ABSTRACT
There has always been a natural connection between emotional intelligence and the work of the professional school counselor. Long before the term emotional intelligence was used by Peter Salovey and Jack Mayer in 1990, school counselors were focused on the social-emotional development of students (Sink, 2005; Smith & Mink, 1969). The interpersonal dynamics that characterize the counseling process rest on the emotional interactions of the counselor and client. Whether the school counselor is working with an individual student, facilitating a group, teaching a class, consulting with a parent or teacher, or intervening in a whole ecological system, the emotional aspects of human relationships come into play. Human relationships are the medium in which counselors work. It is through interpersonal relationships that counselors can effectively facilitate positive change at different levels in a school.
Effective counselors are inherently emotionally intelligent, whether they know of the term or not. Many are already are aware of the concept and seek to integrate it into their own practice and their school communities at large.
