School for School Counselors Podcast

Why does everything at school seem to turn into a competition...  and why does it so often become a school counseling issue? In this episode of the School for School Counselors Podcast , we explore what’s really happening when students compete over small moments and why school counselors are frequently asked to intervene even when there’s no clear behavior problem.  We look at the neurological and...

Everyone was laughing... until suddenly someone wasn’t. Learn how "burns" work, why it’s usually mutual until it isn’t, and how to know when it’s time to shift from counseling to consequences. Burn culture shows up in those fast, sarcastic exchanges where students trade “jokes” for laughs, status, and social footing... until someone becomes the cost of the humor.  In this episode, we unp...

Why do some students wait until school counselors are walking out the door before they finally open up? It’s not randomness, and it’s definitely not manipulation. It’s nervous system timing , and understanding it will change the way you interpret those 3:24 p.m. confessions forever. In this episode, Steph Johnson breaks down the neurobiology behind “drive-by disclosures” and explains why so many s...

The hoodie isn’t the problem. It’s the messages we’re missing. In this episode, Steph Johnson takes you inside one of the most misunderstood behaviors on a school campus: the kids who cover up, layer up, or hide inside hoodies no matter the temperature.  Using research from adolescent psychology, sensory science, trauma, school anxiety, and identity development, Steph explains what hoodie behavior...

Those hallway TikTok routines are saying something, school counselor- and it’s not what you think. In this episode, we decode what those repeated dance loops reveal about belonging, status, and the adolescent brain.  You’ll learn how synchronized movement functions as a social signal and why these micro-performances can be early indicators of connection, pressure, or exclusion on your campus. If y...

“Rizz.” “Bet.” “Six-Seven.” Sounds like noise... but it’s not. In this episode of the School for School Counselors Podcast , Steph Johnson breaks down what teen slang really means, and how it maps your campus culture in ways most adults never notice. You’ll hear the neuroscience behind why slang sticks, the social psychology that makes it powerful, and how school counselors can use it to spot who’...

Some counselors never have to fight for their role- or explain their worth.  That’s not luck. It’s skill. In this episode, you’ll learn how the most respected school counselors earn trust, keep influence, and make their programs untouchable, no “advocacy” required. ********************************** Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every d...

Students refusing school isn’t new... but what’s happening now is different. Across the country, nearly one in three students is missing ten percent or more of the school year. And while everyone’s blaming “attendance apathy” or “bad parenting,” the truth is a lot more complicated. In this episode, I talk about what school refusal really is- and what it’s not. You’ll learn the four hidden drivers...

October hits different, doesn’t it? One week you’re flying high after a student breakthrough, and the next- you’re wondering if you can even make it to Friday. In this episode, I’m talking about the rollercoaster of school counseling: why it feels impossible to stay grounded this time of year, what’s really fueling the highs and lows, and three sanity-saving ways to keep your footing when everythi...

The radio call comes in. A student’s refusing to move, and suddenly, everyone’s looking at you to fix it. Here’s what nobody ever told us in grad school: defiance and dysregulation can look the same from the outside, but they require completely different responses. This episode gives you a clear, evidence-based way to figure out the difference, match the right tool to the right circumstance, and k...

⭐️ Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind . Come join us! ⭐️ ********************************** You’re not a behavior specialist. You’re not a Tier 2 team of one. And you’re definitely not the defiance whisperer. But… if you’re stuck dealing with behavior anyway, you might as well make i...

⭐️ Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind . Come join us! ⭐️ ********************************** PBIS is implemented in over 25,000 schools. Your district swears by it. But does it actually help kids- or just make the data look better?  In this candid episode of my Graded series, I'm...

Are calm corners helping students regulate... or just giving them a softer way to opt out?   In this episode of Graded , I take a hard look at one of the most popular SEL approaches in schools today: calm corners. You’ll hear what the research says, what most campuses are getting wrong, and what grade calm corners really deserve. Plus, I respond to a one-star podcast review that called me condesce...

