I entered education wanting to help individual students; I stayed because I realized systems matter just as much.
As a counseling psychologist, I was deeply interested in student wellbeing and emotional development, and serving as a school counselor came as a natural next step to me. My work centered around catering to the various needs of students: listening to their concerns, addressing emotional and behavioral challenges and working closely with families and teachers. These early expectations were formative, as they allowed me to understand students not just as learners, but as individuals navigating personal, social, and complex cultural contexts.
Over time, however, I began to notice that many of the issues students bring into counseling sessions were not isolated or purely individual in nature. Patterns started to emerge—academic pressure rooted in curriculum demands, anxiety rooted in assessment practices, behavioral issues rooted in school climate and emotional distress further exacerbated by a lack of systemic support. These issues were not limited to the student population alone, but teachers too carried these into their classrooms. Now that calls for an entire blog in itself.
Addressing these issues through counseling was effective in providing immediate relief and guidance, however, it became increasingly evident that changes were needed beyond the counseling room. Working closely with teachers and leaders further reinforced this realization. I observed how institutional decisions—from scheduling and workload expectations to disciplinary approaches and resource allocation—directly influenced student wellbeing and teacher morale. In many cases, educators were deeply committed to student success but were held back because of the systems that did not always prioritize mental health or social-emotional development. This gap in particular propelled me towards critically reflecting on the role of leadership in shaping school environments.
As my responsibilities expanded to include teaching Psychology and Early Childhood Care and Education at the high school level, as well as leading both Counseling and Psychology departments, my perspective continued to shift and not for the better. As a counselor with a full teaching schedule–another systematic issue–it allowed me to engage with the students both in and outside the classroom, while departmental leadership exposed me to decision-making processes that affect curriculum, assessment and staff support. These roles highlighted the importance of informed leadership—leadership that goes beyond understanding pedagogy to also consider the psychological and emotional dimensions of schooling.
This growing awareness ultimately led me to pursue educational leadership at the doctoral level. I entered education wanting to change individual lives but ultimately recognized that if mental health and wellbeing were to be integrated into schools, it has to be embedded within leadership practices, policies, and institutional frameworks. Educational leadership provided me the tools and leeway to influence changes at the systemic level through essential leadership skills, curriculum design, strategic planning and much more.
My journey from counseling to educational leadership has been both reflective and intentional. Counseling taught me to listen deeply and respond with empathy while leadership has encouraged me to think critically, proactively challenge systems and instilled the drive to make meaningful changes. Today, my work is guided by the belief that student wellbeing should not be treated as an add-on service but rather be treated as the core component of effective educational leadership. By bridging counseling and leadership, I hope to contribute towards creating healthier, more inclusive, and sustainable school environments that support both students and educators.
