Counselor Chat Podcast

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 a conflict.
• Ways to respond when students struggle to explain their actions.
• How to turn vague promises into specific, practiced next steps.
• Using think sheets to support accountability, repair, and learning.

Your quick win: Try the question with one student this week, then practice one realistic next step together.

Resources mentioned:

Think Sheets PowerPoint (Grab this free!)

Think Sheets

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

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 to practice problem-solving and respectful disagreement
• 4 Corners to discover common ground and appreciate different perspectives

Want the lessonsI use? Here are the links:

• Pass The Pencil
• Human Taco
• Shipwrecked

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

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 effective small group.

You’ll learn how to:

• Select students thoughtfully
• Handle family permission and student assent
• Create clear group expectations
• Use a simple, repeatable session structure
• Measure student progress without complicated data
• Adjust your curriculum as student needs emerge

Your students don’t need a perfect group counselor. They need someone who is prepared, present, and willing to learn alongside them.

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

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 school data sources can help identify group needs
• How to distinguish patterns from isolated incidents
• Three important filters: need, fit, and feasibility
• Why the most requested group may not be the highest priority
• What to consider when selecting group members
• How to create measurable group goals
• Simple ways to collect data before, during, and after a group
• How to support students whose groups cannot begin immediately

The goal isn’t to run the most groups possible. It’s to run the right groups for the students who need them now.

Links:

K-3 Girls Friendship Group

4-8 Girls Friendship Group

K-3 Impulse Control Group

K-2 Coping Skills Group

1-4 Anxiety Group

4-8 Having Hope Group

HS Anxiety Group

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

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 with school and district priorities.

You’ll learn:

• How to move from an activity-based goal to a student outcome goal
• What data to consider when identifying a program priority
• How to use the annual administrator conference to build administrator buy-in
• Ways your goal can help advocate for your role and appropriate use of time
• How to map your goal across the school year
• Why participation, student standards, and achievement data all matter
• How regular checkpoints help you adjust your plan before the end of the year

Your SMART goal shouldn’t be a document you write and forget. It can become a roadmap for your program, a foundation for collaboration, and a powerful way to show how school counseling supports student success.

ASCA National Model 5th Edition Free Download

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

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 worth the investment

How laminating helps turn lessons, games, and worksheets into reusable tools

The presentation-clicker tip that can save you from searching the classroom

A quieter, easier solution to dice rolling during counseling games

How Yikerz naturally supports impulse control and flexible thinking

Why a familiar game like Chutes and Ladders still works with older students

Shop My Counseling Office Favorites

Clear project cases

Scotch Pro 13-inch laminator

Bulk laminating pouches

Presentation clicker

Sterilite clear latching bins

Pop-o-matic dice poppers

Yikerz magnetic game

Chutes and Ladders

Download the free guide

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

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-friendly language
• Help students understand when they might come see you
• Clearly explain confidentiality
• Teach students exactly how to request support
• Reduce the stigma that counseling means “being in trouble”
• Make your lesson interactive and memorable
• Give students a few key messages they can carry with them all year

The goal is not for students to memorize what a school counselor does. It is for them to know, “I know who my counselor is, I know how to reach them, and I know they can help.”

Intro Lessons:

Meet the School Counselor Tic-Tac-Toe

School Counselor BINGO

Meet the School Counselor Lesson Plan

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

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
• Using data and needs assessments to guide your program
• Strengthening Tier 1 supports
• Protecting your time before your calendar fills up
• Organizing your counseling program without starting from scratch

Resources Mentioned:

From TpT:

• Meet the Counselor Tic-Tac-Toe
• Meet The Counselor Lesson Plan
• Behavior Intervention Toolkit

All these resources and more are included in Perks Counseling Content Club

You do not have to have the entire year figured out in September. Focus on the foundation first.

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

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, honor, and connect.

You will hear practical examples of how small moments of recognition can help students and staff feel seen, valued, and connected—and how those moments can create ripple effects throughout an entire school community.

• Why two simple words can open the door to connection
• The difference between acknowledging and honoring someone
• How specific recognition builds trust and belonging
• Why connection needs to happen before a crisis
• Simple ways to positively influence school culture every day

School culture is not built through one special event. It is built through the way people are treated, one interaction at a time.

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

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 is communicated so it doesn’t get overlooked.

• Sharing Successes: Highlighting the progress of our students with colleagues and administrators to build awareness and appreciation for the counseling role.

• Collaboration is Key: Being seen as integral members of the school team by actively participating in and contributing to the broader educational environment.

• Impactful Interventions: Recognizing the power of empathy and understanding in counseling.

• Building a Supportive Environment: Advocating for ourselves to help create a school culture where our contributions are respected and supported.

Join me as we explore how to ensure our work is visible, valued, and celebrated as we head into what I hope will be our best school year yet!

Join the Summer Counselor Conference

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

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