High School Counseling Conversations®

Tylee is a Clique Collaborative member working as a private high school counselor in a Catholic high school. As a self-proclaimed homebody, she finds herself serving students at the high school she graduated from in the suburbs of Chicago.   As Tylee is entering her fourth year as a private high school counselor, she’s also moving into the role of the department chair this upcoming year. She knows...

Liz is a public high school counselor in a large, New Jersey school. The population at her school has a high immigrant population and lots of bilingual students. She works on a team of counselors who have been helpful in guiding her through her first year as a high school counselor. Though she’s not new to education, she started her counselor job mid-way through the year which presented her with t...

This episode highlights a few back-to-school tips for high school counselors looking to ready their spaces and program.   Your worth as a high school counselor isn’t dependent on how much stuff you have in your office or how much financial support you get from your principal, district, or PTSA. But it sure doesn’t hurt to dream about what would make your counselor life easier, does it?   Let’s tal...

This week's episode is all about getting money for professional development... specifically what I've learned and how I'd recommend going about getting that money for future professional development opportunities. I've had all different responses to my personal asks for professional funding for a variety of ways to grow myself and my practice as a high school counselor. Those responses didn't stop...

You want to grow and invest in yourself with quality professional development, but you don't have the time or brainspace to vet those resources.  This episode will give you 5 opportunities for "unicorn" trainings and teachings that will serve YOU as a high school counselor. (And you bet I'm giving my honest opinions!) As you listen, set some goals and dreams as you imagine where you might choose t...

Start with YOURSELF when deciding how you’re going to make the most impact on your students! Most of us would acknowledge that “impact” is one of the biggest outcomes we value in being a school counselor. We want to see students grow as a result of the services our school counseling program provides. In this episode, you’ll consider YOUR “WHY” and decide where you need to move in order to make tha...

This episode is all about why you shouldn’t dismiss or disregard the importance of high school counselor community! As humans who naturally desire connection, we shouldn’t miss out on community in our work sector of life! Listen to this episode if you’re looking for high school counselor community to fill a need you might not even be realizing that you have. We’re wired for belonging and built for...

Are you a veteran high school counselor looking for some refreshment and respite as you head into the summer? If you’re tired and stuck, give this episode a listen! Reset your mindset and look for new inspiration to get yourself in the right headspace to serve your students next year.   Resources Mentioned: Subscribe to the NEW private podcast! Episode 22: A Pep Talk for New High School Counselors...

In this episode, we get to hear some voices from the field give their best tips to high school counseling interns (and even new high school counselors at that)! Listen in on a wealth of knowledge that these veteran high schools share with their new colleagues.  A special thanks to those who left voice memos with their words of wisdom to high school counseling interns: Michaela, Erica, Celeste, Jef...

In Episode 25, I chronicle my personal practicum and internship experiences with a walk down memory lane… specifically deep-diving into an influential supervisor mentorship that pushed me completely outside of my comfort zone.   Then we jump into 4 tips that culminate my best advice for interns after (obviously) being an intern, supervising interns, and being a teammate to those who have also take...

The ASCA conference is coming up in July in Austin, Texas for school counselors from all over the nation to gather, share, and learn together! I’ve been to two conferences in the past, and I’m sharing those experiences in this episode.  I also talk about 5 tips for first-timers or those who just want a refresher about what to expect or what may help make the trip a success! If you’re still debatin...

Even if you’re doing some summer work, there’s still a huge opportunity for you to evaluate how your personal boundaries are currently set around work in order to set a more intentional work/life balance.   Summer is a time to rest, recharge, and reset. It’s time to take what you need for YOURSELF when you get a little break from the hustle of the school year. It’s time to take notice of your body...

Calling all new high school counselors! Get pumped up with a pre-game pep talk as you accept your new job role and daydream about next year already. This pep talk gave me an adrenaline rush just saying it aloud to you! I want it to give you the confidence that you need to prepare for a new role!   Resources Mentioned: Get on the waitlist for the Clique Collaborative - doors open August 15! Mental...

