In today's episode, I chat with Ashley Lutz. who shares strategies and advice for school counselors on working with special education students and collaborating with special education teachers. 

Ashley has been working in Special Education for 12 years. She was a middle school self-contained teacher for 7 years working with students with intellectual disabilities and did 4 years as a special education inclusion teacher in an elementary setting. In 2022, she switched roles to be an Early Childhood Special Education teacher (ECSE). Outside of the classroom, Ashley is married with 3 kids; an 8 year old and 6 year old twins. When she is not running after her littles, she enjoys workouts, putting her toes in the sand, reading, and drinking lots of coffee!

Some Highlights include: 

• Strategies for counselors to support special education students, such as building rapport with families, providing sensory input, and using fidget toys or puzzles to help students open up.

• Co-teaching models for counselors to work with special education teachers, including team teaching and station rotations.

• The importance of validating emotions and supporting teachers' mental health, with suggestions for counselors to offer a safe space for teachers to vent and regulate their emotions.

• The value of early intervention and open communication between educators and parents to address mental health concerns in students.

Resources mentioned:

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In Today's episode I chat with Bradford Goodridge,an elementary school counselor in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

He discusses his approach to comprehensive school counseling lessons, including his "paws" program that aligns with his school's lion mascot. He shares tips for creating lessons from scratch, integrating school values, and supporting students through self-referral groups.

Some topics covered in this episode are:

• Bradford's background in education and his transition to becoming an elementary school counselor.

• The "paws" program he developed to provide structured, instructional lessons for students to share their thoughts and feelings.

• His process for creating school counseling lessons from scratch, incorporating mandated topics and aligning with his school's core values.

• How he pitches and manages self-referral student groups, using kid-friendly terminology to engage students. 

• The importance of being a visible, supportive resource for both students and parents, and the challenges he faced in a previous disciplinarian role.

Resources mentioned:

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

Connect with Bradford: 

• Instagram

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In this episode, Jocelyn Hubbard shares strategies for creating equitable learning spaces for students. Jocelyn discusses the importance of defining equity, getting to know students beyond surface-level information, and co-creating learning experiences with students.

Jocelynn Hubbard helps teachers spark joy during the learning experience by creating an inclusive and welcoming classroom environment for ALL their students. She is the founder and managing director of Custom Teaching Solutions, LLC and host of The Culture-Centered Classroom podcast.

She has 16+ years of experience in education as an educator, speaker, professional development creator and facilitator. Driven by a passion to see the diverse people of our world feel welcomed, affirmed, and celebrated, she provides training on becoming and remaining culturally competent. As a wife and mother of five, her goals include squeezing in time for exercise, finding moments of joy each day, and parenting each of her children as unique individuals. Some Highlights covered:

• How to Define equity for your counseling space and share it with stakeholders

• Going beyond surface-level information to understand students' goals, characteristics, and future aspirations

• Using the "Student Data Dive" form to gather insights on students' preferences, behaviors, and communication styles

• Leveraging the arts (music, art, etc.) to connect with younger students or those with diverse learning needs

• Embracing your power and agency as a counselor to inspire parents and educators to support students' social-emotional needs

Tune into the whole episode and let us know what you think! 

Resources mentioned:

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

Connect with Jocelynn: 

• Instagram 
• Website 
• Grab The Checklist 

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In this episode I welcome Lindsay Jannaman, Director of SEL Content at Quaver Ed, discussing strategies for embedding social-emotional learning school-wide with the support of teachers, parents, and administrators.

Lindsey has 12 years of experience as a school counselor and teaching vocal/general music at the elementary and middle school levels. Lindsey has been with QuaverEd for 6 years and has been foundational in the development and writing of QuaverReady’s elementary school program.

Lindsey holds a B.M. in Vocal/General Music Education, M.Ed. in Professional School Counseling, and her Ed.S. in Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Mental Health in Schools and Multicultural Education. Lindsey has focused her work as a school counselor on equipping students with appropriate coping skills and strategies to navigate varied emotions, teaching and modeling appropriate social skills, and preparing students to become kind and contributing citizens of their homes, schools, and communities.

Some topics covered in this episode are:

• Lindsay's transition from music teacher to school counselor to her current role developing SEL curriculum

• Ideas for embedding SEL into daily interactions like passing out papers or group time

• The importance of modeling inclusive behaviors and emotional intelligence

• Strategies for "outsourcing" SEL lessons to teachers and reinforcing concepts at home

• Creating buy-in for comprehensive SEL implementation through newsletters, calendars, and community involvement

Listen in and tell me what you think!

Resources mentioned:

• Try QuaverEd

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In today's episode, I chat with Patti Sutherland and discuss the benefits of incorporating play therapy in school counseling programs, emphasizing its accessibility and effectiveness in addressing trauma and loss in children.

Patti has a Masters in Social Work and has been a social worker for over 30 years. She has worked with children in women's shelter's, family violence programs, schools and spent 12 years in private practice.

She is a Certified Play therapist with The Canadian Association of Play Therapy. She enjoys providing training for educators in the area of developmental trauma in the classroom and is currently a school social worker in the Winnipeg School Division in Winnipeg, Canada.

About a year ago Patti decided she would try her hand at creating resources for school counselors and opened a TPT shop. A major learning curve, but an exciting new adventure. Some highlights from this episode are:

•  How to incorporate play therapy into individual, small group, and whole-class sessions.
• Using Collage-making and cooperative games for easy play therapy implementation.
• How to use genogram miniatures to help students make unconscious conclusions about their families
• a Sneak Peak at Patti's session at the IMPACT Summer Summit

Listen in for the whole inside scoop!

