You're ready to start using small groups in your high school, but you need to be able to measure their effectiveness and have something tangible to show for your endeavors. The key to success is to plan to collect and share small group data from the start. If you have resistance from admins or fellow high school counselors, data can be highly compelling to show the value of utilizing small groups. The data you collect can shape their perspective, proving that small groups are worth the effort. I...
Feb 19, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Do you have mixed feelings about counseling small groups? Today's episode will pique your interest and get you thinking about incorporating them into your high school counseling. There is so much power in using small groups in the high school setting! It's time for high school counselors to replace your dreaded non-counseling duties with actual counseling duties, like the forgotten tier-two intervention of small groups. Small groups are a way to support your students in a much bigger way and do ...
Feb 12, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 113
When was the last time you reviewed different counseling theories you could bring into your role? It's probably something you have not considered since graduate school, but we have you covered! We are diving into using a solution-focused school counseling approach and how it can increase your effectiveness and efficiency. Today's guest, Dr. Russell A. Sabella, is a Professor in the School Counseling Program at the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University and President of Sabella &am...
Feb 05, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Are you looking for a high school counselor membership that provides the information you need to know, helps you understand how to apply everything to your role, and has a place to connect with other counselors? The Clique Collaborative is the place for you and is ready to welcome you with open arms! The doors are officially OPEN for you to join! The Clique Collaborative is a high school counselor membership created to empower and inspire you in your counseling journey. This membership is create...
Jan 29, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Did you know National School Counseling Week is only a few weeks away? This year's celebration is from February 5 through February 9, 2024. Before you ignore this episode, I want to say I SEE YOU and know you're out there! It's common for counselors to get down on themselves about this week, but this episode will help to understand why it's so important to celebrate. No matter how you currently feel about National School Counseling Week, please listen to this episode because I think there's so m...
Jan 22, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 110
You made it to the halfway point; it's time to begin the second semester! You may feel excited, overwhelmed, and wondering where to start. All those feelings are normal, and I want to be here for you during this transition and give you the four essentials to finish the school year strong! It's easy to look ahead and get overwhelmed by how much is left to do and how much of the year is still left, but when you know where to focus, it takes away the pressure and simplifies everything. I'm here to ...
Jan 15, 2024•13 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Have you ever considered going back to school to get your doctorate? You may have wondered how doctorate school counseling could benefit your career. Well, you're in luck because we are going to hear directly from a counselor who went for her dream and received her Ph.D. Today's guest, Dr. Maritza Cha, is a first-generation college graduate who started her journey as a social studies teacher in East Los Angeles. Dr. Cha helped design and launch a pilot school within the Los Angeles Unified Schoo...
Jan 08, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 108
We are taking it back to the second episode of this podcast! This episode is the perfect reminder to focus on resetting yourself for the new year and semester! It's easy to let the whole winter break fly by without thinking about ways to reset for 2024. It's essential to reset yourself because it can be hard to find the motivation to try new ideas, learn new ways of doing things, or change your perspectives when your tank is running low. In today's episode, I'm sharing what I used to believe abo...
Jan 01, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 107
As high school counselors, many of us are natural helpers, and some are to a fault. This often shows up as us not following through on the boundaries we've set for ourselves, which can quickly lead to burnout and job resentment. I'm here to tell you that if we're not defining our boundaries, somebody else will! Taking our boundaries seriously leads to higher job satisfaction and helps you feel more productive, proud of your work, and confident that your work is enough. In today's episode, we wil...
Dec 25, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Are you a high school counselor looking for a supportive and engaging community? The Clique Collaborative might be just what you're looking for, and one of the best parts is access to the live quarterly calls! Today, we are going behind the scenes so you can experience what it's like to be on one of our Live Clique Collab Calls! These calls provide members with a school counselor community that understands the struggles of what it's like to be in the high school setting. In the episode, members ...
