School Counseling Simplified Podcast
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.
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201. Using Play Therapy in School Counseling with Patti Sutherland
06/18/2024
201. Using Play Therapy in School Counseling with Patti Sutherland
In today's episode, I chat with Patti Sutherland and discuss the benefits of incorporating play therapy in school counseling programs, emphasizing its accessibility and effectiveness in addressing trauma and loss in children. Patti has a Masters in Social Work and has been a social worker for over 30 years. She has worked with children in women's shelter's, family violence programs, schools and spent 12 years in private practice. She is a Certified Play therapist with The Canadian Association of Play Therapy. She enjoys providing training for educators in the area of developmental trauma in the classroom and is currently a school social worker in the Winnipeg School Division in Winnipeg, Canada. About a year ago Patti decided she would try her hand at creating resources for school counselors and opened a TPT shop. A major learning curve, but an exciting new adventure. Some highlights from this episode are: How to incorporate play therapy into individual, small group, and whole-class sessions. Using Collage-making and cooperative games for easy play therapy implementation. How to use genogram miniatures to help students make unconscious conclusions about their families a Sneak Peak at Patti's session at the IMPACT Summer Summit Listen in for the whole inside scoop! Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: Connect with Patti: 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 , , , and more!
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200. Executive Functioning Strategies for School Counselors with Sarah Lovell
06/11/2024
200. Executive Functioning Strategies for School Counselors with Sarah Lovell
In today's episode I am chatting with Executive Function and ADHD coach Sarah Lovell about practical strategies school counselors can use to improve their own executive functioning skills and help students. Sarah Lovell (she/her) is an executive function & ADHD coach for ambitious professionals, college students, creatives, and perfectionists. With a background as a Master’s level social worker, Sarah believes self-care & self-talk are the foundation of everything we do (including executive functioning!). She’s spent 10 years helping clients overcome procrastination, burnout, time blindness, and overwhelm. She loves helping clients notice their self-talk, shift their mindset, and build a toolbox of realistic strategies through 1:1 coaching and her membership, The Stuck to Started Society. When Sarah isn't working, she's taking her rescue pitbull Georgia on a trail hike, paddle boarding, or snuggling up with a good book. Some highlights from this episode are: The importance of addressing negative self-talk around executive functioning challenges. Using an organized external system to manage tasks and thoughts to avoid mental overload. Distinguishing between procrastination and being "stuck" when facing tasks. Separating planning from taking action to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Time management strategies that will be covered in Sarah's Summer Summit session, including intuitive scheduling and prioritizing questions. Tune in and let me know what you think! Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: Connect with Sarah: 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 , , , and more!
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199. Supporting Students in a Crisis with Joyce Harduvel
06/04/2024
199. Supporting Students in a Crisis with Joyce Harduvel
In Today's episode I am welcoming back Joyce Harduvel, (who will also be at this year's IMPACT Summer Summit), to give her insight on supporting students in Crisis. Joyce is a licensed clinical social worker and a certified school social work specialist. After seven years in the field of school social work working with students from preschool to high school, she is pivoting to provide school-based clinicians with the resources, community, and training that they need to support their students. Recognizing that most of what she used on a daily basis as a school social worker she had to learn through experience and create herself, Joyce is committed to sharing her expertise to make the lives of school-based clinicians easier so that they can focus on the important part: the students! Listen In for some of these highlights!: The importance of acknowledging how schools can contribute to student trauma through both major incidents and more subtle interactions. Recommendations for establishing crisis response protocols and teams to avoid one counselor being overwhelmed. Examples of concrete tools like flowcharts counselors can use to map out contingency plans for different crisis situations. A Preview of Joyce's IMPACT Summer Summit session covering her "secret sauce" for comprehensive crisis response strategies. Joyce's venture back into school and her plans to focus on special education law to better advocate for students' rights. It's truly a do not miss! Listen in now! Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: Connect with Joyce: 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 , , , and more!
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198. Rock the interview with this advice!
