Welcome back to School Counseling Simplified! We’re continuing our special Summer Summit speaker series, and today I’m joined by an incredible pair: Monique and Patti, two clinical social workers and certified play therapists who specialize in attachment and child development. They recently spoke at Summer Summit about a topic that’s essential for every educator and school counselor: Attachment Theory in the Classroom. If you missed Summer Summit, it’s not too late. When you join IMPACT, my mont...
Jun 24, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 254
Welcome back to School Counseling Simplified! Summer Summit may be over, but the value continues. Today, I’m chatting with one of our incredible Summit speakers, Joyce Harduvel, about a topic every school counselor needs— sustainable self-care. If you missed the Summit, it’s not too late! All the recordings and PD hours are still available when you join the IMPACT membership. You’ll get access to this session and so much more. Joyce is a licensed clinical social worker. She is a passionate advoc...
Jun 17, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 253
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! We’re just TWO days away from Summer Summit , my virtual conference for school counselors happening June 11th and 12th! This two-day event is packed with amazing topics, live Q&A sessions, and even a virtual happy hour. For just $39, you’ll get your seat at the summit plus your first month inside the IMPACT membership! Today I’m joined by Brandon Gernux (he/they), an elementary school counselor from Santa Ana, CA, and one of ou...
Jun 10, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 252
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! It’s June, which means Summer Summit is right around the corner. This is my virtual conference for school counselors happening June 11–12. We’re featuring an incredible lineup of speakers, live Q&A sessions, and even a happy hour! For just $39, you get your seat at the Summit and your first month of IMPACT. To celebrate, we’re featuring podcast guests throughout June and July who will be presenting at the Summit. Today, I’m joi...
Jun 03, 2025•35 min•Season 5Ep. 251
Welcome back to School Counseling Simplified! We’re wrapping up our May series on all things data with an important conversation on the two key types of data school counselors should be collecting for their end of the year reports: sessions provided data and student progress data. In this episode, I break down exactly what these two types of data are, how they help you advocate for your role, and how to collect and organize them simply and effectively. I’ll also share my favorite tools, from col...
May 27, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 250
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! This May, we’re diving into a series all about data : simple and practical ways to collect and use it as you wrap up the school year or begin planning for the next. So far this month, we’ve covered: How to collect data from Tier 1 classroom lessons How to gather meaningful insights from small groups and individual sessions Today, we’re talking all about creating an end of year report : a powerful tool that not only showcases your h...
May 20, 2025•15 min•Season 5Ep. 249
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! This May, we’re diving into a new series all about data—simple, practical ways to collect and use it as the school year wraps up or as you begin planning for the year ahead. Last week, we focused on Tier 1 services and how to collect data in your classroom lessons. This week, we’re shifting our attention to small groups and individual sessions. I’m walking you through my favorite ways to track meaningful data in these settings so t...
May 13, 2025•16 min•Season 5Ep. 248
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! This May, we’re diving into a series all about data—simple, practical ways to collect and use it at the end of the year or while planning for the year ahead. In this episode, we're kicking things off with a focus on Tier 1 services: classroom lessons. As I sat down to record, I realized I’ve already shared a lot about this inside my course, Stress-Free School Counseling. So today, I’m sharing a helpful clip from the course that wal...
May 06, 2025•18 min•Season 5Ep. 247
Welcome back to School Counseling Simplified! April is all about expert guest sessions, and today I’m thrilled to be joined by Patti Sutherland. Patti holds a Master of Social Work, is a Certified Play Therapist Supervisor, and has over 30 years of experience working with children and families in both community and private practice settings. She currently works as a school social worker in Winnipeg, Canada, where she brings play therapy into schools, offers trainings, and creates valuable resour...
Apr 29, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 246
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified. Throughout April, we’re featuring guest sessions with experts in the field, and today’s episode is especially exciting. I’m joined by Laura Filtness, M.Ed., a seasoned school counselor with over 15 years of experience and a passion for using picture books to support young minds in elementary settings. Laura’s belief in the power of storytelling shines through her work, and she’s also the author of the upcoming book My Brain Is Like...
