A Solution-Focused Model: Integrating Counseling Concepts into Higher Education Academic Advising

Abstract

Abstract Academic advisors in higher education interact and engage with students in various academic disciplines from freshman year through graduation, and have the greatest opportunity to impact students’ sense of belonging to their universities. During a time of global hardship in education, it is crucial to equip frontline student-facing personnel with accessible, practical methods to help students maintain hope and find solutions to move educational goals forward. This conceptual paper offers a framework for the integration of school counseling methods with academic advising. Institutional personnel can utilize practical tools taken from solution-focused brief therapy to help students actualize their educational goals during times of hardship.