Counselor Accents

In this episode we're talking about school counseling with a principal.  And not just ANY principal!  We're talking with Karensa Wing, The National Principal of the Year!  Prepare to be amazed at her knowledge of ASCA, SEL, and so many other facets of the job of a school counselor.  We are certain that by the end of this episode you will feel like you're best friends with the N...

You're going to want to listen to this episode multiple times- several times for sheer entertainment value, and then multiple times to take notes.  Brent Cosby has a gift when it comes to story-telling and practical counseling application.  Brent gives us ideas on how to use everyday items and illustrations to reach students.  You are going to want to contact him immediately to have...

ESPN reporter, Lauren Sisler, shares her personal story of how substance abuse by other family members affected her.  This is an issue that is impacting so many of our students.  Prepare to be amazed as she describes what happened, and how she is giving a purpose to her pain.   Visit Lauren's website to see all of the exciting things she has going on, or to book her to speak to your...

Megan Neforos, a school counselor for the Fairfax County, Virginia Public School District, is a trained Restorative Justice counselor.  In this episode she answers all of our questions about Restorative Justice Circles.  She explains what they are and how they work.  Megan is in a school system that mirrors what many of our listeners deal with daily.  Megan has stories of stude...

Can you believe it has been one full year of the Counselor Accents Podcast?!  In this episode we share some of our favorite conversations, interviews, and moments that made us laugh.  What a year it has been.  Thank you all so much for listening and becoming part of our family.

This is one of those interviews that ALL educators should listen to.  Hans Appel, author of Award Winning Culture, and co-host of the Award Winning Culture Podcast, shares steps that helped transform his school to become an award winning and nationally recognized middle school.  Hans is definitely a school counselor at heart.  He has worked in the Richland School District for the pa...

It is so easy to see (or Hear) why Laura Ross was chosen as the ASCA National School Counselor of the Year. In this interview she tells us all about the School Counselor of the Year process, plus the issues that are close to her heart such as comprehensive school counseling, school counselors as leaders, anti-bias/anti-racist equity work, and how she advocates for these issues. After this intervie...

It's almost the biggest week in school counseling!  In this episode we interviewed Angie Hickman, the director of research and marketing for ASCA.  She gives us all the inside tips about how they came up with the theme, All In for All Students.  Listen to our tips and ideas on how to have a great week, whether you're celebrating in person or virtually.  Let us be the first to t...

This podcast episode is so important for counselors of all age groups!  After over two decades of experience as an addictions and mental health counselor, Richard Capriola wrote a book called, The Addicted Child: A Parent's Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse.   In this interview Mr. Capriola talks about the warning signs that parents should know about.  He tells us what a parent ca...

Meet the man behind "The Velvet Voice!"  In this episode Matt Fleck from Inspire Success talks about his passion for providing resources and encouragement to school counselors.  You'll love the unique way he provides a weekly 5 minute boost for school counselors!  Matt talks about his website, his mission, RAMP opportunities, and so many other resources he helps school counselors wi...

Find out how to use LEGO products to take your school counseling program to the next level!  We talked with Kelly Reddin, LEGO Master Trainer, about the benefits of using LEGO bricks in various school counseling scenarios.  She was talking our language as she described the benefits for 21st Century Learners using the 4 C's.  Find out how LEGO products are the "building blocks" for c...

Many schools that opened in the traditional setting are facing the transition back to virtual learning.  In this episode we share some of the lessons we've learned since March.  We share some of the tips and tools that have helped us.  We talk about how to make sure these tools are in place in the event of a virtual learning transition.  Just a heads up: if you aren't in a laug...

This may be our pinnacle!  Jill Cook, executive director of the American School Counselor Association, spoke with us about her journey to become our executive director.  She also shared some insight on the future of school counseling and how to advocate for your program, as well as many other fun tidbits along the way.  We can't wait for you to hear how down to earth and personable...

Since November is National Career Development month, many school counselors use this as a chance to teach career lessons.  This episode is one of our favorite soapboxes!  We have presented this at ASCA in Boston, and we've done a webinar for ASCA on this topic!  We've presented this multiple times in our own state and others.  Can you tell we feel passionately about it?!  ...

We had the huge honor of interviewing Dr. Russ Sabella, or as we like to call him, "The Contemporary Father of School Counseling."  His new book, Solution Focused School Counseling: The Missing Manual is a must-have for all school counselors.  In this episode he tells us what solution focused school counseling is, what it looks like in the schools, and how to implement it.  We love...

October and November are the equivalent to the Superbowl for school counselors!  These months are full of awareness dates and weeks.  Consider this your all-in-one guide for navigating through Bullying Prevention Month, Red Ribbon Week, National Stress Prevention Week, Career Development Month, World Kindness Day, Halloween, and all the other events in-between!  Oh, and we talk abou...

If you've watched the movie, Walk. Ride. Rodeo, then you know how inspiring Amberley Snyder's story is.  BUT did you know she also has her school counseling degree?  Prepare to be motivated as we talk with Amberley Snyder, school counseling graduate, barrel racer, motivational speaker, and inspiration behind the movie, Walk. Ride. Rodeo.  In this interview Amberley tells us her stor...

We have decided Pennsylvania is one of our nation's gold mines for top notch educators!  Pennsylvania Distinguished Principal of the Year, Matt Moyer, joins us on this episode to share ways he and his team connect with students in unconventional and innovative ways.  We are certain that after listening to this episode you'll want to gather your team and implement some of his ideas immedi...

Join us for part 2 of our interview with Jo Lembo from Shared Hope International.  In this second episode, she shares the conclusion of Brianna's story.  She shares many other stories about school-aged children who have been trafficked without their parents or teachers knowing it.  In this episode Jo gives us signs to watch out for that indicate our students could be being groomed o...

Human trafficking can happen in big cities or rural communities.  Jo Lembo from Shared Hope International explains how human trafficking can happen to any of our students, not just the ones with an "at-risk" score.  She also tells us the signs to look for and who to contact in order to rescue our students.  Educators are on the frontlines, and may be the first to notice anything out...

Emilia Peiffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania School Counselor Association, talks with us about the importance of being a leader in your school as a school counselor.  She covers everything from why it's important, practical ideas to show leadership, and how to establish yourself as a leader when you feel stuck and overlooked.  Leadership helps you advocate for your program, whi...

Raegan Schulte embodies why, as school counselors, we need to fight for EVERY student.  Raegan's personal story of resiliency and how she defied odds that were stacked against her is captivating from the start.  It is our hope that you will be inspired to go find the "Raegans" in your school after listening to this episode.  We would challenge you to read the ASCA preamble before an...

Jeff Ream, Better known as "The Counseling Geek," was using technology before using technology was required!  In this very fun interview he shares how he uses some of his favorite technology tools. More importantly, he inspires us and encourages us during this new season of virtual counseling. After listening to this episode, it is our hope that you will be equipped with new ways to use tech...

We are attempting to answer one of our most asked questions EVER!  How do we run small groups in a virtual setting?  In this episode we share tech tools that you can start using TODAY to connect with students.  We also share a small group formula that might help guide your small group meetings.  We discuss different types of small groups and ideas for activities.  If you a...

School counselors are in a unique position.  Our primary role is to serve the students in our schools, but raise your hand if that has ever meant taking care of parents, too!  In this episode Chelsey Wilson, or Counselor Chelsey, shares tips for connecting with parents.  We're talking about it all on this episode: going above and beyond to provide information to parents, how to disa...