performs for a fee, salary or other forms of compensation, the functions of guidance and counseling
- Qualifications:
Section 12. Examination Required - All applicants for registration for the practice of Guidance and
Counseling shall be required to undergo a licensure examination to be given by the Board and the
Commission in such places and dates as the Commission may designate in accordance with Republic Act
No. 8981, subject to compliance with the requirements prescribed by the Commission.
Section 13. Qualification for Examination - In order to qualify for the examination, an applicant must, at
the time of filing the application be:

PGCA Crash Course in Guidance and Counseling

 (a) a citizen of the republic of the Philippines or a foreigner whose country has reciprocity with the
Philippines in the practice of Guidance and Counseling;
(b) has not been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude by a competent court; and
(c) holder of a Bachelor's Degree in Guidance and Counseling or in other Allied Disciplines and a
master's degree in Guidance and Counseling from an institution in the Philippines or abroad recognized or
accredited by the CHED.

Scope of Examination
Rule 16. Scope of Examination. The examination shall be in English and shall consist of a written test covering
the following subjects:
a. Philosophical, Psychological and Sociological Foundations of Guidance (10%)
b. Counseling Theories, Tools and Techniques (35%)
c. Psychological Testing (15%)
d. Organization and Administration of Guidance Service (10%)
e. Group Process (20%)
f. Program Development
g. Career Guidance (10%)

Program

What is a program?
 Guidance Program – It is a system of services designed to improve the adjustment of each and every
person for whom it is organized.
 Career Guidance Program – a system of services designed to help an individual come up with a career
plan to meet his/her life goals and to implement the plan.
 Mental Health Program – It is a system of services designed to maintain the state of well-being of an
individual in order that s/he may realize his/her own abilities and potentials, copes adequately with the
normal stresses of life, displays resilience in the face of extreme life events, works productively and
fruitfully, and is able to make a positive contribution to the community.
 Career Guidance Advocacy Program - is a system of activities designed to guide the secondary level
learners in choosing the career tracks they intend to pursue and may be implemented by non-RGCs
pursuant to RA 10533 and with respect to RA 9258.

Services

I. Counseling Service
- Counseling is a dynamic personal interaction between the counselor and the counselee/s, where the
counselor employs methods, approaches or techniques to enhance the counselee’s intrapersonal and
interpersonal development and competencies.
- Counseling may be individualized or group.
- The Counseling Service is the heart of the Guidance Program.
- “Counseling” is considered synonymous to and interchangeable with guidance counseling (Rule 3, IRR
RA 9258).
- “The practice of Guidance and Counseling depends on gaining and honoring the trust of clients.” (Rule 9,
Code or Manual of Technical Standards for Registered and Licensed Guidance Counselors).
- Keeping trust requires an attentiveness to the quality of listening and respect offered to clients, culturally
appropriate ways of communicating that are courteous and clear, maintaining respect for privacy and
dignity, and careful attention to client’s consent and confidentiality (Rule 9, Code or Manual of Technical
Standards for Registered and Licensed Guidance Counselors).
- Counseling Process: (Cormier and Hackney, 1993)

PGCA Crash Course in Guidance and Counseling

 1. Relationship Building
2. Assessment (and Diagnosis)
3. Formulation of Counseling Goals
4. Intervention and Problem-Solving
5. Termination and Follow-up
6. Research and Evaluation
- Psychological First Aid (PFA)- Core Action Principles: Look, Listen and Link (REFER)
- Counseling: uses techniques in counseling (e.g. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused,
Reality Therapy, etc.)
- Advice vs Guidance vs Counseling:
a. Advice – one-way process: giving an opinion, making a judgment, making a recommendation
(Persuasive)
b. Guidance – one-way exchange: showing the way, educating, influencing, instructing (Encouraging)
c. Counseling – two-way exchange, enabling clients to: explore problems, understand problems, resolve,
come to terms with problems (Facilitative)

II. Psychological Testing

Is the administration and interpretation standardized tests in order to better understand the counselee/client and
their behavior. It identifies not just weaknesses of a person, but also their strengths and measures an individual’s
performance at a specific time.

The test includes the following types:

 Personality
 Career
 Interest
 Mental Ability
 Aptitude
 Achievement
 Learning and Study Orientation

III. Career Guidance

It is a process of helping an individual come up with personal career plan by collecting, collating and evaluating
various information about the self and the world of work to help the client meet his/her life goals and take the
necessary steps to implement the plan (Villar, 2009).

IV. Research
This service attempts to:
 unearth the needs of the institutional community;
 establish the need for improvement;
 validate new strategies, techniques and interventions; and
 discover different alternatives for attaining goals.

V. Placement
The service facilitates:
• the clientele’s movement to the appropriate educational or occupational level or program;
• entry into the appropriate co-curricular and extra-curricular activities;
• pursuit of further education or other employment upon leaving the institution.

It is similar to career guidance however it is mostly appropriate for tertiary level.

PGCA Crash Course in Guidance and Counseling

VI. Referral
It is a service for the provision of tapping of agencies, organizations, or individuals that may be of better
assistance in the counselee’s resolution of problems and attainment of goal.

VII. Individual Inventory

It is the collection of extensive information about the individual for proper understanding, decision-making and
placement.