You’re closing out your year… but what exactly are you doing? Is it what everyone else is doing? Listen to this week’s episode and consider these ideas as you tie up loose ends and head into the summer months.    In this episode, we talk about finishing up those end-of-year tasks, setting your caseload up for success this summer, and prepping (only) what you feel the need to this summer.   Resourc...

Rachel from  Bright Futures Counseling  invited me on her podcast School Counseling Simplified to talk through some sample interview questions. I wanted to go ahead and share the same conversation over here on my podcast to make sure you didn’t miss it! Rachel and I spend this episode giving our answers to a ton of sample interview questions from the ASCA website. Her answers come from an elementa...

Lauren LaPera and Vira James of Ashley Ridge High School in Charleston, South Carolina bring their voices to the High School Counseling Conversations podcast! Listen as Lauren and Vira’s passion and desire for growth shines through this conversation! These two rockstar high school counselors share exactly what using an advisory council has done for their school counseling program and why the advis...

Listen to this week’s episode for ideas and inspiration to get your advisory council of the ground next year!   Here are numbers 6 through 10 of 10 key stakeholders to have at your advisory council meeting next year.    Send me a DM after you’ve listened to both parts and let me know who you’re inviting to your meeting as you anticipate it gearing up next year! Resources Mentioned: 10 Key Stakehol...

Take a listen to Part 1 of this 2-part episode where I talk about the first 5 stakeholders to consider inviting to be on your advisory council.    Learn who you should not forget to invite to the table for this invaluable meeting where you’ll share data, welcome feedback, and brainstorm new ideas. Think critically about specific people who can add worth to your conversations.   After you listen to...

School counseling advisory councils can feel very daunting and sort of unnecessary if you don’t have one in place yet. You’re probably wondering “WHY?”    In today’s episode, I’m talking about 3 big ideas to consider before diving headfirst into starting a school counseling advisory council. My hope is that these ideas would help you see the benefits and positive outcomes that could come from esta...

A dream becomes a reality as I get to interview my dear friend, Rebecca Joyner of It’s Not Rocket Science. As a former high school science teacher, Rebecca gives us the teacher perspective that we’ve been needing as we talk about classroom lessons and classroom management!    Rebecca truly believes that the root of a good classroom lesson and classroom management strategy is building relationships...

I’ve got what you need if you’re ready to grow your confidence instead of being nervous in your core curriculum classroom lessons! If you’re looking to be more comfortable in the classroom setting (even if you didn’t go to school to be a teacher), Episode 14 is for you!   Listen in for 3 practical ways to develop this confidence with high school counseling classroom lessons and actually be excited...

Not sure where to start when you want to incorporate social-emotional learning into your high school counseling program… specifically your classroom lessons?   The way this happens in every school is unique. The topics and focus points will be different. Confidence levels on this vary from counselor to counselor.   My hope is that these 3 ideas will get your brain turning on how to bring social-em...

Every student wants to be seen and known. Names are a huge part of making that happen. When you remember a student’s name, you’re developing relational credibility which is a currency like none other!    Whether your mind is a steel trap for names or you’ve hit your name capacity like me, Episode 12 will leave you inspired to get memorizing your students’ names and use them in your high school cou...

Let's jump back into talking all about facilitating small groups in the high school setting! If you missed the first part of this extended episode, check out Part 1 of 2 High School Counseling Conversations episodes all about facilitating high school counseling small groups. In Part 2, you'll catch 3 more useful tips for running your groups with confidence and, ultimately, providing more comprehen...

Check out Part 1 of 2 episodes all about facilitating high school counseling small groups. Running high school counseling small groups can feel incredibly intimidating depending on your training from grad school, your personality, or the mix of students in your group. Use these tips to get planning and facilitating high school counseling small groups with confidence! In this episode, you'll hear a...