Reclaiming the System: Group Counseling Landscape in Schools

Abstract

Postpandemic culture has provided educators the opportunity to rebuild and reclaim the education system from its very foundation. Pioneering researchers in school counseling have begun reexamining what antiracist school counseling programs look like and providing school counselors practical recommendations for addressing racism and dismantling racist policies and procedures in their schools. This article disseminates findings from a quantitative research study that examined how school counselors are currently utilizing the lens of power, privilege, and intersectionality in their implementation of small groups in their schools. The results indicated that about half (52%) of participants are implementing small-group counseling through this lens while the other half are not. Further results showed that, demographically, school counselors who identified as Black or African American are more likely to do this critical work. We discuss implications for practitioners as they explore their own racial identity and battle racial inequities in schools.