School for School Counselors Podcast
Ready to cut through the noise and get to the heart of what it really means to be a school counselor today? Welcome to The School for School Counselors Podcast! Let’s be honest: this job is rewarding, but it’s also one of the toughest, most misunderstood roles out there. That’s why I'm here, offering real talk and evidence-based insights about the everyday highs and lows of the work we love.
Think of this podcast as your go-to conversation with a trusted friend who just gets it. I'm here to deliver honest insights, share some laughs, and get real about the challenges that come with being a school counselor.
Feeling overwhelmed? Frustrated? Eager to make a significant impact? I'm here to provide practical advice, smart strategies, and plenty of support.
Each week, we’ll tackle topics ranging from building a strong counseling program to effectively using data—and we won’t shy away from addressing the tough issues. If you’re ready to stop chasing impossible standards and want to connect with others who truly understand the complexities of your role, you’re in the right place.
So find a quiet spot, get comfortable, and get ready to feel more confident and supported than you’ve ever felt before.
For more resources and to stay connected, visit schoolforschoolcounselors.com.
Episodes
196 episodes
No One Knows What You Do- And That's Dangerous
You’re doing meaningful work.You’re supporting students.You’re handling things no one else on campus is equipped to handle.But somehow, when big decisions get made, it’s like none of that exists.This episode looks at why t...
This Isn't Burnout. It's Gaslighting.
You know the feeling.The one that says:If you were better at this, it wouldn't be this hard. If you had advocated more effectively, the caseload would be manageable. If you were really cut out for ...
A Year Full of “Yeses”… and a Lot of Regret
You’re not overwhelmed because there’s too much work;You’re overwhelmed because too much of it is not your job.You're not saying yes because you "lack boundaries".You're saying yes because, in that moment, saying yes ma...
Restorative Justice Works (Just Not Like That)
You sat in the circle.You heard the apology.And you knew… nothing actually changed.Restorative justice can work in schools- the research supports that.But the versions most campuses are implementing...Are s...
Your Campus Runs on a Pyramid of Lies
There’s a reason the same explanation keeps showing up in every staff meeting, every training, every conversation about struggling students.It feels good.Problem is- It wasn’t built on evidence.Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs b...
Stop Finding Your Why
At some point, someone has probably told you to “find your why.”I gave that advice last week.I wish I hadn't.In this episode, I’m getting more personal than I ever have on this podcast.I’m sharing what one...
Your School's Pressure Valve Has a Name. It's You.
You said yes… then suddenly it was your job.At some point in your career, something changed.You stopped being the person students came to see and started being the person students got sent to.Behavior refe...
How Many Rigorous Studies Support Trauma-Informed Schools? Zero.
"The research supports trauma-informed schools..." You've probably heard it in a staff meeting, read it in a district memo, or repeated it yourself. But when you go looking for the studies, something becomes clear: most people are c...
You’re Not the Behavior Department
Is managing student behavior actually school counseling?If you’re spending most of your week handling behavior referrals, putting out fires, and decoding defiance before you’ve even opened your calendar… this episode draws a line ...
School Counselor, That's Not Anxiety. Here's How to Prove It.
In this episode, I’m challenging a common habit in school counseling: labeling student distress as “anxiety” before it actually meets clinical criteria.You’ll hear the research behind "prevalence inflation," how DSM standards separate no...
School Counselors, Stop Accommodating Anxiety. (Yes, Really.)
What if the anxiety accommodations you've been writing into your 504s and IEPs are actually making your students more anxious?In this episode, I'm sharing a section from a recent masterclass inside the School for School Counselo...
School Counseling Has Two Futures- and We’re Running Out of Time
You hold a master’s degree. You studied crisis intervention, psychopathology, and therapeutic technique.So why is your profession still fighting to be seen as essential?It doesn’t have to stay this way- but the window is closing....
The Catalyst Problem in School Counseling
Most school counselors aren’t ineffective.They’re mis-measured.In this episode, Steph challenges one of the profession’s most sacred assumptions and names something about her own work that most counselors wouldn’t dare say out loud.<...
The Unspoken Cost of Compassion in School Counseling
Caring is what makes you good at this job. It’s also what puts you in the most danger.If you’re a school counselor who still cares deeply about students, but you’ve noticed yourself feeling flatter, heavier, or more guarded than y...
Why School Counselors Are SO TIRED (It’s Not Burnout)
If you’re exhausted in a way that rest doesn’t fix, this episode is for you.School counselors are often told they’re burned out, so they’re handed self-care tips, boundary advice, and mindset shifts that never quite work. There’s a reaso...
The Question School Counselors NEVER Get Asked
School counselors are told to:Be flexibleMake it workAdvocate harderAnd somehow still be accountable for everything.But what if the real problem isn’t your mindset- or your effort?...
The Hidden Reason Students Compete Over Everything
Why does everything at school seem to turn into a competition... and why does it so often become a school counseling issue?In this episode of the School for School Counselors Podcast, we explore what’s really happening ...
"Burns" vs. Bullying: What School Counselors Need to Know
Everyone was laughing... until suddenly someone wasn’t.Learn how "burns" work, why it’s usually mutual until it isn’t, and how to know when it’s time to shift from counseling to consequences.Burn culture shows up in those f...
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Why Some Students Only Show Up When School Counselors Are Trying to Leave
Why do some students wait until school counselors are walking out the door before they finally open up?It’s not randomness, and it’s definitely not manipulation. It’s nervous system timing, and understanding it will change ...
What School Counselors Miss About the Hoodie Kids
The hoodie isn’t the problem.It’s the messages we’re missing.In this episode, Steph Johnson takes you inside one of the most misunderstood behaviors on a school campus: the kids who cover up, layer up, or hide inside hoodies no matte...
Are TikTok Dances Actually School Counseling Signals?
Those hallway TikTok routines are saying something, school counselor- and it’s not what you think.In this episode, we decode what those repeated dance loops reveal about belonging, status, and the adolescent brain. You...
The Hallway’s Got Rizz... Can School Counselors Hear What It’s Saying?
“Rizz.” “Bet.” “Six-Seven.”Sounds like noise... but it’s not.In this episode of the School for School Counselors Podcast, Steph Johnson breaks down what teen slang really means, and how it maps your campus culture in ways...
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The Hidden Skill That Makes School Counselors Untouchable
Some counselors never have to fight for their role- or explain their worth. That’s not luck. It’s skill.In this episode, you’ll learn how the most respected school counselors earn trust, keep influence, and make their program...
No More Pizza Parties! The Real Way School Counselors Can Fix Attendance
Students refusing school isn’t new... but what’s happening now is different.Across the country, nearly one in three students is missing ten percent or more of the school year.And while everyone’s blaming “attendance apathy” or “ba...
The School Counseling Rollercoaster: 3 Secrets Every Counselor Should Know
October hits different, doesn’t it? One week you’re flying high after a student breakthrough, and the next- you’re wondering if you can even make it to Friday.In this episode, I’m talking about the rollercoaster of school counseling:...
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