05/28/2024
198. Rock the interview with this advice!
In this episode, I'm covering all things counselor interviews. Remember when you were interviewing for counseling positions or maybe you're interviewing right now? I know that it was an emotional roller coaster preparing, interviewing and dealing with rejection. It took me quite a few interviews before landing my dream job. That's why I love to talk about this! AND I decided to tag in some help! Thank you to everyone who submitted their advice! Listen in to hear us eloborate on these pieces of advice: Research the school - Look up demographics, mission, goals and relate how you can contribute. Don't sell yourself short - Be confident in your skills and experiences. Embrace your individuality - Admin want to see your genuine personality and fit with school culture. Prioritize students - Give examples of how you make students a top priority. Thank you notes - Writing thank you notes that stand out and are appreciated by interviewers. Seriously, this is a DO NOT MISS! Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: 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 , , , and more!
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197. Supporting Parents Using an SEL Summer Toolkit
05/21/2024
197. Supporting Parents Using an SEL Summer Toolkit
In today's episode, I am sharing all my strategies to help school counselors to tie up loose ends at the end of the school year and support students' mental health over the summer months. Some Highlights: Implementing Termination strategies for school counseling groups Creating an End-of-year report and data wall for advocating counselor role Getting summer support plans in place with community resources How to make Summer SEL toolkits for parents to support students Some fun ideas for summer SEL toolkit with activities for families Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: 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 , , , and more!
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196. Interview Dos and Don'ts with Lauren Tingle
05/14/2024
196. Interview Dos and Don'ts with Lauren Tingle
In Today's episode I chat with Lauren Tingle. We are diving into all things school counselor interviews. The do's don'ts, interview preparation and our experiences, we will be sharing advice and tips for common scenarios we have seen! Lauren is a former high school counselor turned content creator and curriculum writer. She is the high school counseling hype girl behind Counselor Clique helping other high school counselors energize and breathe life into their programs through creative and engaging counseling resources. She’s also the host of the podcast “High School Counseling Conversations” and also runs a membership for high school counselors called the Clique Collaborative where she brings value and fun into high school counseling. Some topics covered in this episode are: Creating summer SEL toolkits for busy school counselors. Returning to work after maternity leave in the school counseling field. How to approach job interviews and bring enthusiasm to a new role. Job interviews, storytelling, and overcoming insecurities. Selling one's unique experiences and skills as a school counselor candidate. Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: Connect with Lauren: - 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 , , , and more!
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195. A day in the life of school counselor and author Malisa Hepner
05/07/2024
195. A day in the life of school counselor and author Malisa Hepner
In today's episode I chat with Malisa Hepner, an elementary school counselor and published children's book author. She discusses her background and strategies for building relationships with students and staff. She also shares tips for wrapping up the school year. Here are some things we covered: How Malisa supports students and staff through intentional relationship-building and acts of kindness to boost morale. Malisa emphasizes the importance of proactive tier 1 instruction and teaching common SEL skills to teachers. Advocating for her role while maintaining boundaries and providing summer crisis resources for students. New counselor advice to build relationships and focus on serving students effectively. Malisa's self-published children's books related to her counseling lessons on topics like bullying prevention. Listen in to hear it all! Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: 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 , , , and more!
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194. Approaching Anxiety with a Collaborative and Trauma-Informed Lens with Courtney Bennett
04/30/2024
194. Approaching Anxiety with a Collaborative and Trauma-Informed Lens with Courtney Bennett
In today's episode we discuss anxiety strategies for school counselors with expert Courtney Bennett. Courtney is a passionate school counselor and mom of three. She loves to learn, so you will most often find her with a book in hand. She has spent the last several years studying about anxiety, trauma, and executive functioning and enjoys the challenge of putting this expertise to the test with real kids.. Courtney shares personal experience with anxiety and strategies for managing it with students. Strategies include externalizing worries, naming emotions, and reframing mindsets about stress. Listen in for more highlights including: Externalizing techniques to help students distance from overwhelming feelings Educating the whole school community using consistent language and care plans Teaching positive mindset interventions about stress responses Considering bottom-up or top-down anxiety interventions for each student Learning clinical approaches to anxiety from experts like Lynn Lyons Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: 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 , , , and more!
