School for School Counselors Podcast

⭐️ 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! ⭐️

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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 it worth it.

In this episode, I’ll show you...

⭐️ 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! ⭐️

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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 giving PBIS the report card it deserves....

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 condescending and gave me a D-minus.
(I cou...

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 of the School for School Counselors P...

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-liners and micro-actions you can take...

"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 confidentiality migrated from clinical counseling...

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 as the “must-do” way to reach every s...

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-based” doesn’t always mean “right for ...

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.

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⭐️ Want sup...

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 in some states
  
  
• Why real-worl...

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 real benefits and the overlooked drawbac...

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’re talking about the deeper trut...

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 it work just isn’t there.

Not...

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 presence that shifts...

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 involves (spoiler: it’s not school ...

Still feeling unsure- even with experience under your belt? This episode explains why doubt might be the best sign you’re doing the job well, not a reason to second-guess yourself.

In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what that uncertainty in school counseling really means. We’ll talk about the invisible labor of school counseling, what the research says about feedback-poor environments, and how self-doubt often shows ...

You turned in your keys, packed up your office, and told yourself this summer would be a reset. But instead of relaxing, you feel… off. Either you can’t sit still, or you’ve completely shut down. 

Sound familiar?

In this episode, we’re talking about what’s really going on when school counselors can’t seem to rest after the school year ends. 

We’ll explore the biological stress cycle, the emotional aftermath of constant crisis response...

You followed the model. You tracked the data. You did everything “right.”

So why does it still feel wrong?

In this episode, we talk about how school counseling’s best intentions became a trap, and what to do when the map you were given stops working.

If you’re tired of measuring your worth by minutes and metrics, this one’s for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode 4, "Your Data Does Not Define Your Worth as a...

Why do some school counselors get a seat at the table while others get sidelined, no matter how qualified they are? In this episode, we’re breaking down what actually builds trust with school leaders and how to develop the on-the-fly fluency and presence that turn you into the go-to, not the afterthought.

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Being good at your job isn’t always enough. You can have the training, the data, and a deep commitment to students... and st...