Apr 22, 2025•43 min•Season 5Ep. 245
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified. Throughout the month of April, I’m bringing you guest sessions with experts in the field, and today I’m excited to introduce Ashley Bell. Ashley is a dedicated school counselor with nearly ten years of experience, a curriculum writer, and the creative force behind Mrs. Bell The Crafty Counselor. She specializes in social-emotional learning and emotional regulation, creating engaging resources for educators, counselors, and parents ...
Apr 15, 2025•20 min•Season 5Ep. 244
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! All April long, I’m sitting down with amazing guest experts to bring you insight, encouragement, and practical tools for your school counseling practice. Today’s guest is the incredible Patti Hoelzle from Rooted Well, and we’re talking all about something many counselors shy away from… data. But don’t worry—Patti breaks it down in a way that’s simple, empowering, and exciting! Patti Hoelzle is the owner of Rooted WELL and a Nationa...
Apr 08, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 243
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! This month, I’m excited to bring you guest sessions with experts, and today’s episode is a special one. I have with me Kriya Lendzion, a school counselor turned prevention specialist who focuses on addiction prevention. Originally inspired by her personal journey through teen addiction, Kriya Lendzion is fiercely dedicated to helping educators prevent and intervene early in students’ addictive and self-destructive behaviors. She co...
Apr 01, 2025•52 min•Season 5Ep. 242
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! I love following themes on the podcast, and for the month of March, I’m taking you through my lesson plans step by step! Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about how to use a curriculum map to organize what you’re teaching across each tier. I love using a curriculum map because it keeps everything structured and helps ensure you’re covering essential topics. My IMPACT members receive these maps so they know exactly what to do, w...
Mar 25, 2025•10 min•Season 5Ep. 241
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified. This month, I’ve been taking you through my lesson plans step by step to help you feel more organized and confident in your school counseling program. Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about using a curriculum map to plan lessons across all three tiers. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the previous episodes on Tier 1 and Tier 2 resources. I love using a curriculum map because it keeps everything structured and organ...
Mar 18, 2025•10 min•Season 5Ep. 240
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! I love following themes on the podcast, and for the month of March, I’m taking you through my lesson plans STEP by STEP! Last week, we covered Tier 1 strategies, and today, we’re diving into Tier 2 small groups! Why Use a Curriculum Map? I LOVE using a curriculum map to stay organized—it helps you know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, plus it includes all the resources you need! My IMPACT members get full access to this...
Mar 11, 2025•9 min•Season 5Ep. 239
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! I love following themes on the podcast, and for the month of March, I’m taking you through my lesson plans STEP by STEP! Having a structured plan leads to less stress, less last-minute scrambling, and more time focusing on students. While every counselor’s approach will be unique, I’ve found that creating a curriculum map for the entire year and breaking down my monthly plans by tier has been incredibly helpful. These lesson plans ...
Mar 04, 2025•9 min•Season 5Ep. 238
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! Last week, we talked about paperless counseling resources that you can use in your individual lessons—but they weren’t digital! If you haven’t had a chance to listen to that episode, I know you’re going to love it, so go back and check it out! Today, we’re diving into creative ways to use digital resources for student lessons. Many of us were introduced to digital tools during COVID, and now, whether we choose to use them or not va...
Feb 25, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 237
Welcome back to School Counseling Simplified! Today, we’re diving into paperless individual counseling strategies—low-prep, hands-on activities that are perfect for busy counselors who need quick, engaging solutions. Next week, I’ll be discussing digital resources, but today, I’m focusing on interactive, in-person techniques that increase student engagement. Engagement is a key factor in helping students meet their counseling goals, as it keeps them interested and actively involved in the learni...
Feb 18, 2025•17 min•Season 5Ep. 236
Welcome back to School Counseling Simplified! Today, I’m sharing some Valentine’s Day-themed activities you can use with your students. I love using seasonal themes in counseling, and February is the perfect time to focus on topics like: Healthy vs. unhealthy friendships and relationships Friendship skills Conflict resolution These activities are engaging, discussion-based, and easy to implement—whether you’re working with a whole class, small group, or one-on-one sessions. Let’s dive in. Health...