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193. Exploring expressive arts therapy and the importance of tier one interventions with Casey O'Brien Martin
04/23/2024
193. Exploring expressive arts therapy and the importance of tier one interventions with Casey O'Brien Martin
On today's episode, we explored a variety of strategies for managing student anxiety with special guest Casey O’Brien Martin. Casey shared her wealth of experience working as both an art therapist and school counselor. Casey O’Brien Martin is a Mom of two boys and a mini schnuazer named Hurley. She is the author of the book Skills for Big Feelings: A Guide for Teaching Kids Relaxation, Regulation, and Coping Techniques. She works as a school adjustment counselor in Massachusetts and runs Whole Child Counseling. She is also a licensed mental health counselor, a registered nurse, and a registered expressive arts therapist. Some topics covered in this episode are: Origami box activity helps MS students express themselves Teaching all students coping skills through universal prevention strategies Addressing anxiety and avoidance behaviors in students Casey's Book "Skills for Big Feelings" offers 12-week curriculum for coping techniques Somatic techniques like "shake, wiggle, shake" to help kids manage anxiety Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: 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 , , , and more!
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192. Using Mindfulness As An Anxiety AND Executive Functioning Strategy
04/16/2024
192. Using Mindfulness As An Anxiety AND Executive Functioning Strategy
In this episode of School Counseling Simplified, your host, Rachel, shares powerful mindfulness strategies for managing student anxiety and executive functioning. Here are some highlights: Mindfulness activates the prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex, areas of the brain linked to attention, executive functions, and learning. A study found students who practiced mindfulness improved their executive functioning skills like behavioral regulation. Rachel demonstrated mindful breathing exercises like dragon breath and flower breath for elementary students. Guided meditations can help students become aware of sounds in mindfulness session two. Increasing sensory awareness through 5-4-3-2-1 grounding Listen In to hear more! Resources mentioned: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: 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 , , , and more!
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191. Setting Boundaries, Therapy Dogs, and More Ways to Beat Anxiety with Laura Filtness
04/09/2024
191. Setting Boundaries, Therapy Dogs, and More Ways to Beat Anxiety with Laura Filtness
In today's episode, I chat with Laura Filtness about anxiety strategies. Laura talks through the importance of setting professional boundaries and using therapy dogs in counseling programs. We discuss practical applications for managing anxiety in students and school counselors, including mindful moments, expanding the window of tolerance, and using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques. Laura also shares her passion for using picture books in counseling and her involvement in mentoring new counselors. Laura is a school counselor with more than 15 years of experience. In 2017, she was honored with the title of Elementary Tennessee School Counselor of the Year. Her passion is to foster empathy among children through the use of picture books. Her therapy dog, Boss, has inspired her to continue his legacy and promote empathy through picture books. Some Highlights: Monthly counselor community circles and calls for sharing wins, troubleshooting tough cases, and discussing counselor experiences. Laura's expertise in using picture books in counseling programs, including her upcoming presentation at ASCO on the topic. Strategies for managing anxiety, including setting professional boundaries, using therapy dogs, and practicing mindfulness. Practical applications for supporting students with anxiety, such as identifying physical signs of stress, expanding the window of tolerance, and using CBT techniques. Laura's passion for mentoring new counselors and helping them navigate challenges such as paperwork, time management, organization, and setting boundaries. Resources mentioned: Ep 147 with Laura If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: 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 , , , and more!
