By Laura Driscoll | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Group Counseling , Individual Counseling
As a school counselor or psychologist, it is necessary to have activities that are ready to go that can be used in individual counseling for a variety of referral reasons. Luckily, CBT activities are a great fit for school counselors looking for effective approaches. Here are 7 of my go-to CBT strategies to use in […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Group Counseling , Individual Counseling
Students can get stuck in a rut overreacting to small problems again and again. You’ve done size of the problem lessons, but in the moment students often have a hard time telling the difference between big deals and little deals.When we talk about the size of a problem, we often don’t look at what caused […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Individual Counseling , Social Emotional Skills
We can all get a little down on ourselves from time to time. Negative thinking can cause us to feel sad and angry, feel bad about ourselves and others, avoid activities, ruin relationships and more. Our brains also tend to dwell a lot more on those negative thoughts than the more helpful positive ones. Kids […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Group Counseling , Individual Counseling , Social Emotional Skills
When times get tough, we all really make sure to prioritize self care and reinvest in healthy habits. HAHAHAHA. Just kidding, we keep pouring from an empty cup, eat ice cream for dinner and ignore self care til our eyes start twitching. I know it’s not just me. And kids are no different. When the stress […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Group Counseling , Individual Counseling
Individual counseling with kindergarteners is anything but simple. They may not be able to understand some concepts, have limited vocabulary and experiences, and are still developing self-regulation skills. Plus, if they are coming to counseling, they are most likely missing some key skills that their peers have. Oh, and you are probably doing this at […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Group Counseling , Individual Counseling
How do you end individual counseling services with a student? Termination is an important event in counseling and it might be one that we shortchange a bit. Totally get it. The student is ready, they met their goals. BUT, we have an opportunity in that last session to make counseling progress last. Students need to exit […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Group Counseling , Individual Counseling , Social Emotional Skills
Identifying feelings and understanding feelings is an essential social-emotional skill. This is always where I would start in counseling and where most social-emotional curriculums begin. If a student can’t identify how they feel, it’s awfully hard to manage those feelings. While we don’t have a shortage of feelings activities or books on feelings, I think In […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Individual Counseling
I’m often asked how to incorporate CBT activities (cognitive behavioral therapy) in school counseling and if it’s really a fit for school counselors. Are school counselors even allowed to use CBT? 100% yes. CBT activities use a short-term evidence-based approach. It’s a match made in heaven. Well, where do I even start? You start with showing students […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Individual Counseling
Feelings thermometers or scales are an essential tool in your counseling office. I can’t think of something else I reached for or referenced more often with students. They are reusable, research-based tools that help kids put a situation in perspective, build self-awareness,develop a self-management plan, and connect thoughts, feelings, and actions.Phew, talk about a workhorse. For most elementary or […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Group Counseling , Individual Counseling
Children, just like adults, are prone to negative thinking. Their negative thinking can lead them to be avoidant, have meltdowns, get into fights, and take other negative actions. The concept of thoughts can be a little abstract for children. Certainly more difficult to understand than feelings and behaviors. When helping children change their thinking, I make […]
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