Dec 18, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Are you familiar with MTSS? In case you aren’t, MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered System of Support. Essentially, it is a framework that helps schools be effective and efficient in identifying and supporting kids who need academic, social, emotional, or college and career development support. Today, we are re-airing one of the most popular episodes from this year, where I had Dr. Jake Olsen and Dr. Peg Donohue join me on the show to talk about MTSS in high school counseling. They have extensive exper...
Dec 11, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Are you tired of trying to squeeze in everything and feeling overwhelmed? Scheduling is hard when you're pulled in so many different directions, and it's something that many counselors struggle with. It's time to implement a new strategy to make the most of your time! My friend, Rachel Davis, has found a way that you can look at what needs to be done, streamline your day, and make the impact we know you can make. In this episode, Rachel shares how to implement a time audit and use the data to ad...
Dec 04, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 103
As high school counselors with large caseloads, it can feel like a lot of pressure when it comes to trying to handle the mental health needs of students on top of everything else. There's no flow chart to work through because each scenario is unique. The good news is that counselors have the tools, strategies, and experiences to handle these situations. All you need are some new ideas to lean into providing mental health support to students without doing it all yourself. In today's episode, you'...
Nov 27, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Do you struggle to manage the adult friendships in your life? You're not alone! Maintaining relationships as we age can be challenging. But with some effort to do things differently, we can all be on our way to thriving friendships! My guest today, Blake Blankenbecler, brings real-world examples and ideas to use as adults navigating relationships and friendships in the workplace. She believes that life is meant to be lived in connection and helps friends have more meaningful conversations and cr...
Nov 20, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 101
WOOOOO! We've hit 100 episodes on the High School Counseling Conversations Podcast! It's existed for almost two years now, which is wild for someone whose personality shifts gears all day, every day. To celebrate this milestone, I'm doing an "ask me anything" episode. Several weeks ago, I put a question sticker on my Instagram stories where you could submit your questions. Today, I am answering as many as possible on various topics! During this round of "ask me anything," you'll hear me answer q...
Nov 13, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Our high school students are so busy and surrounded with pressures of classes, college applications, sports, friendships, and more. With everything they have going on, it’s easy to forget that they are still just kids who need breaks. My guest today, Tylee Resetich, knew a way to give them the break they needed while teaching them about the importance of exploring new interests. She did this through planning and implementing an unforgettable wellness day. Tylee shares how exactly she pulled this...
Nov 06, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 99
We know that as high school counselors, our roles are unique and specialized, and it's crucial to feel valued and respected by our admin. But what happens when an administrator seems to be refusing to acknowledge the value of our work? Join me as we explore why this topic is important and how thriving relationships between admins and counselors can lead to higher job satisfaction, lower burnout rates, and ultimately, higher student achievement. We'll discuss three types of administrators that ca...
Oct 30, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 98
When we have children of our own, we have to juggle the role of parent and high school counselor. Our experience in school counseling can pay off when it comes to helping our children through various milestones, such as the college application process. However, it can also get a bit tricky to wear both hats at once! My guest today, veteran school counselor Tyesha Hemmans, is a testament of this balancing act. She is here to share her personal experience of guiding her own children through the co...
Oct 23, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 97
You’ve likely heard all the buzz around artificial intelligence (AI). But let’s talk about AI for school counselors specifically. Can we really use AI to enhance our counseling program and save us some time here and there? Yes we can! I’m sharing over ten ways that you can leverage AI for school counselors. From letters of recommendation, to writing tough emails to parents or staff, to presentation prep, there are countless counseling tasks that AI can help you with. Remember, AI isn’t here to r...
Oct 16, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 96
What’s one big reason for counselors feeling stressed out, overworked, underpaid, and spread thin? A large caseload! You know how it is when you’re juggling a large caseload. You feel like you can’t reach every student that you need to. There’s never enough hours in the day to tackle your endless to-do list. And don't even get me started on all those emails! I’m here to help you navigate the challenge of having a large caseload and find ways to manage your time, protect your well-being, and make...
