240. Facilitating Divorce Counseling Sessions with Ease

Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified. This month, I’ve been taking you through my lesson plans step by step to help you feel more organized and confident in your school counseling program. Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about using a curriculum map to plan lessons across all three tiers. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the previous episodes on Tier 1 and Tier 2 resources.

I love using a curriculum map because it keeps everything structured and organized. My IMPACT members get full access to these maps, allowing them to see exactly what to teach, when to teach it, and how to implement it, along with all the necessary resources. If you’re a podcast listener and want to try out the curriculum map for yourself, head to the resources section below to get lesson plans for the entire year.

Today, we’re diving into Tier 3 individual counseling, which is typically referral-based. A common reason for referrals is divorce or separation, which can be incredibly traumatic for children. In this episode, I’m sharing individual counseling strategies to help students process and cope with this major life change. You can spread these activities across multiple sessions or focus on them in a single session, depending on what best fits your student’s needs.

Individual Counseling Activities for Divorce

• Before and After Activity: Have students illustrate what their life looked like before and after their parents' divorce, then use the drawings as a conversation starter.

• Living Arrangement Calendar & Packing Checklist: Help students create a visual calendar of their new living arrangements. Discuss their feelings and help them prepare a packing checklist so they feel more secure and in control.

• Banana Split Coping Activity: Either make real banana splits or craft a banana split model to introduce different coping strategies. Each topping represents a coping skill, such as exercising, listening to music, journaling, or talking to a trusted adult.

• Journaling: Depending on the student’s age, you can use open-ended journaling, guided prompts, visual sorting activities, or structured lists to help them express their thoughts and emotions.

• Coping Skills Toolbox: Work together to create a personalized toolbox of strategies the student can use when feeling overwhelmed. The student can label the individual tools with coping strategies such as: breathing exercises, sensory tools, or calming techniques.

Tracking Progress: Individual Counseling Data Tools

It’s essential to track progress in individual counseling. Use self-assessments and gather behavioral data from parents and teachers to measure whether the intervention is effective. This data can help determine if the student is making progress or if additional support is needed.

I hope these ideas give you a solid starting point for supporting students navigating divorce or separation. If you’re looking for more structured plans and resources, check out the IMPACT membership or grab the free curriculum map in the links below. Thank you for joining me, and I’ll see you next week for another step in simplifying your school counseling program!

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If you are looking for additional resources, you can find my free curriculum map and learn more about my IMPACT membership in the links below. I hope this episode helps you plan your Tier 2 small groups with confidence. Stay tuned as we continue step-by-step lesson planning this month.

Resources mentioned:

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• Join my FREE Live Training here!

• Check out my FREE lesson plans!

• Divorce Individual Curriculum

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More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!