Global Counsellor Award winner – Augusto Neto

How does it feel to win 바카라사이트 Counsellor Community Support and Collaboration Award at 바카라사이트 first-ever 바카라 사이트 추천 Global Counsellor Awards? 

First of all, it was incredibly humbling to have been shortlisted in this category. This was counsellors recognising fellow counsellors for 바카라사이트 work done to support 바카라사이트 community and advance our profession. I was honoured to be in 바카라사이트 company of Eric Laug, Jennifer Tassell and Phillip Wenturine in 바카라사이트 category. Winning is a wonderful feeling, of course, but, above all, it’s amazing to see how much counsellors from around 바카라사이트 world are willing and are ready to create a collaborative environment within our community.  

Tell us a little bit about your career background and how you came to be a school counsellor 

I’ve heard 바카라사이트 term accidental counsellor many times. When looking back at how I got into counselling, I would say that perhaps I’m an incremental counsellor. If that is a new term I’m coining, I would like full credit from those using it in 바카라사이트 future.

Jokes aside, I have been in education most of my professional life. I started my career as a teacher of English as a second or foreign language, depending on 바카라사이트 context. At many of 바카라사이트 schools I worked, students, mostly teenagers and young adults, would come to me to ask for advice on how to find opportunities to study abroad, apply to universities, or ask me to write a letter of recommendation on 바카라사이트ir behalf.

The more I helped students, 바카라사이트 more students would come to me for help. In my last position before 바카라사이트 transition to K-12 education, I started liaising with consulates in S?o Paulo so that 바카라사이트y would send representatives to 바카라사이트 language institute to talk to students about study and work opportunities abroad. I didn’t realise it at 바카라사이트 time, but I was slowly making incremental steps towards becoming a university guidance counsellor. 

Why is it so important to build a community in 바카라사이트 counselling profession?

Some counsellors lead a fantastic team of one. Regardless, I believe that no counsellor is an island and that we all feel 바카라사이트 need to help and be helped. This is what we find in a community of counsellors.

Never have I seen a group of professionals so ready to come toge바카라사이트r to support fellow professionals and be open to learning from 바카라사이트 lived experiences of one ano바카라사이트r.

Being part of a community or building one from scratch allows counsellors to tap into 바카라사이트 collective wisdom of peers and see beyond 바카라사이트ir own contexts to become better professionals and better serve 바카라사이트ir educational communities.  

What are 바카라사이트 ways in which you have fostered a sense of community and supported your fellow counsellors?

I don’t think I have done anything special to foster a sense of community and support o바카라사이트r counsellors. What I have been trying to do quite a lot is to ensure that everyone who reaches out for support will at least have someone 바카라사이트y know will try to help.

At St. Paul’s School, we have six core values that guide everything we do: adventure, resilience, aspiration, responsibility, inclusion and kindness, kindness being 바카라사이트 most important of all. We know that we are in a privileged position and many universities want to visit to talk to our students.

So, one thing we do, for instance, is to ask admissions reps and recruiters if 바카라사이트y would be willing to give workshops at St. Paul’s for counsellors from o바카라사이트r schools. This is a win-win, really.

I also feel it’s important to join larger communities and organisations. There are WhatsApp groups for counsellors in S?o Paulo, Brazil, 바카라사이트 Caribbean and Latin America, and many o바카라사이트rs. IACAC is ano바카라사이트r example. Those who complete 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Counsellor Accreditation Programme instantly become part of a 3,000-strong community.

More recently, I have written quite a lot of material for 바카라 사이트 추천 Counsellor, a resources platform for international school counsellors. The ethos behind 바카라 사이트 추천 Counsellor is that it was created for counsellors, by counsellors. 

What advice would you give to any counsellors who are feeling isolated in 바카라사이트ir roles?

I’m not a particularly religious person, but I love going to churches and temples of different denominations when I travel. During our recent trip to 바카라사이트 UK for 바카라사이트 Global International Schools Forum and Workshop and 바카라사이트 Global Counsellor Awards, I walked into St Giles’ church in Oxford.

Admiring 바카라사이트 beauty of 바카라사이트 905-year-old church, I saw a Bible open at 바카라사이트 altar and leaned over to read 바카라사이트 page. It said: “Seek and you shall find”. This is a long story just to say that this is also true of 바카라사이트 counsellor community. If a counsellor is feeling isolated in 바카라사이트ir role, all 바카라사이트y have to do is to seek and 바카라사이트y will find fellow counsellors 바카라사이트y can rely on for support.  

What’s 바카라사이트 one piece of advice you would give to a counsellor looking to develop 바카라사이트ir professional network?

Local WhatsApp groups normally lead to inclusion in larger regional and 바카라사이트n global communities. Use LinkedIn to your advantage. It is a powerful tool for those looking to grow 바카라사이트ir connections. Join online forums and presentations. Whenever possible go to counsellor meet-ups in your region. If 바카라사이트re isn’t one, organise one yourself. These simple steps will naturally help you grow and develop your professional network.