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190. CBT Anxiety Strategies with Jessica Leinen
04/02/2024
190. CBT Anxiety Strategies with Jessica Leinen
Anxiety remains our focus this week as we have gotten such an overwhleming response and need to continue to cover this topic. Today, Jessica, from Counseling Adventures, joins the conversation to share valuable insights and practical strategies for addressing anxiety among students. Drawing from her 10 years of experience, Jessica offers tips for parents, teachers, and fellow counselors, emphasizing the importance of understanding and managing different types of anxiety in the school setting. Gain a deeper understanding of common anxiety triggers among middle schoolers and learn effective techniques, including cognitive-behavioral approaches and relaxation exercises, to support students in coping with their emotions. Tune in to discover actionable steps for creating a supportive environment for students dealing with anxiety. Some topics covered in this episode are: Strategies for teaching anxiety to students Understanding how anxiety shows up for individual students Practical techniques for addressing anxiety in middle school students Preventive measures for anxiety, including emotional identification and coping skills Advice for new school counselors, emphasizing self-care and experimentation with new approaches Resources mentioned: Check out Jessica Middle school resources Save your spot for this month's Coffee with the Counselor: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please Connect with Rachel: 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 , , , and more!
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189: Anxiety Roundup: How to Support Anxious Students with Ashley Bartley
03/26/2024
189: Anxiety Roundup: How to Support Anxious Students with Ashley Bartley
Separation anxiety has always impacted kids but it seems to be much more prevalent in the past few years since the pandemic. We see it in students crying as they are exiting their cars in the morning, refusing to come to school, and feeling sick in the nurse’s office. We all want to help these students cope with this anxiety as best as possible so Ashley Bartley is joining us to share practical tips and strategies to help our students who struggle with separation anxiety. Ashley Bartley, M.Ed., NCC, is a school counselor, author, and curriculum writer. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia and her M.Ed. in School Counseling from the College of William & Mary. She has five social emotional learning children's books published with Boys Town Press and is the creator of Counselor Station, where she develops curriculum and resources for busy school counselors. Ashley lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and three young boys. She enjoys hiking, reading, and traveling. Ashley has so much knowledge when it comes to helping students with separation anxiety. In this episode, Ashley shares signs that a student is experiencing separation anxiety, some strategies she has found helpful when working with students, and her favorite preventative strategies for separation anxiety. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for this month's Coffee with the Counselor: Episode 80: Anxiety Counseling Crash Course: Episode 81: Anxiety Strategies for Class Counseling Lessons: Episode 82: Anxiety Strategies for Small Group Counseling: Episode 83: Anxiety Strategies for Individual Counseling: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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188: Anxiety Deep Dive with School Psych Sophia (Everything From CBT to Selective Mutism!)
03/19/2024
188: Anxiety Deep Dive with School Psych Sophia (Everything From CBT to Selective Mutism!)
Anxiety does not just impact older students and adults. There are many elementary students who struggle with anxiety as well! As a school counselor, it can be challenging to determine the root of that anxiety and figure out what strategies may be beneficial for your student. I know we all want to support our students as best as possible so I am so excited to have Sophia from School Psych Finds on to share some knowledge and insights about helping our students with anxiety! Sophia is trained as a school psychologist and has worked with families & children of all ages. She received her B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and her M.A. & Ed.S. degrees in Educational & School Psychology from Loyola Marymount University. She runs the social media accounts & podcasts: School Psych Mom & School Psych Finds. She recently became a new mom to a baby boy and cares for him full time. She enjoys sharing information and creating resources targeted towards mental health, parenting, and school psychology. Sophia has such a wealth of knowledge about anxiety in students! In this episode, she is sharing anxiety strategies she loves to use with kids, the steps to take when working with students with anxiety, insight into CBT and selective mutism, and preventative strategies for anxiety. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for this month's Coffee with the Counselor: Check out TherapistAid.com: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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187: 3 Grounding Strategies to Help Anxious Students
