Counselor Chat Podcast

Bullying Prevention Can Start With a Conversation

Bullying prevention doesn’t end when October does. In this episode, I share how I'm using simple conversations and relatable scenarios with students in grades 4–6 to explore bullying and safe ways to respond.

In this episode:

• Understanding bullying, hurtful behavior, and power imbalances.
• Using everyday situations to spark meaningful discussion.
• Helping students become upstanders without putting themselves at risk.
• Continuing prevention through empathy, perspective taking, and problem-solving.

Your quick win: Share one fictional scenario and ask: “What do you notice? What else would we need to know? What could someone do to help safely?”

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

Join The Perks School Counseling Membership for K-8 Counselors and get your first month free: https://carol-miller-counseling-essentials.mykajabi.com/offers/6Nbbsohn/checkout?coupon_code=PODCAST

Perks Membership

The School Counselor Scaries Nobody Prepared You For

From heated parent emails and surprise Spirit Week duties to an invisible bug in a kindergartener’s shoe, school counseling includes plenty of moments that never appeared in the syllabus. In this episode, Carol shares a humorous—and heartfelt—look at the unexpected sides of the job.

In this episode:

• The everyday surprises that require creativity and a sense of humor.
• The serious situations that call for teamwork and support.
• Why being capable doesn’t mean everything should become your responsibility.

Your takeaway: You don’t have to know everything or handle it alone. Share a laugh with a colleague, ask the question, and reach out when you need support.

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

Even Busy Bees Make Time to Play

Feeling burned out—and it’s only October? In this episode of Counselor Chat, Carol shares a surprising discovery about playful bumblebees and a reminder that counselors deserve time for enjoyment, too.

In this episode:

• How the pressure to stay productive can crowd out joy.
• Why wellness includes addressing workload and asking for support.
• Simple ways to make room for something you enjoy without creating another obligation.

Your quick win: Find your “little wooden ball”—one activity you enjoy simply for yourself—and give it a small place in your week.

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 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