Counselor Chat Podcast

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

...

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:

The first month of school can make counselors feel like they need to do everything at once—but you don’t.

Here's a simple roadmap for the first 30 days of school, including what to prioritize, what can wait, and how to build a strong foundation for the rest of the year.

You’ll hear practical ideas for:

Resour...

Nice Bike: Three Small Actions That Can Change School Culture

What if changing school culture did not require a big program, a new initiative, or another committee?

In this episode of Counselor Chat, Carol shares the powerful message behind Mark Scharenbroich’s “Nice Bike” story and explores three simple ways school counselors can strengthen relationships throughout their buildings: acknowledge, honor, and connect.

You will hear practical examples of how small moments of recognition can help students and staff feel seen, valued, and connected—and how those moments can create ripple effects throughout an entire s...

In this second episode of our Back to School series, I’m diving into a topic that’s incredibly important for us as school counselors—how to make sure the vital work we do doesn’t go unnoticed.

Too often, despite the significant impact we have, our efforts can go unseen by those around us.

In this episode, I emphasize the importance of:

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I’m sharing a reminder that school counselors create impact in ways that are not always immediate, visible, or easy to measure.

From a quick student check-in to a meaningful conversation with a teacher, small actions can create ripple effects that travel farther than we may ever realize. You do not have to make a huge splash to make a difference.

In this episode, we talk about:

Dear Tired Counselor: You’re Allowed to Rest From Being Tired

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I’m sharing a summer permission slip for counselors who may be on break but still feel completely worn out.

Being away from school does not automatically mean your mind and body have caught up after a demanding year. This episode is a reminder that you do not need to turn July into another to-do list, school improvement plan, or race to get ahead for August.

In this episode, we talk about:

The Game-Changer I Wish I Had Found Sooner: Restorative Practices

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I’m sharing why restorative practices became one of the most meaningful shifts in my school counseling work.

Restorative practices are not about avoiding accountability or forcing students to say sorry. They are about helping students understand impact, repair harm, build skills, and remain connected to their school community.

In this episode, we talk about:

Being the Last to Leave Didn’t Make Me Amazing: Boundaries I Wish I Set Earlier

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I’m continuing the series on things I wish I had done earlier in my school counseling career — and this one is all about boundaries.

For a long time, I thought staying late, saying yes, and being endlessly available meant I was dedicated. But looking back, I can see that being the last car in the parking lot didn’t make me a better counselor. It just made me tired.

In this epi...

I Didn’t Know What I Didn’t Know: Why Conferences Changed My Counseling Practice

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I’m sharing why professional development and conferences became such a turning point in my school counseling career. Early on, I didn’t fully realize how much I could learn outside of my own building — or how much my perspective was limited by only knowing my own experiences.

I’ll talk about finally attending my first conference, creating a small local conference for counselors, and how trainings in restorative practices and trauma, illness, and grief have d...

What I Wish I Had Done Earlier: Invest in My Future

In this episode of Counselor Chat, we’re kicking off a new reflective series about the things I wish I had done earlier in my school counseling career. First up: investing in my future.

This episode is not financial advice, but it is a gentle reminder that school counselors spend so much time helping students plan their futures that we sometimes forget to plan for our own. I’m sharing why I wish I had started asking questions about retirement, savings, and long-term planning earl...

Celebrating Growth (Even When It Doesn’t Feel Like Enough)

As the school year comes to a close, it's easy to focus on the students we didn't quite reach, the goals that aren't fully accomplished, and the work that still feels unfinished. But what if success isn't always found in the big moments?

In this episode of Counselor Chat, we'll explore how school counselors can reframe success by recognizing the quiet growth that often goes unnoticed. From students who finally ask for help to those who simply know they have a safe adult at school, th...

The Students You’re Still Worried About

As the school year winds down, most people are focused on celebrations, graduations, and summer plans. But school counselors know there’s another side to this season—the students we're still thinking about.

In this heartfelt episode of Counselor Chat, we'll talk about the students who stay on our minds long after the final bell rings. The students who still struggle with friendships, attendance, anxiety, family challenges, or simply finding their place in the world.

You'll learn:

163. Helping Students Transition Well

As school counselors, we spend so much time managing schedules, testing, field trips, celebrations, and end-of-year chaos that it’s easy to forget what many students are experiencing underneath it all: transition.

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I’m talking about how transitions affect students emotionally and how we can support them in simple, meaningful ways without adding one more giant project to our already busy season.

From elementary students moving to middle school, to seniors preparing to graduate, students often carry fears, uncertainty, excitement, grief, and anxiety all...

Don’t Wait Until June: The 3 Pieces of Data You Should Grab Right Now

In this episode of Counselor Chat, we're talking about one of the biggest end-of-year stressors for school counselors: DATA. But instead of overcomplicating things with giant spreadsheets and impossible tracking systems, this episode focuses on the simple, meaningful information that actually matters.

If you’ve ever found yourself in May wondering:

…this episode is for you.

