Anxiety is common among students in K-12 schools. Anxious students experience emotion dysregulation as well as cognitive and physical symptoms of anxiety. Such emotional reactivity may cause students to feel overwhelmed and unable to participate effectively in the classroom. Researchers have found positive psychological and physical outcomes…

First-generation college students represent a significant portion of individuals seeking higher education in the United States; yet this population does not perform as well academically as continuing generation peers. Significant research exists exploring barriers preventing college attainment for this population; however, there is limited…

Graduation rates are affected by several factors in which school counselors are not always aware of. Current research highlights several demographics at a higher risk for dropping out of high school including low socioeconomic status, African-Americans, Hispanics, teen pregnancy and students whose parents dropped out of high school. This…

Process work has long been a tenet of successful counseling outcomes. However, there is little literature available that focuses on how to best integrate process work into group settings--particularly psychoeducational groups that are content heavy and most often utilized in a school setting. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the…

Living in a country based on the "salad bowl" of cultures philosophy, it is necessary for mental health professionals to be competent in providing effective counseling to heterogeneous clientele. Multicultural counseling ensures that professional counselors will deliver services matching the clients' needs, resulting in valuable…

Reality Therapy is a form of brief therapy that is applicable in the school setting and is derived from William Glasser's Choice Theory (Banks, 2009). The basic premise of Choice Theory is that individuals are the masters of their own choices and they alone are responsible for their choices and behaviors. Choice theory states that each person is…

This paper reflects the author's views on using a solution-focused approach at the elementary school level. A solution-focused approach emphasizes problem solving and highlights the strengths and positives of students. A solution-focused approach is also recognized for creating solutions for clients or students in a limited amount of time. Some…

The authors present a therapeutic resource for school counselors who need a tangible method to integrate self-esteem strategies into their psychoeducational group programs. The focus of the group is a comprehensive wellness model based on five senses of self and how each self must be addressed to promote healthy life decisions. Special attention…

Because school counselors are limited in the time they have to accomplish all the tasks for which they are accountable, they must find ways to provide direct individual services to students effectively and efficiently. For this reason, high school counselors should have a brief theory of counseling and subsequent techniques to utilize in a school…

Multiracial students represent a growing population in school systems today. This diverse group of students and their families may encounter many challenges and race-specific issues in the school setting. School counselors are in a unique position to assist these students and their families to become successful in meeting these challenges. The…

According to the 2010 United States Census, one out of every five children live in an immigrant family with either one or both parents being immigrants. This paper will explore the unique needs of children of immigrants who come to school as immigrant students. A discussion of the use of Reality Therapy as a counseling approach with this…