Counselor Chat Podcast

Starting a Giving Tree When Your School Has Never Had One Thinking about starting a giving tree at your school? In this episode of Counselor Chat , we share how we're launching my building’s first giving tree program—from coordinating community support to asking families what their children actually need. You’ll hear practical tips for: Identifying gaps in existing programs, including siblings who...

Bullying Prevention Can Start With a Conversation Bullying prevention doesn’t end when October does. In this episode, I share how I'm using simple conversations and relatable scenarios with students in grades 4–6 to explore bullying and safe ways to respond. In this episode: Understanding bullying, hurtful behavior, and power imbalances. Using everyday situations to spark meaningful discussion. He...

The School Counselor Scaries Nobody Prepared You For From heated parent emails and surprise Spirit Week duties to an invisible bug in a kindergartener’s shoe, school counseling includes plenty of moments that never appeared in the syllabus. In this episode, Carol shares a humorous—and heartfelt—look at the unexpected sides of the job. In this episode: The everyday surprises that require creativity...

Even Busy Bees Make Time to Play Feeling burned out—and it’s only October? In this episode of Counselor Chat, Carol shares a surprising discovery about playful bumblebees and a reminder that counselors deserve time for enjoyment, too. In this episode: How the pressure to stay productive can crowd out joy. Why wellness includes addressing workload and asking for support. Simple ways to make room fo...

The One Question That Makes a Think Sheet Work When “Why did you do that?” leads to a shrug or “I don’t know,” where do you go next? In this episode of Counselor Chat, Carol shares how rewinding the situation and asking “What were you hoping would happen?” can help students reflect and practice a more helpful response. In this episode: How to explore what a student was thinking and feeling before...

Four Team-Building Lessons Students Will Actually Enjoy Team building doesn’t have to require complicated materials or hours of preparation. In this episode of Counselor Chat , Carol shares four engaging lessons that get students moving, communicating, and working together. You’ll hear how to use: Pass the Pencil to build connections Human Taco to strengthen communication and inclusion Shipwrecked...

Your First Counseling Small Group Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect Starting your first counseling group can feel overwhelming. Are the right students selected? What should the permission form include? What if students don’t participate—or the lesson falls flat? In this episode of Counselor Chat , we’re taking the pressure off and focusing on what you truly need to launch a purposeful, safe, and effectiv...

Small Groups: Who Should You Start With First? You have time to run only a few counseling groups—but your referral list keeps growing. How do you decide which group should come first? In this episode of Counselor Chat , we explore how to choose small groups based on your school’s current data and student needs instead of automatically repeating the groups you ran last year. You’ll learn: Which sch...

A strong counseling SMART goal does more than meet a requirement—it gives your program direction, connects your work to student needs, and helps others understand the impact school counselors make. In this episode, we explore how to create a meaningful, data-informed SMART goal and use your annual administrator conference to gain support, clarify expectations, and align your counseling program wit...

What counseling office supplies truly earn their shelf space? In this episode of Counselor Chat, I share eight tried-and-true favorites she uses to organize lessons, reuse counseling resources, improve classroom management, and make games and groups run more smoothly. In This Episode, You Will Learn A simple system for storing lesson pieces and reusable group materials Why a wider laminator can be...

Your counselor introduction lesson is more than a back-to-school formality. It is one of the first ways you build trust, increase access, and help students understand when and how to ask for support. In this episode of Counselor Chat , Carol shares what students actually need to hear during a counselor introduction lesson—and what you can skip. You’ll learn how to: Explain your role in student-fri...

The first month of school can make counselors feel like they need to do everything at once—but you don’t. Here's a simple roadmap for the first 30 days of school, including what to prioritize, what can wait, and how to build a strong foundation for the rest of the year. You’ll hear practical ideas for: Building relationships with students and staff Creating simple referral and counseling systems U...

Nice Bike: Three Small Actions That Can Change School Culture What if changing school culture did not require a big program, a new initiative, or another committee? In this episode of Counselor Chat , Carol shares the powerful message behind Mark Scharenbroich’s “Nice Bike” story and explores three simple ways school counselors can strengthen relationships throughout their buildings: acknowledge,...

In this second episode of our Back to School series, I’m diving into a topic that’s incredibly important for us as school counselors—how to make sure the vital work we do doesn’t go unnoticed. Too often, despite the significant impact we have, our efforts can go unseen by those around us. In this episode, I emphasize the importance of: Advocating for Our Role: Ensuring that the value of our work i...

In this episode of Counselor Chat , I’m sharing a reminder that school counselors create impact in ways that are not always immediate, visible, or easy to measure. From a quick student check-in to a meaningful conversation with a teacher, small actions can create ripple effects that travel farther than we may ever realize. You do not have to make a huge splash to make a difference. In this episode...

Dear Tired Counselor: You’re Allowed to Rest From Being Tired In this episode of Counselor Chat , I’m sharing a summer permission slip for counselors who may be on break but still feel completely worn out. Being away from school does not automatically mean your mind and body have caught up after a demanding year. This episode is a reminder that you do not need to turn July into another to-do list,...

The Game-Changer I Wish I Had Found Sooner: Restorative Practices In this episode of Counselor Chat , I’m sharing why restorative practices became one of the most meaningful shifts in my school counseling work. Restorative practices are not about avoiding accountability or forcing students to say sorry. They are about helping students understand impact, repair harm, build skills, and remain connec...

Being the Last to Leave Didn’t Make Me Amazing: Boundaries I Wish I Set Earlier In this episode of Counselor Chat , I’m continuing the series on things I wish I had done earlier in my school counseling career — and this one is all about boundaries. For a long time, I thought staying late, saying yes, and being endlessly available meant I was dedicated. But looking back, I can see that being the la...

I Didn’t Know What I Didn’t Know: Why Conferences Changed My Counseling Practice In this episode of Counselor Chat , I’m sharing why professional development and conferences became such a turning point in my school counseling career. Early on, I didn’t fully realize how much I could learn outside of my own building — or how much my perspective was limited by only knowing my own experiences. I’ll t...

What I Wish I Had Done Earlier: Invest in My Future In this episode of Counselor Chat , we’re kicking off a new reflective series about the things I wish I had done earlier in my school counseling career. First up: investing in my future. This episode is not financial advice, but it is a gentle reminder that school counselors spend so much time helping students plan their futures that we sometimes...

Celebrating Growth (Even When It Doesn’t Feel Like Enough) As the school year comes to a close, it's easy to focus on the students we didn't quite reach, the goals that aren't fully accomplished, and the work that still feels unfinished. But what if success isn't always found in the big moments? In this episode of Counselor Chat , we'll explore how school counselors can reframe success by recogniz...

The Students You’re Still Worried About As the school year winds down, most people are focused on celebrations, graduations, and summer plans. But school counselors know there’s another side to this season—the students we're still thinking about. In this heartfelt episode of Counselor Chat , we'll talk about the students who stay on our minds long after the final bell rings. The students who still...

163. Helping Students Transition Well As school counselors, we spend so much time managing schedules, testing, field trips, celebrations, and end-of-year chaos that it’s easy to forget what many students are experiencing underneath it all: transition. In this episode of Counselor Chat, I’m talking about how transitions affect students emotionally and how we can support them in simple, meaningful w...

Don’t Wait Until June: The 3 Pieces of Data You Should Grab Right Now In this episode of Counselor Chat , we're talking about one of the biggest end-of-year stressors for school counselors: DATA. But instead of overcomplicating things with giant spreadsheets and impossible tracking systems, this episode focuses on the simple, meaningful information that actually matters. If you’ve ever found yours...

Mentioned in this episode: Perks Membership