03/12/2024
187: 3 Grounding Strategies to Help Anxious Students
I think all of us can agree that kids are more anxious now than ever. And as school counselors, trying to find effective tools and strategies to figure out why our students are so anxious and help our students calm down can be challenging. So how can we help these students? I completely understand how difficult it can be to come up with strategies when you have a student in your office whose anxiety is high. Having practical, easy to implement strategies handy for when your student needs them is helpful to both you and your students. If you’ve found yourself struggling to come up with a calming strategy on the spot, this episode is for you! I am sharing 3 of my favorite grounding strategies (plus a bonus strategy!) you can use with your students right away! I’m also sharing one of my favorite preventative strategies you can use with your students before they are in the midst of high anxiety. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for the FREE live training, Help Studnets Break the Stress Cycle: The Anxiety Management Tool You Didn't Learn in Grad School!: Grab your Anxiety Poster FREEBIE: Anxiety & Worry Individual Counseling Curriculum | Coping Skills and Strategies: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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186: Easy and Effective Anxiety Strategies with Mallory Zolinas
03/05/2024
186: Easy and Effective Anxiety Strategies with Mallory Zolinas
Students of all ages can suffer from anxiety or feel anxious about certain situations. Teaching them effective coping strategies for managing their anxiety is so empowering for them and can help them feel more calm in stressful situations. I always love to hear tips and strategies from other school counselors and I am so excited to have Mallory Zolinas join me to share some coping strategies for anxiety that she teaches her students. Mallory is a 5th year Elementary School Counselor working with students in grades Pre-k through 4. She has been an IMPACT member for almost 2 years and loves having ready to use school counseling resources available any time I need them for individual sessions, group sessions, or class lessons. In this episode, Mallory is sharing what she finds frustrating and what she loves about her job, what a day in her role looks like, and her favorite coping strategies for anxiety. Mallory has some incredible, easy to implement strategies she has found success with for her Pre-K through 4th grade students and I know you will walk away with new ideas to help make an even bigger impact on your students! * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Sign up for the next Coffee with the Counselor: Grab the Brain Dump FREEBIE: Check out the Breathing Stick Activity: Mini Paper Shredder: Worry Shredder Label: Mindfulness Moments for Kids: Hot Cocoa Calm Book: Follow Mallory on Instagram: Get the Hot Cocoa Breathing Handout: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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185: Assessing Counseling Lessons...Simplified!
02/27/2024
185: Assessing Counseling Lessons...Simplified!
We are wrapping up our series on school counselor competencies with my favorite topics: assessing and data! Showcasing assessments and data is such an incredible way to advocate for your role and show your program’s progress to stakeholders. In addition to it being an amazing way to advocate for your role, assessing and reporting program results is an ASCA school counselor competency! Sharing your program’s progress and impact doesn’t need to be incredibly complicated and now is a great time to start thinking about how you want to share your data with stakeholders. Two of my favorite ways to showcase the benefits of school counseling is by creating an end of the year report and displaying a data wall. Both are amazing ways to share important data with parents, teachers, admin, and others! In this episode, I am sharing how I like to use both these options as ways to present the impact school counselors make. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for February's Coffee with the Counselor Training: ASCA Professional Competencies: How to Create a School Counseling End of the Year Report: Get the School Counseling EDITABLE End of the Year Report: Check out the School Counseling Data Wall: Episode 184: Planning Counseling Lessons...Simplified!: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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184: Planning Counseling Lessons...Simplified!
02/20/2024
184: Planning Counseling Lessons...Simplified!