Oct 09, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 95
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a community of raving fans for your high school counseling program? You know, those people who are not only aware of the amazing work you’re doing but also actively support and advocate for your program. We all know how tiring it can be to constantly advocate for our programs, so let’s explore how we can transform those around us into raving fans who reinforce our efforts. We’ll start by focusing on the people who are already in front of us, such as students, teachers...
Oct 02, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 94
After witnessing a student feel defeated about plans to attend community college rather than a University, Priscilla Grijalva knew that she needed to change the narrative. That’s when “Reach Higher Thursdays” were created, and more support was shown for celebrating all post-secondary options. Priscilla Grijalva is a highly accomplished school counselor with over 18 years of experience and an incredible drive for her students. In our conversation, Priscilla discusses the importance of advocacy an...
Sep 25, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Each student on your caseload has unique needs. Your DACA and undocumented students face a particular set of challenges, and you have the opportunity to be a beacon of hope for many of them. We're going to dive into advocating for undocumented students and exploring ways to meet their needs. I’m sharing three specific ideas for how you can support these students from creating a safe environment, to staying informed about changing policities, to connecting them with valuable resources. These stra...
Sep 18, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 92
As we gear up for the school year, I know you've probably already started fielding questions from your seniors about their college search. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to know every single fact about every college! In this episode, I’ll share five free resources that you can direct your students to for their college search journey. From college search engines to school websites and even social media, we've got all the tools you need to equip your students. You can share these c...
Sep 11, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 91
We all want our students to find success after high school and we do everything in our power to get them to where they need to be by graduation. This idea of “success” is different for everyone, as is the path to get there. In today’s climate, there are so many options for students post-graduation. A traditional four year college isn’t for everyone. However, there are students who want to pursue college, and we don’t want them to be overlooked. If you’re trying to increase college access on your...
Sep 04, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 90
We all have students on our caseload who are falling through the cracks in one way or another. While part of your job is to advocate for these students and find solutions, you don’t have to do it alone. Establishing a student support team may be one of the best ways that you can help these struggling students. A student support team gives a small group of people in your school the information they need to keep eyes on a student and determine interventions. In today’s episode, I’ll break down exa...
Aug 28, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Are you a high school counselor looking for a supportive and engaging community? The Clique Collaborative might be just what you’re looking for, and doors are officially OPEN for you to join! The Clique Collaborative is a membership for high school counselors that was created to empower and inspire you in your counseling journey. I’ve recently made some improvements to the membership, and now it’s better than ever! This membership is intended to bring value to your life rather than a time suck. ...
Aug 21, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 88
Ready to kickstart your year with a jolt of inspiration? This week we’re diving headfirst into the world of imposter syndrome. It’s that nagging doubt that even the most seasoned counselors can’t escape, making you wonder if you truly belong in your role. But guess what? You absolutely do! From veterans to rookies, we’re all in this together, armed with our master’s degrees and an unyielding commitment to students. You are more than qualified for this job. As you embark on a new school year, thi...
Aug 14, 2023•8 min•Season 1Ep. 87
If you’ve ever been curious about the differences in school counseling roles based on the grade levels they support, then this episode is for you. I’m joined by Alabama school counselors, Laura Rankhorn and Kim Cumbley. Between the three of us, we have experience as elementary, middle, and high school counselors. Our conversation centers around the differences and similarities between these grade levels. You might be surprised to find that our skills are really interchangeable in any grade level...
Aug 07, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 86
I recently attended the ASCA 2023 National Conference in Atlanta and it's time for a debrief! Between the 12 sessions I attended and meeting so many incredible school counselors, I have lots of highlights, takeaways, and reflections to share with you. Inspired by this conference, I'm inviting you to join our vibrant Clique Collaborative community . Whether you are seeking new ideas or a place to share your experiences, The Clique Collaborative is here to support you and help you rediscover your ...
Jul 31, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 85
