In this episode, I HOPE I AM WRONG about what appears to be a systematic dismantling of school counselors in Florida. Less than a month ago, the Florida First Lady announced an initiative to "reframe mental health education with a focus on resiliency" and teach students to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

As part of this initiative, Florida is inviting literally anyone off the street to take a short "counseling course," go into schools, and serve as unqualified "coaches" in lieu of stude...

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a term that we hear people toss around in schools all the time. It just seems to be the world we're living in right now: if you don't know what to do with "that kid," if they get persnickety, if they're argumentative, if they don't cooperate, they refuse to complete work, threaten others, etc., etc... everyone seems to feel free to start talking about ODD.

In this episode, I'll talk about the damage that can be done with this type of label, why some prominent ex...

It seems we're always talking about, "Before COVID... Since COVID... Now that COVID has happened...."

I wanted to bring you an episode about what REALLY happened for students and families during the height of the COVID pandemic. Although a lot of the research is still yet to be released, what we do have so far has given us some really interesting insights as to where students stood during the fury of lockdowns and social distancing, and some of the things they experienced along the way.

Those ...

When tragedy strikes, it's hard to know what the next best steps are as school counselors. For so many people, the world feels like a disorienting mess right now.

So what do we do in times like these?

I'm offering some thoughts from our recent School for School Counselors open support & consultation chat.

Because when I learned that many of you were hurting, I immediately dropped all plans and began working to ensure that my team and I could provide space for our colleagues to process their t...

Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.

Mentioned in this Episode:
School for School Counselors Mastermind <--- signup/info link

Cited Sources:
Bardhoshi, G., et al. (2022). Novice s...

We get lots of questions from our "Get the Job!" prep program each year, and one of the most popular is, "What do I wear?"

In this episode of the podcast, we'll jump into color choice: how are the colors of your interview attire perceived, and what does the research really say? We'll walk through the research about your color choices, how they may be interpreted, and how you can use the research to your advantage.

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Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school c...

It's time to focus on something that is really overlooked in our field and that we should be talking more about: it could be the single most important skill that you can develop to not only survive- but thrive!- in your career as a school counselor. Can you guess what it might be?

Self-compassion may seem like kind of a silly thing to be talking about when we think about all of the really big, important, stressful things going on in our school counseling worlds, but research shows us that self-...

Let's talk universal screeners. They are a huge topic of interest in school counseling right now, with lots and lots of "buzz": which are the best, which best capture particular trends on campuses, which are evidence-based... on and on and on and on. Everyone wants to talk about universal screeners.

There are, however, a few important caveats that aren't as readily discussed. We're going to hop into those with this episode in an attempt to give you a really comprehensive overview of universal s...

So often, finding common ground with your administrator feels difficult. You can't see eye to eye. You feel like they just don't understand where you're coming from and no matter how much you talk, no matter how much you try to convince, no matter how much you try to advocate, your efforts fall on deaf ears.

In this episode, we'll walk through the essentials of establishing common ground with your administrator. Common ground allows you to work together efficiently, effectively, and with colleg...

You don't need any tips or tricks, and you don't need any tools of the trade this week. You need something appropriate for National School Counseling Week. In this episode, I'm talking off the cuff: no outline, no preconceived thoughts, and no edits.

Straight from the heart.

I just want to tell you how much I appreciate what you do each and every day.

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Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and cat...

The biggest source of division in the school counseling world rears its ugly head this time of year in the form of National School Counseling Week. Why is it divisive? Why should you care? Listen to discover the real culprits and what school counselors can do to change the direction of contentious conversations.

Mentioned in this episode:
School for School Counselors "Get the Job!"
School for School Counselors Mastermind
ASCA Promotional Toolkit & Advocacy Toolkit

Our goal at School for School...

Many of you are getting started in your spring semester internships, or you may have aspiring school counselors on your campus that could use a little bit of help and- guidance.

In this episode, we'll walk through what I see as the four most IMPORTANT components to a successful school counseling internship. And what you hear may surprise you...

Mentioned in this episode:
School for School Counselors "Get the Job!"
Get the Job Podcast
Rock Your Internship Cheat Sheet (free download!)
Résumé Boo...