Ever walked out of an “advocacy meeting” with your admin and thought, Is anything ever going to change? You brought the data. You showed the charts. You quoted the position statements. And still, you walked away with the same ridiculous caseload, or worse- another responsibility placed on your shoulders. All that effort doesn’t move the needle. It just keeps you running in circles. In this episode...

What if the tools you’ve been told to use as a school counselor are actually working against you? In this highlights reel, I’m recapping eight of the field’s most popular practices and giving you the real verdict on each. You’ll hear the truths nobody disputes, the traps that keep counselors spinning their wheels, and the takeaways you can actually use on a real campus.  I’ll even hand you the one...

"What you say in here, stays in here…”  We’ve all said it, but it’s a promise that never came from schools, and it’s costing us trust with students, parents, and administrators.  In this Graded episode, I examine how near-absolute confidentiality has been implemented in school counseling, the fallout it’s created, and why the grade I’m giving it might surprise you. We’ll trace how confidentia...

Minute meetings look great on a spreadsheet. But do they actually help kids? In this episode of Graded , I dig into where this practice really came from, the myths we’ve built around it, and the risks nobody’s talking about, and I’ll share what to do instead. Minute meetings have taken on near-folklore status in school counseling. They’re all over Pinterest, pushed in Facebook groups, and praised...

What if the behavior approach everyone swears by is actually making some kids worse? Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) is one of the most common Tier 2 interventions in school counseling, but most trainings leave out the detail that decides whether it works or fails.  In this episode, I share the research, the hidden limitation no one’s talking about, and the story of a student who proved that “research-b...

Small group counseling gets pushed as the fix for everything. But what if we’re getting it wrong? In this episode: Why “ASCA-aligned” doesn’t mean effective The real reason group work is overused How to spot a pretty curriculum with zero impact Plus, a student story that stopped me in my tracks. If you’ve ever run a group just to prove you’re doing Tier 2… this one’s for you. *********************...

You know that feeling when it’s Friday, and you can’t even explain what you did all week? Use-of-time tracking is supposed to help- but too often, it feels like just another way to keep school counselors in check. This week on Graded , we’re pulling apart one of the most pushed- but least supported- tools in school counseling. We’ll talk about: Why it’s recommended in the ASCA model—and required i...

Needs assessments are everywhere in school counseling, and they're especially enticing when you’re just starting out. They feel like the smart, strategic thing to do. But what if they’re just giving you more to carry? In this episode, we’re taking a hard look at needs assessments: who’s pushing them, why they’ve become the go-to starting point, and what they can cost you.  We’ll cover the rea...

We’ve all been told school counseling should be short-term and goal-focused, and most of us have tried to follow that rule: running six-week groups, setting goals, and wrapping things up quickly. But when those same students show up in your office again weeks later- or their behavior backslides the moment your group ends- you’re left wondering: Was it the student… or was it me? In this episode, we...

In this first episode of the Graded series, we put the ASCA National Model to the test. What was promised? What’s actually happening? And what grade does it really deserve? If you’ve ever felt like the model was built for someone else’s school, you are NOT alone! For over two decades, the ASCA Model has served as the gold standard in school counseling. But for most counselors, the support to make...

You’ve got the heart. You’ve got the training. So why does it still feel like no one’s listening? This episode is about the invisible skill no one taught you, but everyone responds to. The one that separates the school counselors who get looped in… from the ones who get left out. It’s not confidence. It’s not charisma. And it’s definitely not another credential. We’re talking about the kind of pre...

More and more school counselors are saying, “I’m getting my LPC and getting out.” But is licensure really the answer- or just a new kind of stress? In this episode, we take a candid look at what licensure changes, what it doesn’t, and why your next move deserves more than burnout logic. Plus, I’ll walk you through the hidden costs, the unexpected trade-offs, and what clinical work actually involve...