Carol shares:

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

Episode 160: Simple Mental Health Supports Every School Can Use Right Now

Mental Health Awareness Month is coming up, and I know how easy it is to feel like you need to do more.

Add another lesson. Try something new. Fit one more thing into an already full schedule.

In this episode, I share a different perspective. Supporting student mental health is not about adding something big. It is about what is already happening in your day and how you show up in those moments.

I walk through simple, realistic ways I...

Episode Title:

Rocks, Sand, and the Pressure to Do It All (Especially in April)

Episode Summary:

April can feel like a breaking point for school counselors. Between testing, behavior challenges, end-of-year responsibilities, and ongoing student needs, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind.

In this episode, I'm sharing a powerful perspective shift using the classic “jar of rocks” story to help you refocus your time, energy, and expectations. This is your reminder that you were never meant to do it all—and that doing less of what doesn’t matter can...

Test Anxiety Isn’t Just Nerves—Here’s What Students Really Need

Test anxiety is everywhere this time of year, but it doesn’t always look the way we expect.

It’s not just nervous students biting their nails.

It’s avoidance.

Shutdown.

Frustration.

“I don’t care.”

In this episode, I’m breaking down what test anxiety really looks like, what’s happening in the brain, and how we can support students with simple, effective strategies that build confidence and calm.

💡 What You’ll Learn

Why I Don’t Make Kids Apologize (And What I Do Instead)

💭 Episode Overview

We’ve all said it:

“Go apologize.”

But what if that moment isn’t actually teaching accountability?

In this episode, I’m sharing why I don’t force apologies—and what I do instead to help students take real ownership, build empathy, and repair relationships in a meaningful way.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Episode Title:

156. Spring Fever Is Real: Managing Big Energy & Bigger Behaviors

🌱 Episode Overview

April is here—and with it comes big energy, distracted students, and behaviors that can leave teachers feeling overwhelmed.

But what if those behaviors aren’t defiance…

What if they’re communication?

In this episode, I’m sharing a powerful reframe that will shift how you see student behavior this time of year—plus simple, practical strategies you can use immediately to support regulation, connection, and readiness to learn.

💡 What You’ll Learn

Episode 155. How Long Is a Lifetime?

This week on Counselor Chat, I’m zooming out.

Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about college exploration, career research, brackets, and future possibilities. But in this episode I wanted to step back and ask a bigger question — one I ask my upper elementary and middle school students every year:

How long is a lifetime?

To explore that question, I use a simple visual with jellybeans, where each one represents a day of life. When students see them all laid out it feels like f...

154. March Madness and School Counseling

March Madness already brings energy into our school buildings.

Students are talking about brackets.

There’s excitement.

Competition.

Predictions about who will win.

In this episode, I share how I take that same excitement and turn it into a college and career exploration experience that students find engaging and meaningful.

Because if there’s one thing I want students to feel about their futures, it’s this:

I want their future to feel exciting, not overwhelming.

So ins...

153. Shamrocks, Rainbows, and Gold: St. Patrick’s Day SEL That Actually Works

March in an elementary school often comes with a little extra magic.

Leprechaun footprints.

Construction paper rainbows.

Gold coins hidden in classrooms.

But seasonal fun doesn’t have to mean fluffy lessons.

In this episode, I'm sharing creative ways to turn St. Patrick’s Day excitement into meaningful social-emotional learning experiences that students will actually remember.

You’ll hear simple strategies you can use right away to teach growth mindset, resilience, goal setting, impulse...

Behavior concerns often land squarely on the school counselor’s shoulders, leaving counselors feeling overwhelmed, reactive, and stretched thin.

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I'm breaking down MTSS for Behavior (MTSSB) in a clear, practical way that centers teamwork, intentional decision-making, and counselor sustainability.

This conversation moves away from compliance and paperwork and toward systems that actually work for students and the adults who support them.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Episode 151: The Words Matter: Small Language Shifts That Make a Big Difference

The words we use as school counselors matter more than we sometimes realize.

In this practical episode, I talk about everyday phrases we often say automatically and how small shifts in language can create more safety, validation, and trust for students, parents, staff, and ourselves.

This isn’t about doing things wrong. It’s about becoming more intentional with our words, especially when we’re tired, rushed, or navigating emotional situations.

In this episode, we explore:

Episode 150: Not Every Week Is a Highlight Reel

Not every National School Counseling Week looks like a highlight reel, and that’s okay.

In this reflective episode, I share a personal experience from my own school where carefully made plans for National School Counseling Week were replaced by grief, crisis response, and the need to simply be present for students and staff.

This episode is for counselors who felt exhausted, unseen, or overwhelmed, and for anyone who needed permission to let something go.

In this episode, I cover:

Episode 148: Lives Worth Living with Steve Sharp and Perri Rosen

In this episode, I’m joined by Steve Sharp (a middle school counselor in Pennsylvania) and Dr. Perri Rosen (a nationally certified school psychologist and former special educator) to talk about their new book, Lives Worth Living: Applying the Zero Suicide Approach in Schools.