Have you looked at the ASCA school counselor competencies and been totally overwhelmed? This whole month, I am focusing on simplifying these standards and making them easy to understand and easy to implement. We’ve previously covered direct and indirect student services and now it’s time for one of my absolute favorite topics, planning. If you’re a planner like me, you are going to love this, too! Planning doesn’t need to be complicated! There is a lot of jargon in the ASCA school counselor competencies but planning really comes down to three simple steps. In this episode, I am breaking down the three steps of planning: identifying the gap, developing goals, and implementing action steps. I am also giving practical examples of what this may look like so you can better understand each step and implement them without confusion! * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for February's Coffee with the Counselor Training: ASCA Professional Competencies: ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors: Episode 183: Direct Student Services 101: Episode 182: Indirect Student Services 101: Episode 161: How to Plan Data Driven Small Groups: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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183: Direct Student Services 101
02/13/2024
183: Direct Student Services 101
Direct student services may not sound super interesting but this is the good stuff! It’s the things we all enjoy doing and the reasons we became school counselors. Direct student services are when we are working with students in one on one settings, small groups, and class lessons. We all know that providing these services are the key parts of our role but how can we be sure we are delivering the best services possible to your students? The ASCA professional competencies can be a bit challenging to read, understand, and implement, and as busy school counselors, it can be hard to find time to sort through them and figure out how they would look in an actual school counseling setting. That is why I dove into them, split them down into direct and indirect services, and broke down each behavior listed so you can get the info you need without the added stress. So in this episode, I am sharing the importance of each behavior and giving you some ideas and tangible things you can do to make sure that you're providing the best services possible. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for February's Coffee with the Counselor Training: ASCA Professional Competencies: Grab the Social Emotional Learning Boom Cards Super Bundle: Episode 182: Indirect Student Services 101: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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182: Indirect Student Services 101
02/06/2024
182: Indirect Student Services 101
What are indirect student services? We all know there is so much that goes into school counseling besides just the class lessons, small groups, and individual sessions. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes. These indirect student services are so important to making the biggest impact possible on all of our students. If you’re looking through the ASCA website, it may seem wordy, formal, and confusing making it challenging to determine what you should consider direct or indirect student services. So I went through and broke down the standards and competencies into easier to understand language, giving you the info you need without all the confusion! In this episode, I am sharing the ASCA standards and competencies that are considered indirect student services and explaining what each one means so you can better understand how to log the time you are spending doing these tasks. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for January's Coffee with the Counselor Training: ASCA Student Standards: ASCA Professional Competencies: Episode 161: How to Plan Data Driven Small Groups: Episode 142: Data Deep Dive: Measuring Services Provided: Episode 47: How You Can Use Your Small Group Data to Form Your Groups and Determine Their Effectiveness: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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181: Document Services and Cross Off To-Dos
01/30/2024
181: Document Services and Cross Off To-Dos
If you’re like me, you’re always looking for new ways to increase your productivity. As busy school counselors, we need to save every minute we can by finding more efficient ways to do things that work for our personalities and busy schedules. As we wrap up our productivity series, I want to share some of my favorite ways to more efficiently document services provided and ideas for how to make your to do list a little more effective. You know I love sharing tips, tricks, and tools I have found that make your job as a school counselor a little easier. So in today’s episode, I am sharing 3 efficient options for documenting services provided so you can find the best fit for you. Plus, I am sharing my favorite tools for digitizing my to do list to make it a little more manageable! * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for January's Coffee with the Counselor Training: Check out my Counseling Log Template: 4 Systems for Implementing an Intentional Counseling Program: School Counselor Questions: How Do I Collect Data During the School Year: 5 Strategies for Stress Free Data Collection: Trello: To Do List: Due App: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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180: Increase Productivity with Batching!
01/23/2024
180: Increase Productivity with Batching!
We are all about productivity this month because I love helping school counselors make the most of their time to make the biggest impact they can! We talked last week about using a time audit to figure out where you are spending your time and how to cut out things that you don’t need to be doing, but how else can you make the most of your time? Batching! We have so many things to accomplish each day and it’s amazing how much time we spend switching between these tasks. That’s why I highly recommend batching where you can! In this episode, I am sharing how I love to batch my communication so that emails, phone calls, and meetings aren’t taking up all your free time. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for January's Coffee with the Counselor Training: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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179: How to Perform a School Counseling Time Audit
01/16/2024
179: How to Perform a School Counseling Time Audit
It’s January, the start of a new year and what better way to kick off your year than with a time audit! You know I love time audits because they are so incredibly helpful for making the most of your time and helping you make the biggest impact you can. I know, you might be thinking that adding another thing to your to-do list just isn’t possible. But believe me, you can regain so much time just by doing a quick time audit of what you’re doing each day! As school counselors, we have so much on our plate so finding ways to maximize our time and eliminate things where we can is key to fitting it all in. I have found the best way to truly see where my time goes is by completing a time audit and today, I am breaking down how you can easily do a time audit of your school day to ensure you are making the most of your time! * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Save your spot for January's Coffee with the Counselor Training: Toggl: Rescue Time: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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178: A Day in the Life of a School Counselor with Sheyenne Hernandez
01/09/2024
178: A Day in the Life of a School Counselor with Sheyenne Hernandez
I absolutely love hearing from other school counselors and getting an inside look at what their role looks like. Every counselor’s position is unique based on so many different factors - their background, their caseload size, if there are other counselors on their team, etc. That’s why I am so excited to chat with our guest today! Sheyenne Hernandez has a social work background, has a caseload of about 400 students, and has some great ideas for how to build relationships with her students! All American small town farm princess. Sheyenne is a momma, wife, auntie, social worker and school counselor. She has dreamt of becoming an "art therapist" who worked with kids since she was ten. Fast forward to today, at 36, she has completed her masters in Social Work in 2022 and landed her current dream job of working in the same elementary as her kiddos. She loves the students at her school! The elementary kids are her favorite! She has enjoyed learning how to be a good school counselor and has been so grateful for all of the help from IMPACT. She dreams to continue her counseling career in play therapy/ecotherapy and working with youth and families in need. In this episode, Sheyenne is sharing how she builds rapport with her students, tips for connecting parents with community resources, why each day for her looks different, and what advice she would give to new school counselors. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Stree Free School Counseling Bootcamp: Email Sheyenne: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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177: New Year, New Counseling Goals!
