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.
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The Hallway’s Got Rizz... Can School Counselors Hear What It’s Saying?
Episode 174
Monday, November 10, 2025 • Duration 12:49
“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 most adults never notice. You’ll hear the neuroscience behind why slang sticks, the social psychology that makes it powerful, and how school counselors can use it to spot who’s connecting… and who’s slipping through the cracks.
If you’ve ever smiled and nodded through a phrase you didn’t understand, this one’s for you.
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Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind. Come join us!
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
The Hidden Skill That Makes School Counselors Untouchable
Episode 173
Monday, November 3, 2025 • Duration 20:05
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 programs untouchable, no “advocacy” required.
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Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind. Come join us!
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This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
GRADED: Confidentiality
Episode 164
Monday, August 25, 2025 • Duration 22:46
"What you say in here, stays in here…”
We’ve all said it, but it’s a promise that never came from schools, and it’s costing us trust with students, parents, and administrators.
In this Graded episode, I examine how near-absolute confidentiality has been implemented in school counseling, the fallout it’s created, and why the grade I’m giving it might surprise you.
We’ll trace how confidentiality migrated from clinical counseling into schools without informed consent, why the line we were trained to use is misleading at best, and how it has fueled parental distrust, administrative micromanagement, and even new state legislation.
If you’ve ever felt caught between protecting student privacy and keeping parents informed, this episode will give you the clarity- and the courage- you need to move forward differently.
References (Annotated)
American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf The foundational ethical guide for all counselors. Section B.1.b. and A.2.d. directly address confidentiality with minors and the need to explain limits clearly.
American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Alexandria, VA: Author. https://schoolcounselor.org/ethics School-specific ethical standards. Section A.2.a. emphasizes protecting confidentiality “to the extent possible,” while A.2.d. requires informing students upfront about its limits.
Harrichand, J. J. S., Knight, A. M., & Captari, L. E. (2021). Moral injury among mental health professionals: Risk, impact, and recovery. Counseling and Values, 66(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/cvj.12155 Explains how moral injury—acting against one’s ethical compass—contributes to counselor stress and burnout. Directly ties to the personal cost of impossible confidentiality decisions.
Isaacs, M. L., & Stone, C. B. (2001). Confidentiality with minors: Current views and practices of school counselors. (4), 258–265. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0100400405
80-20 School Counseling Mandates: Not Quite the "Win" We Expected
Episode 74
Monday, November 27, 2023 • Duration 27:39
Are you grappling with 80-20 expectations? Do you feel the pressure of tracking every minute of your day while managing a huge caseload?
In theory, the idea of 80-20 is good, where 80% of counseling services directly impact students, with the remaining 20% of efforts supporting these services. However, a recent 80-20 mandate shows the complexities of its real-world implementation, the hurdles encountered by counselors, and the unsettling realities that have emerged.
This episode further discusses the expectation for school counselors to log their time usage, leading to concerns about overwork and perceptions of underperformance. As part of this, we highlight the crucial role of advocacy at both state and national levels and explore the potential power of social media as a tool for raising your voice.
Listen now to become better informed- and ready for advocacy!
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Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.
Jump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)
The Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!
Did someone share this podcast with you? Be sure to subscribe for all the new episodes!!
The Cycle of Role Dysfunction in School Counseling
Episode 73
Monday, November 20, 2023 • Duration 30:23
Are you feeling overwhelmed in your role as a school counselor, perpetually stuck in a cycle where the better your perform, the more you're given to do? You could be caught in a cycle of role dysfunction, and you're definitely not alone.
This episode is a heartfelt deep-dive discussion about these challenges, and how to tackle the emotional labor, compassion fatigue, and general misunderstandings about the function of a school counselor head on.
Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.
Jump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)
The Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!
Did someone share this podcast with you? Be sure to subscribe for all the new episodes!!
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
The Self-Care Myth: Setting the Record Straight for School Counselors
Episode 72
Monday, November 13, 2023 • Duration 27:12
You know that self-care is not about transforming you into an eternally cheerful person and erasing all life's challenges.
It's high time we dismantle unrealistic expectations around self-care. In this episode's candid discussion, we delve into why self-care may sometimes feel like a burden rather than a blessing, particularly in our demanding profession.
We also explore our own love-hate relationship with self-care and share personal insights on what truly works for us as school counselors within the context or micro- and macro-self care, molding our self-care strategies to our own personal circumstances and life stages.
Buckle up for an honest, insightful dialogue on self-care, its realities, and its undeniable importance in our lives as school counselors.
Resource: Jennings, P. A., Brown, J. L., Frank, J. L., Doyle, S., Oh, Y., Davis, R., Rasheed, D., DeWeese, A., DeMauro, A. A., Cham, H., & Greenberg, M. T. (2017, February 13). Impacts of the CARE for Teachers Program on Teachers’ Social and Emotional Competence and Classroom Interactions. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/edu0000187 **********************************
Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.
