Understanding the Experiences of Rural School Counselors Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices

Abstract

School counselors are trained to address a wide range of student needs, including academic progress, college and career readiness, and social emotional wellness. Recent public health issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, and racial violence have created an increased need for and focus on the social emotional work of school counselors. Trauma-informed practices (TIP) have become key strategies for school counselors interested in addressing student trauma within a school context. Per the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), school counselors are ethically responsible for utilizing evidence-based methods to address the holistic needs of students, especially when implementing trauma-informed care. Previous research indicates that rural schools, and by extension the school counselors within, generally feel unprepared and under-resourced to address crises or trauma. However, little is known about the implementation of TIP within rural school settings or by rural school counselors. Given that approximately one-fifth of the United States’ child population occupies rural schools, and rural communities have been found to experience more intense, frequent and specialized forms of trauma, it is critical to understand the experiences of rural school counselors addressing trauma within their schools. Therefore, this phenomenological investigation focused on exploring the lived experience of implementing TIP for eight rural school counselors across the United States. Three themes emerged: emotional experience of implementing TIP, support for implementing TIP, and practical logistics for implementing TIP. Considerations for enhancing the supports and addressing the challenges of TIP implementation for rural school counselors are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.