This study examined relationships among self-reported professional expertise, organizational support of evidence-based practices (EBP), and professional growth. Data were collected from 85 members of American School Counseling Association (ASCA). School counselors with higher self-reported expertise reported that they were more likely to improve…

Spirituality is an area that has not received a great deal of attention in supervision, yet it can have substantial effects on the counseling process. A definition of spirituality that allows for a variety of worldviews can be useful to both counselor and client as it helps strengthen the counseling relationship and lessen differences between…

This article provides a rationale for using adventure-based counseling (ABC) principles to promote children's self-esteem through group work within the school setting. The effectiveness of combining Adlerian theory with ABC to promote self-esteem is established. The process that would allow a school counselor to plan, organize, facilitate,…

The professional school counseling literature has proposed innovative frameworks for practice including social justice/multicultural approaches, school-wide counseling initiatives, and school-community partnerships. In this article, we propose a programmatic intervention that can be a vehicle for all three: the implementation of school-based youth…

Drawing from three case vignettes and the extant literature, the authors seek to identify, problematize, and expand the discussion on colorblind approaches to diversity within the practice of school counseling. The authors discuss how such an approach to working with students from under-represented groups subtly blames the victim, limits the…

The tenets and techniques of solution-focused (SF) theory have potential for application to school counseling site supervision; however, research on the use of these practices in site supervision is needed. This study examined the extent to which school counseling site supervisors integrated SF tenets and techniques into their supervisory…

While literature abounds on the experience of the adolescent in the "coming out" process and the impact that the event has on the family system, few interventions that are designed specifically to assist parents have been proposed. Parents of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents face challenges that they may never have anticipated and,…

School counselors are regularly tasked with managing student's emotions and behaviors that impede school performance. This daunting assignment can be overwhelming for school professionals. With the many diagnoses that may provide an explanation for dysfunctional behavior amongst students, the possibility of grief is frequently overlooked. The…

Motivational interviewing is a proven, evidence-based intervention. It has been successfully utilized as a potent intervention with students presenting a broad range of concerns from substance abuse to obesity. To date, however, no articles exist within the general counseling literature or the "Journal of School Counseling" specifically…

Much research has been dedicated to the difficulties LGBTQ individuals face. Further, school counselors have been challenged to assist LGBTQ individuals in the school setting. Being aware of the specific issues and being educated about specific ways to assist these individuals enable school counselors to be more effective clinicians (DePaul,…

The researchers explored the relationship between elementary school counselors' motivational orientation, perceptions of importance and levels of implementation of Academic and Personal/Social Standards as a strategy for supporting academic achievement. Responses from 212 elementary school counselors confirm both types of Standards as being highly…

This article provides a comprehensive overview of creative interventions used with adolescents in the secondary school setting. School counselors who incorporate creative interventions along with traditional counseling methods will increase their effectiveness with high school students. Creative interventions that can be delivered through…

In counseling research and practice gifted girls often lack identification as a cultural group with unique features. Yet, girls in this population have specific and distinct struggles, worldviews, and ways of navigating social and academic groups. The purpose of this conceptualization article is to apply the bicultural skills model to adolescent…

In this qualitative study, eight school counselors participated in a series of reality play counseling trainings introducing techniques appropriate for counseling upper-grade elementary school students to enhance positive relationship building and problem solving skills. Participants were interviewed and their transcripts were analyzed using…

Researchers surveyed CACREP school counseling program graduates from a southeastern university to explore successes and barriers in implementing a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program. Findings included significant differences across school levels in programmatic change (p less than 0.001) and responsive services (p = 0.041).…