Jump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)
Are Your School Counseling Approaches Really Best Practice?
Episode 71
Monday, October 30, 2023 • Duration 35:29
Ever been swayed by a viewpoint on the Internet only to discover it's not... quite right? You're not alone! In this episode, we take a critical look at how social media algorithms can channel us into echo chambers, potentially leading us astray- especially in specialized fields like school counseling. We'll share strategies on distinguishing the good from the bad, and how to make informed decisions that truly benefit your students.
We'll also get real about the idea of collaboration and safe spaces in school counseling. We'll unpack the difference between mere venting and productive collaboration. And we'll also share some tips on how to critically analyze information for its reliability. Remember, a school counselor is as strong as their network: we invite you to build strong relationships with colleagues, join a consultative group or even become a part of our very own School For School Counselors Mastermind. Together, we can navigate (mis)information overload and make a true difference in our students' lives.
Resources: Bessi, A. (2017). On the statistical properties of viral misinformation in online social media. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 469, 459-470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2016.11.012
Chen, X., Sin, S.J., Theng, Y. & Lee, C.S. (2015). Why do social media users share misinformation? In Proceedings of the 15th ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (JCDL '15). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY: 111–114. https://doi.org/10.1145/2756406.2756941
Muhammed T, S., Mathew, S.K. The disaster of misinformation: a review of research in social media. Int J Data Sci Anal 13, 271–285 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41060-022-00311-6
From Ordinary to Awesome: Exploring the Habits of Amazing School Counselors
Episode 70
Monday, October 23, 2023 • Duration 27:59
Can you imagine waking up to a world where every school counselor felt empowered through eight collective habits? We're exploring two of those important habits in this episode (and tell you how to access the others!) to not only give you a boost of confidence and inspiration, but to also give you a taste of our live events where we get real about the trials, tribulations, and triumphs in school counseling.
Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.
Jump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)
The Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!
Did someone share this podcast with you? Be sure to subscribe for all the new episodes!!
What's The Most Important Thing in School Counseling?
Episode 69
Monday, October 16, 2023 • Duration 30:50
What if the secret to success as a school counselor lies not just in your professional expertise? In this episode, I'll walk you through what I- and many experts in our field- have pegged as the Most Important Thing in school counseling.
Cholewa, B., Goodman-Scott, E., Thomas, A., & Cook, J. (2016). Teachers’ perceptions and experiences consulting with school counselors: A qualitative study. Professional School Counseling, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.5330/1096-2409-20.1.77
Galassi, John P. & Akos, P. (2008). Strengths-based school counseling. Routledge.
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Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.
Jump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)
The Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!
Did someone share this podcast with you? Be sure to subscribe for all the new episodes!!
Taming the Storm: School Counselors' Guide to October
Episode 68
Monday, October 9, 2023 • Duration 27:14
Are you feeling the October pressure, school counselor? It's time to pause, breathe, and join us in a conversation that navigates all of October's school counseling stressors.
We're all battling escalating behavioral issues while watching the stress levels rise on our campuses.
But remember, heroes don't have to walk alone.
In this candid episode, we delve into the 'hero complex', the all-too-real sources of our professional anxieties, and the unique solutions that are right in front of us.
Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.
Jump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)
The Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!
Did someone share this podcast with you? Be sure to subscribe for all the new episodes!!
Professional School Counseling, 4
A classic study showing how school counselors navigate confidentiality with students. One of the earliest peer-reviewed examinations of the real-world gap between ethics and practice.
Remley, T. P., & Huey, W. C. (2002). An analysis of legal and ethical issues in school counseling. Professional School Counseling, 6(1), 33–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0200600107 An overview of common legal/ethical dilemmas in school counseling, including confidentiality, and strategies for reducing liability while maintaining professional integrity.
Stone, C. (2017). School counseling principles: Ethics and law (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association. Widely used textbook by Carolyn Stone, the leading voice on legal and ethical issues in school counseling. Offers detailed guidance on confidentiality and parent rights.
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⭐️ Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind. Come join us! ⭐️
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All names, stories, and case studies in this episode are fictionalized composites drawn from real-world circumstances. Any resemblance to actual students, families, or school personnel is coincidental. Details have been altered to protect privacy.
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
The Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!
Did someone share this podcast with you? Be sure to subscribe for all the new episodes!!
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
Paulson, L. R., Casile, W. J., & Jones, D. (2015). Tech it out: Implementing an online peer consultation network for rural mental health professionals. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 39(3-4), 125–136. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000034
Wu, L., Morstatter, F., Carley, K.M. & Liu, H. (2019). Misinformation in social media: Definition, manipulation, and detection. SIGKDD Explor. Newsl., 21(2), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1145/3373464.3373475
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Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.
Jump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)
The Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!
Did someone share this podcast with you? Be sure to subscribe for all the new episodes!!
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.
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