We have an honest, practical conversation about how suicide prevention in schools has often been treated as “crisis response only”—and why the work we do before a crisis (SEL, belonging, school climate, connection) is a critical part of prevention too.

In...

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I celebrate the powerful connection between National School Counseling Week and World Read Aloud Day, and why stories play such a meaningful role in student success.

I share how read-alouds create emotional safety, help students name their feelings, and open doors for conversations that might otherwise feel too hard to start. I also read an excerpt from my children’s book, Sammy’s Sad Day, and walked through simple, practical ways counselors can use storytelling as a Tier 1 support in classrooms, small groups, and beyond.

This episode is a remi...

January has a way of sneaking up on me—and usually bringing one big question with it: How’s your data looking?

In this episode, I’m sharing a realistic, no-pressure approach to doing a midyear data check, without the guilt, the overwhelm, or the unrealistic expectation of having “perfect” charts and reports. This conversation is all about using what you already have to guide meaningful next steps for your students, instead of stressing over what you didn’t collect.

In This Episode, I Talk About:

January is often when attendance challenges start to feel impossible (for students and for counselors). In this episode, I break down why attendance dips during the winter months, how to reframe attendance as a support issue rather than a compliance issue, and what counselors can realistically do to help students re-engage with school.

This episode focuses on compassion, collaboration, and practical strategies that honor what students are really experiencing.

You’ll Learn:

January can feel especially tough in schools. Big emotions, increased anxiety, mood changes, and shutdown behaviors often show up as students transition back from break. In this episode, I’m breaking down why January feels so hard, and what school counselors can do to support students in ways that are compassionate, practical, and sustainable.

In this episode, I discuss:

January has a way of making counselors feel like they should start over with new systems, new routines, new everything. But what if that pressure is actually working against your effectiveness?

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I'm offering a grounded reframe for the new year: you don’t need to become a brand-new counselor just because the calendar changed.

Instead, this episode invites you to slow down, protect your energy, and focus on what already works.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

As the calendar turns to a new year, many school counselors find themselves holding a mix of emotions about heading back to work. Motivation might feel low, energy might feel scattered, and that sense of readiness may not be there yet.

In this New Year’s Eve re-listen, I'm revisiting Episode 41 of Counselor Chat Podcast, a conversation counselors return to again and again when break comes to an end.

This episode is a reminder that feeling unmotivated, heavy, or unsure about returning to school is normal. Motivation does not magically appear on January 1st, and yo...

As the holiday season arrives, we’re revisiting one of the most meaningful episodes of Counselor Chat — a conversation filled with honest advice, encouragement, and reminders from counselors who truly understand the work.

In this episode, counselors from across the country share the wisdom they wish they had when they were new to the profession — advice that’s just as powerful for seasoned counselors navigating full plates, shifting priorities, and year-end reflection.

You’ll hear thoughtful insights on:

December in schools hits different.

The schedules are off. The kids are buzzing. The teachers are exhausted. And counselors are somehow expected to be part Santa, part therapist, and part crisis manager… all before lunch.

If your December feels especially full, you are not imagining it.

In this week’s episode of Counselor Chat, I’m sharing The School Counselor’s Holiday Survival Guide. It’s a realistic, no-pressure conversation about how to get through this season without losing your sanity or your joy.

In this episode, we talk about:

Episode 140: Finding Calm in the Counselor Chaos

December brings a special kind of school chaos. Schedules shift. Energy skyrockets. Teachers and students feel stretched. And counselors often find themselves trying to hold it all together.

In this episode, I am sharing simple ways to stay grounded, centered, and calm during one of the busiest months of the school year.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Common early signs of counselor burnout

 • Why noticing burnout is an act of wisdom, not weakness

 • Easy micro practices that take 30 seconds to 2 minutes

 • A guided one-minute breathing reset you can use anytime

 • How to l...

December can feel like a whirlwind in schools, which makes it the perfect time to slow down and center students in one of the most grounding SEL themes we have: gratitude.

In this episode, I am sharing simple, meaningful ways to introduce gratitude to students of all ages, plus ideas for weaving it into your counseling program throughout the whole month.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why gratitude boosts mood, relationships, and academic outcomes

• How gratitude connects to all five CASEL competencies

• How I use the book Last Stop on...

Right before Thanksgiving, in the middle of progress reports, last-minute meetings, and all the pumpkin spice in the world, it can be easy to miss the small moments that actually fuel us.

This episode is a gentle pause.

 A breath.

 A circle of gratitude created for you.

I asked counselors in my Facebook groups what they are most grateful for, and their answers were pure joy, connection, and heart. Today I am sharing their stories, along with a few of my own, as a reminder that even in the chaos, the work you do every day truly matters.

✨ What You Will Hear in This Episode:

In this week's podcast we look at pre-holiday behavior spikes through a problem-solving lens. Instead of “How do we punish this?” we ask, “What skill is missing?” She models restorative conversations, shares reflection tools that build self-awareness, and walks through calm-down strategies that help students regulate before you problem-solve.

Key takeaways