Counselor Accents

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...

If you are like 99% of educators right now, you may be worrying and wondering about how to do your job virtually. Take our advice and listen to this podcast episode!  Our guests, Vicki Jordan and Candace Doak, have worked as school counselors at Alabama Virtual School.  In this episode they  share their best tips for organization, connection, and overall how-to's and must-do's. &nbs...

Steve Zaharakis has created one of the best tools for school counselors. If you haven't heard of SCUTA, your life is about to be changed! Listen as Steve shares his unique background and the incredible inspiration behind SCUTA, an all in one school counseling program that will add to your success.  SCUTA collects your data, schedule, survey results, and creates instant use of time analysis re...

Michael McKnight won't admit to being an expert; however, we found him to be a treasure trove of information regarding students who have experienced trauma. He is especially passionate about how to educate educators on ways to work with students.   In this episode Mr. McKnight talks about the power of caring adults in students' lives.  He also believes in what we call "Rubber meets...

In a very timely episode, Alicia Oglesby and Rebecca Atkins discuss their book, Interrupting Racism: Equity and Social Justice in School Counseling. Their book is specifically for school counselors, as we are the "social justice advocates" according to the ASCA Ethical Standards. In this episode we talk about culturally relevant instruction at all grade levels, implicit bias, using data to support...

In an unforgettable episode, teacher and motivational speaker, Joseph Roberts, shares his personal story of overcoming obstacles and how those events have shaped him into the educator he is today. He tells us the Importance of never giving up on our students, how to build trust with students with specific things to consider for black students and people of color. Plus what is in a why bo...

No matter how long you've been a school counselor, each year is a fresh start. It's never too soon to start preparing for the upcoming school year. This episode has tips that will help you no matter how long you've been a school counselor. Our guest, Abby Cantello, talks with us about starting a school counseling program from scratch. She has tips we can all use!   Make sure you download...

Matt Eldridge travels the country speaking to educators with his organization, Certified Restraint Training, but spoiler alert: his goal in trainings is to de-escalate behavior so that restraint isn't needed.  If you're like us, you will be riveted within about 10 seconds of his story-telling.  Matt delivers practical, no nonsense ways of talking to students and defusing intense and pote...