About this time of year, you will start seeing lots of folks talking about job interview advice. It will be everywhere. There will be people popping out of the woodwork from this way and that, telling you all the best ways they think you should interview, all the things you should do with your resume... all of the things... based purely on their own personal (and often limited) interviewing experiences.

In this episode, I walk through the content one such "expert" and all the things I heard in ...

Let's start planning for Random Acts of Kindness Week! This year, RAK Week falls February 14th through the 20th, which is right on the heels of National School Counseling Week. I personally love both of those weeks: the combo is a great opportunity to show the power (or potential) of a comprehensive school counseling program in conjunction with a visible demonstration of how the concepts school counselors emphasize can be implemented in real life for real change.

With that in mind, let's get ou...

*BONUS- Listen to the end for an exclusive sneak peek of an awesome upcoming addition to the School for School Counselors world!*

So many school counselors love the start of the spring semester! It feels like a chance for growth, some fresh perspective, and it gives a feeling of potential coming up: that's super exciting!

The start of a new semester also prompts us to take a moment to reevaluate where we stand, where we're headed and what we want to do to get there.

In this episode, we walk t...

Feeling completely exhausted as the semester comes to an end? We often want to attribute our feelings of exhaustion or overwhelm to things such as, "It's been a long semester," or, "December is always tough- this is no exception," or, "I'm serving an insane caseload... of course I'm tired!" But really, the roots of your exhaustion run much deeper.

This episode strives to take a moment to validate where you are and empower you to move forward. You can do this!

Mentioned in this episode:
School ...

Ever run across parents that you just cannot seem to figure out? Parents who are quick to blame, won't return calls, or show no follow-up at home? Parents who rarely make an appearance at school?

Or how about the "helicopter" and "lawnmower parents" that just absolutely insist on paving the easy route for their students, no matter what?

These kinds of parent situations can feel frustrating, for sure, but there are some things you can do to better understand the dynamics of the relationship and...

It sometimes takes one or two different ways of approaching a difficult administrator to provide a change in perspective and develop a good working relationship with that person.

Or many of you may just need to figure out how to just get along with a difficult boss until you can find another campus to move to or different district to work in. You may not have the luxury of moving on if the school climate does not suit you.

This week we add to the profiles of the difficult personalities we disc...

We spend more than half our waking lives at work. When you have to spend that time working with a difficult personality, it can make the days go by so slowly! In this episode, I outline three difficult principal personality types and how school counselors can approach each in a way that is mutually beneficial.

Mentioned in this episode:
Better Than Black Friday Event
"Get the Job!" Interview Prep Program

Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make h...

The longer you work in school counseling, the more you'll meet.

Disgruntled parents that CANNOT be pleased or have completely unrealistic expectations about your job scope and time.

It's frustrating when you're giving your all to serve your students but get told you're not doing enough, or you're not doing the right things.

Or worse yet, they don't tell you. They go straight to your principal.

This episode is a letter* to “THAT parent": a cathartic manifesto, straight from the heart, intende...

School counselors, let's talk about how to plan ahead proactively for the holiday season.

So if you've been in school counseling for any amount of time, you know that this time of year is when things really start to get interesting.

Students may start experiencing more stressors than normal. Family relationships, financial stress, differences in routine, structure, and schedules: there are all kinds of things that go into creating holiday feelings tornadoes. And while some students handle it w...

What's your counselor-to-student ratio? If you're like the majority of school counselors, it is nowhere near the recommended 1:250. Take a listen to this episode for a few shifts that will help you find peace with a large caseload while ensuring that you're taking care of yourself.

Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to kn...

From the moment that you begin studying school counseling, you're told about
"comprehensive school counseling" programs. They're touted as the holy grail for school counselors: the ultimate achievement.

The problem is, there are many of you that are feeling defeated as you strive to meet all the qualifications of a truly comprehensive program, even though the statistics show it's not an attainable solution for the majority of US school counselors.

So if you're feeling "less-than" because you c...

In this episode, I focus on the types of burnout school counselors typically experience, how to recognize them, and what to do about them even if you feel there's nothing you can do.

It's so important for school counselors to be thinking about this even if you aren't feeling burnt out because remaining vigilant and proactive can help insulate us from the effects of vicarious trauma, unhealthy school environments, and the stress that comes from working in education.

Also- have you joined Eight ...