5 Counseling Sessions You Should Have Ready to Go 

One of the best time savers I ever leaned into was to create routines for counseling sessions that I ran all the time.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, I knew exactly how I’d start, what tools I’d use, and how I’d close. That consistency freed up my brain so I could focus on the student in front of me.

Here are five protocols every counselor should have ready to go, and what they actually look like in practice.

1. First Counseling Session

The first time you meet a student sets the tone for everything that follows. You want to establish safety, clarity, and purpose.

What it looks like:

• You start by introducing your role and explaining what counseling is (and isn’t).
• You create a safe and predictable space by explaining confidentiality, previewing possible schedule changes, and explaining how your sessions will go.
• You build rapport with a quick “get to know you” activity.
• You ask about their needs: “What do you hope will be different after we meet a few times?”
• You encourage them to help set some initial goals so they feel invested in the process.

👉 For a deeper dive, see first counseling session must-dos.
👉 Done-for-you tools are in my First Session resource.

2. Last Counseling Session

Ending counseling well matters as much as how you start it. Students need closure, recognition of progress, and a plan for what’s next. Without it, the ending can feel abrupt and leave them unsure.

What it looks like:

• You explain that counseling is wrapping up, previewing the ending ahead of time so it isn’t a surprise.
• You spend time reviewing the progress they’ve made and identifying skills they’ll continue using.
• Together, you make a plan for what happens after counseling: who they can go to, what strategies they’ll keep practicing.
• You model healthy goodbyes with something tangible, such as a compliment circle, or a letter to their future self.

👉 Read more in 4 parts of effective last sessions.

👉 Ready-made tools are here in my Last Session resource.

3. Student Conflict

This is hands-down the most common referral, and the one that can eat up your whole schedule if you’re not careful. Without a standard protocol, you can end up with students in your office for 45 minutes, only to see them back again tomorrow.

What it looks like:

• Each student gets a limited time to share their perspective.
• You summarize the problem back to them and find the core issue.
• Together, you brainstorm options and choose a workable solution.
• You practice the solution right then and agree on what to do next time.
• You circle back later in the day or the next morning with the student and communicate with teachers, parents, or admin.

This way, you stay efficient, students learn conflict skills, and you don’t become the permanent recess referee.

👉 Read more in Conflict Resolution Skills & Activities for Elementary.

👉 Ready-made tools are here in my Conflict Resolution Lesson.

4. Disciplinary Referrals

When an administrator asks you to see a student who has been sent ot the office, you want to maintain your role as a counselor and not a disciplinarian. This can be a tough one to thread. Make sure you have a plan that’s short and restorative. The goal is to help them reflect and then connect the dots back to better choices.

The message is simple: “Sometimes your actions can hurt or harm others. Let’s take some time to think about how your actions impacted others and find ways to fix any damage.”

What it looks like:

• What happened? Start by walking through the situation.
• Which actions were hurtful? Perhaps something was ruined or destroyed, or you might have hurt someone else’s feelings.
• Who was impacted? Sometimes it’s not just the student directly involved; others nearby may have been affected too.
• How did your actions impact others? Maybe someone felt embarrassed, lost class time, or felt unsafe.
• What can you do to repair the harm? Repairs can be simple, like an apology, or practical, like fixing or cleaning something.
• Carry out the plan. Following through shows responsibility and helps keep your class safe and positive.

This approach keeps referrals short, clear, and restorative. Students leave with accountability and a concrete way to make things right. Make sure you loop in the teacher, admin, or parents with a quick summary so the adults are part of the plan.

5. General Problem-Solving Protocol

For general problems that land in your office, it’s good to have a standard approach too.

What it looks like:

Stop → Identify → Brainstorm → Choose → Check.

1. Stop: Take a breath, pause the reaction.
2. Identify: What happened? What’s the real issue?
3. Brainstorm: List 2-3 things you could do to solve the issue.
4. Choose: Pick the best option (safe, fair, respectful).
5. Check: Did it work? If not, what can I try next?

Visual Mapping Tip:
Have students draw a timeline that includes the beginning and ending of the problem. Then fill in each step in between: “I said this → she did this → the teacher did this.” Students can see the whole chain, not just the result.

Example: Two students argue at recess about soccer teams. Mapping shows: “Teams picked → she wanted to switch → argument → yelling → sent inside.” Suddenly, they can see the moments they could have made a different choice.

Automating these common sessions doesn’t make your counseling robotic; it makes it sustainable.