Feelings of empowerment among students are crucial prerequisites to their participation in change agency in both educational and non-educational settings. Educators notice a compelling correlation between student empowerment and academic achievement and other positive outcomes in K-12 educational environments. School counselors are optimally…

Collective efficacy is the perception of a group of people to have the ability to achieve a common goal. As we explore self-efficacy and collective efficacy in schools, a question remains as to how school counselors, principals, and teachers can increase collective efficacy and foster a positive school climate to support all PK-12 students' needs.…

School counselors' roles in schools are constantly evolving. Over the span of approximately 70 years, school officials have acknowledged the significance of school counselors in K-12 education. However, despite the acknowledgment, school counselors continue to experience elevated levels of stress that potentially lead to burnout. Some of the…

Nontraditional educational settings (NES) cater to diverse student populations, including those considered at-potential or at-risk. Research on interventions and the role of helping professionals in these settings is limited. This dissertation comprises two studies aimed at elucidating interventions and support mechanisms for at-potential students…

Counselors can play an integral role in developing transformative schooling environments that center equity and disrupt marginalizing practices. The purpose of this "Equity by Design" brief is to conduct a critical examination of the profession and training of school counselors, shifting towards positioning the school counselor as an…

The close partnership between school counselors and principals suggested that their work together can influence student learning and school culture. Their roles, while different in nature, could be conducive to collaborating in an effective manner to help achieve their respective goals and the objectives of their employment responsibilities.…

Nature positively impacts holistic wellness and K-12 student learning, although this phenomenon has largely been unstudied in school counseling. School counselors are in a unique position to champion nature connection in school communities to promote holistic wellness and positive learning outcomes. This article introduces EcoWellness as a…

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) compiled this report to provide a glimpse at the 10-year trends in student-to-counselor ratios from 2004-05 to 2014-15, the latest school years for which data is available. The data was downloaded from the National Center for…

Negative school climate and oppressive policies and laws significantly impact the psychological and academic well-being of transgender students in the United States. LGBTQ students consistently identify school counselors as the most supportive school staff member. Although school counselors have the ethical obligation to advocate for transgender…

Redwood City School District (RCSD) has a long history of attending to the needs of its students and their families, and it has responded to the current incidence of mental health challenges among youth by setting a goal that by June 2024, every student will receive "appropriate social-emotional supports designed to meet their needs. The plan…

To better understand school counselors' experiences related to implementing restorative practices (RP) in schools, the authors conducted a qualitative study with eight practicing school counselors working in schools that were in the early phases of implementation. Four major themes emerged from the Consensual Qualitative Research methodological…

Redwood City School District (RCSD) has a long history of attending to the needs of its students and their families, and it has responded to this moment of crisis by setting a goal that by June 2024, every student will receive "appropriate social-emotional supports designed to meet their needs." The plan for achieving this goal includes…

Considering that one in five children has or has had a mental disorder in a given year (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010), the demand for mental health services within the school setting is immense. Bibliotherapy can serve as a preventative and responsive treatment for increasing mental health literacy within the school setting. The…

The aim of this study was to examine the roles and training of bilingual school psychologists (BSPs) across the Denver Metro Area as there is no clear consensus of role descriptions and how roles are carried out across districts and states. This qualitative study looked at interviews of seven participants to better understand their experiences of…

This qualitative study explored the experiences of new school counselors in establishing themselves as leaders in their schools. Specifically, it focused on factors this population perceives as promoting or impeding their role as leaders. We interviewed 12 participants in their first through third year as school counselors. Four themes emerged…