🎉 100 episodes! Can you believe it? This milestone is all thanks to YOU—our amazing community of school counselors who tune in, take action, and make a difference every single day. Whether you’ve been listening since episode one or just found Counselor Chat, I’m beyond grateful for your support.

This podcast started as a simple idea—to create a space where school counselors could get practical strategies, feel supported, and be reminded that they’re never alone in this journey. And wow, has it grown! Along the way, we’ve had incredible conversations, deep dives into real challenges, and moments of pure inspiration.

💙 YOU are the reason we’ve made it to 100 episodes. So today, we’re celebrating together!

✅ A heartfelt reflection on the journey to 100 episodes

✅ The top 5 most-loved episodes and why they’ve resonated so deeply

✅ A sneak peek into the exciting topics and guests coming your way

Because this is such a big milestone, I want to celebrate you—the amazing listeners who make this podcast possible! To say thank you, I’m doing a special giveaway. One lucky listener will win a $100 Amazon gift card!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Make sure you’re following this podcast.
2. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
3. Snap a picture of your review and email it to me at [email protected].

That’s it! I’ll pick a winner by March 5th, 2025, and announce it on an upcoming episode.

Some of the episodes you all loved the most include:

🎧 Individual Counseling Like A Pro (Episode 49) – This episode dove into making the most of one-on-one time with students and structuring sessions effectively.

🎧 Finding Grace in Grief: A School Counselor’s Journey (Episode 51) – A deeply moving episode where we talked about grief, loss, and supporting students through tough times.

🎧 What Am I Supposed To Do For National School Counseling Week? (Episode 44) – A fan favorite that broke down how to celebrate and advocate for school counseling in a meaningful way.

🎧 Using Community Circles As SEL Lessons (Episode 47) – A practical and hands-on episode that inspired so many of you to bring community circles into your schools.

🎧 Go Make Some Lollipop Moments: Back To School Motivation (Episode 75) – If you need an instant boost of inspiration, this one’s for you!

What’s Next? Get Ready for Even More!

The best part? We’re just getting started. As we move into the next 100 episodes, expect even more of what you love:

✔️ Solo episodes packed with actionable strategies

✔️ Expert guests bringing fresh insights and game-changing ideas

✔️ Real talk about the challenges we face as school counselors—and how to overcome them

🌟 Upcoming topics include:

🔹 Setting Boundaries as a School Counselor (because yes, you CAN say no!)

🔹 Tier 2 Interventions That Actually Work – No fluff, just real strategies

🔹 The Heart of Difficult Conversations – Navigating tough discussions with confidence

🔹 Creative Ways to Teach SEL Without Another Lesson Plan – Because your plate is already full!

This journey has been incredible, and it’s all because of you. Every day, you show up for your students, your schools, and your communities. You handle the hard conversations, provide the safe spaces, and create the moments of impact that change lives.

And if you ever doubt the difference you’re making—just know this: You are seen. You are valued. You are making a difference.

So here’s to 100 episodes, to you, and to the next chapter of this amazing journey. 💙

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

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Connect with Carol:

• TpT Store
• Counseling Essentials Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Elementary School Counselor Exchange Facebook Group
• Caught In The Middle School Counselors Facebook Group
• High School Counselor Connection Facebook Group

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