Feb 11, 2025•8 min•Season 5Ep. 235
Welcome back to School Counseling Simplified! Today, I’m sharing another training clip from my IMPACT membership PD—a monthly professional development training I offer exclusively to our community of nearly 1,000 school counselors. As an IMPACT member, you get unlimited access to my TPT resources, engaging PD, and a supportive network of counselors just like you! In this episode, we’re diving into how to source lesson topics for your tiered instruction—whether it’s class lessons, small groups, o...
Feb 04, 2025•8 min•Season 5Ep. 234
Welcome to another episode of School Counseling Simplified (SCS)! Today we’re continuing our Tiers Without Tears series with practical strategies for organizing, scheduling, and delivering Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions. This episode is a special clip from a recent training I did for my membership community, IMPACT, where we dive deep into monthly professional development. Let’s break down what EXACTLY you should be doing at each tier to streamline your work and create meaningful outcomes for yo...
Jan 28, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 233
Welcome back to the Tiers Without Tears series! Last week, we dove into Tier 1 class lessons. This week, we’re tackling Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports—referral-based interventions designed to meet more targeted student needs. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by these tiers, this episode will break them down into manageable, actionable steps! Key Points Covered in This Episode: Tier 2 and Tier 3 Basics Referral Process: Use a referral form to gather key details about the student’s needs, the referr...
Jan 21, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 232
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the three-tier system? You’re not alone! I was recently inspired by a question I got from a fellow school counselor on instagram, @counselingwithconfidence. She asked, “Do you typically do a classroom lesson monthly? With all grade levels? Or is there a specific grade level for certain months?” This episode kicks off the Tiers Without Tears series, designed to help you navigate class lessons, small groups, and more with ease and confidence. Today, we’re focusing on...
Jan 14, 2025•10 min•Season 5Ep. 231
In today’s episode, we’re diving into organization and productivity tips for school counselors—straight from Module 2 of the Stress-Free Counseling course! These strategies are designed to help you establish new systems, maximize your productivity, and increase your impact with students. Whether it’s tracking your caseload, color-coding your calendar, or keeping your notes organized, these practical tips will help streamline your work as a school counselor. Some topics covered in this episode ar...
Jan 07, 2025•13 min•Season 5Ep. 230
Supporting students in Title 1 schools presents unique challenges, but with the right strategies, school counselors can make a significant impact. In today’s throwback episode, we’re joined by Megan Polk, a literacy specialist with over 15 years of experience working in Title 1 schools. Megan shares her valuable insights on what Title 1 is, the different types of funding, and effective strategies school counselors can use to support low-income students. She also discusses how to build strong rel...
Dec 31, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 229
This December, we’re celebrating the season with some of the best episodes of School Counseling Simplified! Today, we’re revisiting one of our most popular episodes all about different ways we can teach unhealthy vs. healthy relationships. The new year is coming sooner than we think and then soon after it will be February! February is full of exciting opportunities for school counselors, from National School Counseling Week to Valentine’s Day! It’s also the perfect time to teach students about h...
Dec 24, 2024•14 min•Season 5Ep. 228
This December, we’re celebrating the season with some of the best episodes of School Counseling Simplified! Today, we’re revisiting an insightful conversation with Joyce Harduvel, a licensed clinical social worker and certified school social work specialist. Joyce brings her wealth of experience from working with students of all ages in Chicago Public Schools to share practical trauma-informed practices for school counselors. She discusses how trauma impacts students' ability to learn, provides ...
Dec 17, 2024•41 min•Season 5Ep. 227
This December, we’re bringing you the best of School Counseling Simplified as a holiday treat! In today’s throwback episode, we revisit a fan-favorite conversation from 2023 with Chrissy Nichols, a life coach for educators. If you’re feeling burned out or overwhelmed, this episode is for you. Chrissy shares simple yet powerful mindset shifts designed to help school teachers and counselors reduce stress, rediscover their passion for their work, and create more balance in their lives. Drawing from...
Dec 10, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 226
This December, we’re revisiting some of the most impactful episodes of School Counseling Simplified as a special holiday treat! In today’s throwback to episode 132, I dive into practical strategies for helping students resolve conflicts and develop healthy mediation skills. From whole-class lessons to individual interventions, this episode provides valuable tools for equipping students with effective communication techniques and fostering a more peaceful school environment. Some topics covered i...
Dec 03, 2024•13 min•Season 5Ep. 225