VIII. Information Service

It provides the comprehensive and systematic collection and dissemination of information outside the individual
through various methods of programs to assist students in their personal, educational and occupational planning.

Laws Affecting the Practice of Guidance and Counseling

 1987 Philippine Constitution

 Batas Pambansa 232 (Education Act of 1982)
 RA 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013)
 RA 11036 (Mental Health Act of 2018)
 RA 11260 (Secondary School Guidance and Counseling Act)
 RA 9258 (Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004)

1987 Philippine Constitution

Article XIV, Sec 3, par 2:
All educational institutions shall xxx, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral character and
personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and
promote vocational efficiency.

Batas Pambansa 232 (Education Act of 1982)

Section 9. Right of Students in School, par 3:
The right to school guidance and counseling services for decisions and selecting the alternatives in fields of work
suited to his potentialities.

RA 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013)

SEC. 9. Career Guidance and Counseling Advocacy
[T]he DepED, in coordination with the DOLE, the TESDA and the CHED, shall regularly conduct career
advocacy activities for secondary level students.

Section 18. Career Advocacy Activities.

Career advocacy activities refer to activities that will guide secondary level students in choosing the career tracks
that they intend to pursue.

Career advocacy activities involve:

• provision of career information and experiences,
• advising,
• coordinating and making referrals, and may include, but are not limited to, career talks, career and job
fairs, parents’ orientations, and seminar-workshops on career decision-making

Section 19.
 Career advocacy may be conducted by career advocates and peer facilitators.
 Career advocates refer to career and employment guidance counselors who are not registered and
licensed guidance counselors.

PGCA Crash Course in Guidance and Counseling

  Career advocates include homeroom advisers and teachers of all learning areas who will implement
career advocacy activities.
 Peer facilitators are secondary-level students trained to assist career advocates in implementing career
advocacy activities.

Section 20. Role of the DepEd.

The DepEd shall:
(a) Integrate career concepts in the curriculum and undertake teaching in relevant learning areas;
(b) Conduct career assessments;
(c) Conduct regular career advocacy activities.

RA 11036 (Mental Health Act of 2018)

SEC. 9. Career Guidance and Counseling Advocacy.
[C]areer and employment guidance counselors, who are not registered and licensed guidance counselors, shall be
allowed to conduct career advocacy activities to secondary level students of the school where they are currently
employed;

Mental Health refers to a state of well-being in which the individual:

 realizes one’s own abilities and potentials
 copes adequately with the normal stresses of life
 displays resilience in the face of extreme life events
 works productively and fruitfully
 is able to make a positive contribution to the community

Mental Health Services refer to psychosocial, psychiatric or neurologic activities and programs along the whole
range of mental health support services including:
 promotion
 prevention
 treatment, and
 aftercare
which are provided by mental health facilities and mental health professionals.

Mental Health Professional refers to a medical doctor, psychologist, nurse, social worker, guidance counselor or
any other appropriately trained and qualified person with specific skills relevant to the provision of mental health
services.

Role of Educational Institutions

1. Promote mental health
2. Provide basic support services for individuals at risk or already have a mental health condition
3. Establish efficient linkages with other agencies and organizations that provide or make arrangements to provide
support, treatment and continuing care

All public and private educational institutions shall be required to have a complement of mental health
professionals.

Employers shall develop appropriate policies and programs on mental health in the workplace designed to:
 raise awareness on mental health issues
 correct the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health conditions
 identify and provide support for individuals at risk
 facilitate access of individuals with mental health conditions to treatment and psychosocial support

PGCA Crash Course in Guidance and Counseling

RA 11260 (Secondary School Guidance and Counseling Act)
SEC. 9. Career Guidance and Counseling Advocacy
Provided that they undergo a training program to be developed or accredited by the DepED.

 National Secondary School Career Guidance and Counseling Program

 CGCP Centers
 National Career Assessment Examination

RA 9258 (Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004)

Section 27. Prohibition Against the Practice of Guidance and Counseling.
No person shall:
(a) engage in the practice of guidance and counseling without a valid Certificate of Registration and the valid
Professional Identification Card or a special permit;
(b) make representations to the public or to third person as a licensed Guidance Counselor during the time that the
licensed has been revoked or suspended, and
(c) allow anybody to use his/her license as guidance counselor to enable such unqualified individual to engage in
the practice of guidance and counseling
Any unethical practice of guidance and counseling as may be defined in a Code of Ethics and Code
of Technical Standards, is prohibited.

Ethical Considerations

(Code or Manual of Technical Standards for Registered and Licensed Guidance Counselors)
Counselor Supervision
Supervisors and managers have a responsibility to help practitioners acquire professional competencies, maintain
and enhance further the guidance and counseling practice for client’s welfare.

Right to Privilege Communication

A certified guidance counselor, without the consent of the client, be examined as to any communication or
information which has been acquired while attending to such client.

The protection extends to the records and secretary or clerk who may not be examined, the knowledge of which
has been acquired in such capacity. Any evidence obtained in violation of this provision shall be inadmissible for
any purpose and any proceeding.

Exceptions:
 Client/Service-User poses harm to him/her self and the community.
 Client/Service-User expressly waives his/her right.
 Order from the competent Court of Law (via subpoena).

PGCA Crash Course in Guidance and Counseling