01/02/2024
177: New Year, New Counseling Goals!
Happy New Year! We made it to 2024 and I am so excited to kick off a new year with you and see what 2024 holds for us! I always love to kick off the year with some new goals, selecting a word of the year, and a fresh start and I thought it would be perfect to share that with you! I think we all like to go into a new year with a fresh perspective and ideas of things we’d like to accomplish, I know I do at least! So to kick off the year, I thought it would be fun to share some goals I have for you in your counseling programs and what my word of the year is with you. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: How I Became a School Counselor in Costa Rica: Laura Tremaine's Top 10 Things to Tell Your Podcast: The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: Episode 95: How to Incorporate Journaling Into Your School Counseling Sessions with Literacy Specialist Megan Polk: Grab the School Counseling Self-Assessments Super Bundle with Digital Data Tracking Forms: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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176: Best of School Counseling Simplified in 2023
12/26/2023
176: Best of School Counseling Simplified in 2023
I hope you are enjoying your much needed and well deserved break! We are wrapping up 2023 with a look back at some of the best episodes from School Counseling Simplified this year to help you easily find what you may want to go back and listen to. This year has been so fun and I am so grateful for each and every one of you for tuning in and sharing the podcast! As I looked back on what we covered this year, there were four main topics we spent several episodes covering and I thought those would be great ones to revisit. I’m sharing which episodes to check out if you are looking for a refresh on data tracking, scheduling hacks, class lessons, or supporting teachers. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: For all episodes mentioned on supporting teachers, data tracking, scheduling hacks, and a day in my life as a school counselor and IMPACT membership, visit the show notes: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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175: How Collecting Calendar Data Can Actually Advocate for Your Role with Lauren Tingle
12/19/2023
175: How Collecting Calendar Data Can Actually Advocate for Your Role with Lauren Tingle
Are you currently using a calendar to keep track of what students you are seeing, what you are seeing them for, and what tasks you are spending your time on? Let me tell you, if you are not, hearing from our guest, Lauren Tingle, is going to make you realize how helpful collecting data using a calendar truly is! Lauren is a former high school counselor turned content creator and curriculum writer. She is the high school counseling hype girl behind Counselor Clique helping other high school counselors energize and breathe life into their programs through creative and engaging counseling resources. She’s also the host of the podcast “High School Counseling Conversations” and also runs a membership for high school counselors called the Clique Collaborative where she brings value and fun into high school counseling. In this episode, Lauren is walking through how she shifted her team’s services from responsive to proactive by looking at data they collected from their calendars. She shares how they utilized a simple check in system, what to do when you feel like you’re losing control of your calendar, and how you can use data to advocate for your role to your administrators. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Episode 86, Mock Interview Questions with Lauren Tingle from Counselor Clique: High School Counseling Conversations Episode 71, An Administrator's Perception of School Counselors and the Role They Play: High School Counseling Conversations Episode 44, Owning Your Time Management By Using Your Calendar: Taking Back Your Calendar: 3 Helpful Tips to Prioritize Your Job and Advocate for Your Role: Sign Up for Calendly: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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174: How to Help Students Learn Coping Skills with Janine Halloran
12/12/2023
174: How to Help Students Learn Coping Skills with Janine Halloran