Resources mentioned:

• IMPACT Summer Summit

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

Connect with Patti:

• TpT Store

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In today's episode I am chatting with Executive Function and ADHD coach Sarah Lovell about practical strategies school counselors can use to improve their own executive functioning skills and help students. 

Sarah Lovell (she/her) is an executive function & ADHD coach for ambitious professionals, college students, creatives, and perfectionists. With a background as a Master’s level social worker, Sarah believes self-care & self-talk are the foundation of everything we do (including executive functioning!).

She’s spent 10 years helping clients overcome procrastination, burnout, time blindness, and overwhelm. She loves helping clients notice their self-talk, shift their mindset, and build a toolbox of realistic strategies through 1:1 coaching and her membership, The Stuck to Started Society.

When Sarah isn't working, she's taking her rescue pitbull Georgia on a trail hike, paddle boarding, or snuggling up with a good book. Some highlights from this episode are:

• The importance of addressing negative self-talk around executive functioning challenges.
• Using an organized external system to manage tasks and thoughts to avoid mental overload.
• Distinguishing between procrastination and being "stuck" when facing tasks.
• Separating planning from taking action to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• Time management strategies that will be covered in Sarah's Summer Summit session, including intuitive scheduling and prioritizing questions.

Tune in and let me know what you think! 

Resources mentioned:

• IMPACT Summer Summit

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

Connect with Sarah:

• Instagram 
• Website

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In Today's episode I am welcoming back Joyce Harduvel, (who will also be at this year's IMPACT Summer Summit), to give her insight on supporting students in Crisis.

Joyce is a licensed clinical social worker and a certified school social work specialist. After seven years in the field of school social work working with students from preschool to high school, she is pivoting to provide school-based clinicians with the resources, community, and training that they need to support their students. Recognizing that most of what she used on a daily basis as a school social worker she had to learn through experience and create herself, Joyce is committed to sharing her expertise to make the lives of school-based clinicians easier so that they can focus on the important part: the students!

Listen In for some of these highlights!: 

• The importance of acknowledging how schools can contribute to student trauma through both major incidents and more subtle interactions.

• Recommendations for establishing crisis response protocols and teams to avoid one counselor being overwhelmed.

• Examples of concrete tools like flowcharts counselors can use to map out contingency plans for different crisis situations.

• A Preview of Joyce's IMPACT Summer Summit session covering her "secret sauce" for comprehensive crisis response strategies.
• Joyce's venture back into school and her plans to focus on special education law to better advocate for students' rights.

It's truly a do not miss! Listen in now!

Resources mentioned:

• IMPACT Summer Summit

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest

• Youtube

Connect with Joyce: 

• http://www.joyce-lcsw.com/

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In this episode, I'm covering all things counselor interviews. Remember when you were interviewing for counseling positions or maybe you're interviewing right now?  I know that it was an emotional roller coaster preparing, interviewing and dealing with rejection. It took me quite a few interviews before landing my dream job. That's why I love to talk about this! AND I decided to tag in some help! Thank you to everyone who submitted their advice!

Listen in to hear us eloborate on these pieces of advice:

• Research the school - Look up demographics, mission, goals and relate how you can contribute.

• Don't sell yourself short - Be confident in your skills and experiences.

• Embrace your individuality - Admin want to see your genuine personality and fit with school culture.

• Prioritize students - Give examples of how you make students a top priority.

• Thank you notes - Writing thank you notes that stand out and are appreciated by interviewers.

Seriously, this is a DO NOT MISS! 

Resources mentioned:

• Coffee with the Counselor

•  Stress Free School Counselor Bootcamp

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In today's episode, I am sharing all my strategies to help school counselors to tie up loose ends at the end of the school year and support students' mental health over the summer months.  Some Highlights: 

• Implementing Termination strategies for school counseling groups

• Creating an End-of-year report and data wall for advocating counselor role

• Getting summer support plans in place with community resources

• How to make Summer SEL toolkits for parents to support students

• Some fun ideas for summer SEL toolkit with activities for families

Resources mentioned:

• https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/coffee

• Summer SEL Toolkit

•  https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/bootcamp

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

In Today's episode I chat with Lauren Tingle. We are diving into all things school counselor interviews. The do's don'ts, interview preparation and our experiences, we will be sharing advice and tips for common scenarios we have seen!

Lauren is a former high school counselor turned content creator and curriculum writer. She is the high school counseling hype girl behind Counselor Clique helping other high school counselors energize and breathe life into their programs through creative and engaging counseling resources. She’s also the host of the podcast “High School Counseling Conversations” and also runs a membership for high school counselors called the Clique Collaborative where she brings value and fun into high school counseling.

Some topics covered in this episode are:

• Creating summer SEL toolkits for busy school counselors.
• Returning to work after maternity leave in the school counseling field.
• How to approach job interviews and bring enthusiasm to a new role.
• Job interviews, storytelling, and overcoming insecurities.
• Selling one's unique experiences and skills as a school counselor candidate.

Resources mentioned:

• https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/bootcamp

• Create a Summer SEL Toolkit - Thrive Instead of Survive at the End of the Year

• Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here!

• If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest 

• Youtube

Connect with Lauren:

• Website
• TpT Store 
• Instagram
• High School Counseling Conversations-

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!