April 16, 2018
Using Props in School Counseling
At the end of every school year, I ask my sixth grade students to reflect back on all the classroom lessons they can remember from Kindergarten on up. Without fail, the lessons they remember the most are ones that I have used some type of hook, game or prop to go with it. Using props […]
Continue reading April 4, 2018
How to Start Group Counseling Sessions
How you start group counseling sessions sets the tone for the next 20 to 40 minutes. You can spend that time getting everyone settled and waiting to start or you can use those 5 minutes with purpose. I have a couple different warm-up activities that I use. I vary these depending on the focus, the […]
Continue reading March 21, 2018
Pillboxes: Creative Ideas for School Counseling
Target’s Bullseye’s Playground (did you know that’s the real name for what we all call the “dollar spot”??) is great, but I’ve also been loving some finds at the dollar store. On one of my recent trips, my eye was drawn to the pillboxes. I had no plan in mind but just knew I could think of […]
Continue reading March 19, 2018
5 Ways to Reframe Negative Thoughts
Empower students to escape negative thinking traps by guiding them to reframe negative thoughts. Once students identify these cognitive distortions, real change can begin. These thoughts hold them back and keep them from their full potential. In cognitive behavioral therapy, there are dozens of thinking errors that cause the mind to believe things that are […]
Continue reading March 16, 2018
How do you use non-counseling games in counseling?
How often do you grab the Ungame off the shelf? What about Uno or Jenga? We know who wins that contest. Non-counseling games can be such great tools in the office. They engage students immediately, game play is familiar, and you can cover tons of different topics with the same game. I’m sold. Incorporate Games […]
Continue reading March 12, 2018
5 Ways to Use Dominoes in School Counseling
Who loves dominoes? No, I don’t mean the pizza but the traditional game with black dots on white rectangular game pieces. For the price of a box of pizza, you can use dominoes in school counseling in these 5 creative ways. Icebreakers Flip dominoes upside down and have students choose one. Then they count the […]
Continue reading March 8, 2018
How do you manage relational aggression?
Relational aggression can quickly take up a lot of a school counselor’s time and leave young girls frustrated and hurt. We’ve all had crying girls in our office trying to decipher the nuance of the slight that occurred. The silver lining is that it does provide us with regular opportunities to work on healthy relationships […]
Continue reading February 5, 2018
Facilitating Psychoeducational Groups in Schools
One of my professional goals for this year is to keep refining my school counseling support groups. To do this, I’ve been compiling the latest and greatest best practice psychoeducational group counseling tips and techniques. Now, I’d like to share this essential group counseling information with you! So, let’s start off with a definition- what […]
Continue reading January 26, 2018
What’s the secret for successful small group counseling?
Small group counseling is an essential part of a school counselor’s role, and boy is it tough. Facilitating useful small groups goes beyond meeting over lunch. Some confident counselors have tips for how they keep things purposeful, effective, and fun. Know Your Purpose I get asked this question all the time, especially since I have […]
Continue reading January 22, 2018
Using Mindfulness In School Counseling
Mindfulness is popping up everywhere nowadays. As a school based counselor, teaching students to focus on the present moment and acknowledge their thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental way seems like a dream. Better yet, there is research to prove that it can decrease behavioral problems, decrease symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, and increase […]
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