Have you seen some of your kiddos really struggling with stress, worry, or other challenging emotions? Teaching these students some helpful coping skills they can do at school when these emotions come up can be a game changer for them! But how can we as school counselors help them and what types of strategies can we teach them to help them manage their emotions both at school and at home? Janine Halloran is joining us today to share some great tips for helping our students with coping skills! Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has been working with children, teens, and their families for over 20 years. She has been helping children and teens build their coping skills throughout her career in a variety of settings, including schools, mental health clinics and in her private practice. She founded Coping Skills for Kids to help children and teens learn healthy and safe ways to manage big feelings. She has written several books, including the bestselling Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, the Coping Skills for Teens Workbook and the Social Skills for Kids Workbook. She is also the host of the Calm & Connected Podcast and the founder of the Coping Skills Community Hub. Her work has been featured in the Boston Globe, CNN, Huffington Post, and The Skimm® Newsletter. Janine lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children. In this episode, Janine is sharing her favorite school based coping strategies, how she likes to teach social skills, and ways for school counselors to help students use coping skills at home. Janine has so much incredible information to share and I know you will walk away from this episode with new ideas and strategies to help your kiddos with coping strategies! * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Check out the Coping Skills for Kids Resource Library: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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173: How to Use a Seasonal Countdown Calendar in School Counseling
12/05/2023
173: How to Use a Seasonal Countdown Calendar in School Counseling
Happy December! Holiday season is in full swing which means it’s a great time to pull some holiday and winter themed activities into your counseling sessions. This is a great opportunity to mix things up a bit, keep students excited to see you, and practice some important skills your students need! One winter activity idea I absolutely love is a seasonal countdown calendar. With winter break quickly approaching, this is a fun way to keep the students engaged during the last few weeks. If you’re not sure where to start with creating a countdown calendar, don’t worry! In this episode, I am sharing a few different ways you can use a countdown calendar for school counseling, ideas for activities to include on the calendar, and how to adjust the activities to fit your students’ needs. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Check out the Countdown to Winter Break Activity Pack: Read the Countdown to Winter Break with School Counseling Activities Blog Post: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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172: Supporting Students' Sensory Needs with Jessica Sinarski
11/28/2023
172: Supporting Students' Sensory Needs with Jessica Sinarski
As a school counselor, you’ve likely worked with a student who needed a little sensory support. But how can we help to support these students with sensory issues? Today I am joined by therapist and brain science expert Jessica Sinarski, who is giving us some wonderful insight into the eight senses and helping our students who benefit from various types of sensory input. Jessica Sinarski is a highly sought-after therapist, speaker, and change-maker. Extensive post-graduate training and 15+ years as a clinician and educator led her to create the resource and training platform–BraveBrains. She makes trauma-sensitive brain science practical, helping parents and professionals unlock resilience in themselves and their students. She is also the author of the award-winning Riley the Brave series, Light Up the Learning Brain, Hello Anger, and more. Jessica is a wealth of knowledge about supporting our students' sensory needs! In this episode, she is sharing what the eight senses are, signs that a student may need sensory support, and how to add sensory input into the school day. This episode is packed with incredibly helpful information and tips that I know you’ll be able to use with your students who need a little extra support. * Show Notes: * Resources Mentioned: Episode 107, How School Counselor Can Help Kids Feel and Deal with Anger with Jessica Sinarski: Check out Jessica's website for parents and helping professionals: Visit the Brave Brains website for counselor toolkits and instructions for purchase orders: Read the "Understanding the Brain-->Senses-->Behavior Connection" blog: Join the IMPACT Membership: Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: * Connect with Rachel: Shop: Blog: Instagram: Facebook: If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:
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