Untitled

School Counselors in International School: Critical Issues and Challenges

“…Interestingly, various authors have noted several challenges related to counselor professional development in countries outside the USA. For instance, in reflecting on the state of counseling in settings such as Israel (Erhard and Harel 2005;Lazovsky and Shimoni 2007;Mar'l 1988), India (Natrajan and Thomas 2002;Chaudhary and Bansal 2000;Unnithan 1986), Hong Kong (Hue 2007;Leung et al 2007;Hui 2000), Kuwait (Abal and Hornby 1995;Al-Sarraf 1993;Abu-Eita and Sherif 1990), Australia (Humes 1991;McMahon and Patton 2001), Greece (Dimakos 2006;Giordano 1997), Pakistan (Choudhry et al 2008;Jimerson et al 2007;Almas and Ibrahim 1985), authors highlight the limited role that school counselors play in addressing students' mental health needs. Some authors speak to limited counselor training and a lack of clarity in school counselor roles, whereas others highlight the notion that mental health issues are seen as inconsequential alongside higher educational expectations.…”

Counseling and Family Therapy in India: Evolving Professions in a Rapidly Developing Nation

“…It is important to recognize, however, that these "rules of thumb" should be considered with the understanding that India is one of the most culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse nations in the world, albeit with some common threads and themes running through the culture at large (see Carson and Chowdhury 2000;Das 2007;James et al 2002;Mittal and Hardy 2005;Natrajan and Thomas 2002;Prabhu 2003;Raney and Cinarbas 2005;and Rastogi et al 2005).…”

Learning About Parenting Together: A Programme to Support Parents with Inter-generational Concerns in Pune, India

“…In contexts such as urban India, where children and young adults are increasingly dealing with psycho-social issues such as substance abuse, insecurity, stress and anxiety, and sometimes suicidal tendencies (Arun and Chavan 2009; Radhakrishnan et al 2016; Patel et al 2012), protective home environments may be crucial (Mitra et al 2012; Priti and Chauhan 2009; Menon 2013; Verma et al 2002). At the same time, parenting is likely to be experienced as more complex, counter-intuitive and taxing in countries, such as India, which are undergoing rapid societal transitions (Chadda and Deb 2013; Natrajan and Thomas 2002). …”

“…In India, for example, the number of two-income couples increased by 58% between 1979 and 1996 (Census of India 2001). Similarly, societal norms increasingly emphasize parents’ obligation to be actively involved in every aspect of their children’s social and psycho-educational development (Furedi 2001), putting pressure on parents and also on children, who experience increasing parental intentions and control (Lee et al 2010; Natrajan and Thomas 2002). Subject to these norms, parents are intensively involved in their children’s education, closely monitoring their food intake, school bags, teachers, homework projects, and results (Lee et al 2010; Deb et al 2013), while also worrying about protecting them from harmful practices on the internet and monitoring their relations with peers (Manjikian 2012, p. 9).…”

“…Subject to these norms, parents are intensively involved in their children’s education, closely monitoring their food intake, school bags, teachers, homework projects, and results (Lee et al 2010; Deb et al 2013), while also worrying about protecting them from harmful practices on the internet and monitoring their relations with peers (Manjikian 2012, p. 9). For instance, Natrajan and Thomas (2002, p. 491) describe how middle-class parents in Madras worry about their children receiving too much information, exposing them to more ideas than when they were young, making it harder for them to ‘keep up’.…”