Virginia Counselor’s Association Convention Update

Hello World!

I feel like I am finally feeling like a human again after a very busy semester full of learning, growing, and just enjoying the internship experience. With that said, it didn’t give me as much time as I had hoped to blog about my experiences but that’s what break is for, right?

I have been anxious to write about the sessions I attended at the Virginia Counselor’s Association (VCA)convention this past November at the Homestead. I learned so much and made a few contacts for the future. I am amazed how inspired I feel after each conference I attend.

Here is a list of the sessions I attended that really stood out to me (I will write a blog post for each individually):

• Relax!: Yoga Interventions to Combat Student Stress and Anxiety
• The Integration of Brief Therapy with the Expressive Arts in the Mental Health Treatment of Clients living in Homelessness
• Putting the Puzzle Together… School Counselors and SMART Goals
• Magic Wands and A Bag Full of Tricks: Creativity in Counseling
• Think Outside the Boxed-In
• Group Counseling with Newly Arrived Immigrant Students

Following the first day of sessions there are many welcome receptions to attend. I was lucky enough to pick up some leftover resources from a few sessions I was unable to attend at the receptions. There was so many interesting and informative sessions that I felt torn as to where to go!

The keynote speaker this year was Trevor Romain. If you ever have the opportunity to hear him speak – Go! He is funny, inspiring, and really knows how to pull his audience in and pull on each person’s heart strings. He is the author of several books and dvds. If I knew I would be working in an elementary or middle school next year I would have scooped up a couple of them at the conference. 

Bullying Prevention Specialist Training Update

Due to the weather my last day of the semester was turned into a snow day! I usually travel to Roanoke City, VA to work in a middle school there but mother nature had other plans. Thankfully I was able to get a bit of rest today (much needed after a busy semester & internship) and then this evening I decided to be productive.

I have finished many of the quizzes for ASCA’s Bullying Prevention Specialist Training as of this evening – 6 to be exact! I do not have the books yet – I am checking out one from the library tomorrow and hoping that Inter-Library Loan will come through on the second one I need.

Also if your quizzes are not showing up for you – try re-registering. Thanks to Positively Elementary School Counseling for suggesting it. I had been waiting for weeks for them to show. I had never thought to re-register and until I read the facebook post about it. Also, I experienced some trouble with the ASCA quiz when using Google Chrome as my browser. When I switched to Internet Explorer I did not experience any trouble. So switching browsers is worth a shot if you are struggling with inconsistent grading of an answer.

Even though I have had a little bump along the way I have really enjoyed the articles. I wish I had had time to read some of them during the semester. I think I could have used some of the suggestions with a few of my students at my high school internship placement. The good news is I feel like I will be more prepared to work with middle school students after reading these articles.

I am wondering where to start on the action plan. I have never created something like that so I feel a little overwhelmed/lost by the idea of it. Do you have any good examples of action plans that I could check out?

How are you doing with the training?

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Thanks for stopping by!

-Elizabeth

Motivational Interviewing in High School

I have been working at my internship site for several weeks now. Its been such a great learning experience and one of the techniques I have been focusing some energy into learning is motivational interviewing. Here is what I have discovered so far…

What is motivational interviewing?

Motivational interviewing was originally used when working with clients struggling with substance abuse and addiction. Since then it has been used to reach a wider range of clients and students. In initial sessions the main focus is showing an understanding of where the client is and what the client is going through. This is done through open ended questions, reflective listening, summarizing what the student has said, and using affirmations. By using these strategies it allows the client to see that you are meeting them where they are. Eventually the client will move toward change as he/she gains more self-awareness about the effects the undesired behavior is having on their life (consequences/risks/problems).

Why is it helpful with high school students?

I just consciously started using these techniques after a supervision session. My school counseling supervisor suggested this approach with a few of my students since it is a non-confrontational and non-judgmental approach to school counseling, something that some students, especially those who seem unmotivated, rarely experience in school (or in life, for that matter). This approach has a collaborative approach. School counselors and students work together to create ideas or possible solutions to the problem.

I am still doing research on this approach and will continue to practice these techniques. I have only used this approach a few times so far yet I saw an immediate difference in the students. I found a couple articles that I found helpful: Using Motivational Interviewing to Help Your Students & Motivational Interviewing with Academically Unmotivated Students

Do you use motivational interviewing with your students? Have you found it to be helpful?

What other approaches do you find helpful when working with seemingly unmotivated students?

Thanks for stopping by!

-Elizabeth