I don't know about you but I find individual counseling one of the most challenging parts of school counseling. I used to feel this big weight that I needed to fix every kid that walked through my doors. I've grown a lot in that aspect but there are still some parts of the individual counseling process that can be, well, awkward. How about the first session of a parent/teacher referral? The kid isn't even sure why they're there and they may not be very excited about being there at all.
I decided to take a life lesson and apply it to counseling. Don't know what to talk about? Ask people about themselves. People LOVE to talk about themselves. Cue the initial interview questionnaire. There's something about asking a kid about themselves and writing down the answer. They love it! I think it makes them feel important. I could have the quietest kid in the world and have to cut them off because our time is up.
For the next week, my initial interview form will be available on Teachers Pay Teachers for FREE! Here's a few pointers:
Goodbye initial session awkwardness! I love having "go-to" resources to ease more difficult parts of the job. How about you? What resources do you love? Any you wish you had?
I decided to take a life lesson and apply it to counseling. Don't know what to talk about? Ask people about themselves. People LOVE to talk about themselves. Cue the initial interview questionnaire. There's something about asking a kid about themselves and writing down the answer. They love it! I think it makes them feel important. I could have the quietest kid in the world and have to cut them off because our time is up.
For the next week, my initial interview form will be available on Teachers Pay Teachers for FREE! Here's a few pointers:
- I always ask the kid if we can complete this "worksheet" so I can get to know them better
- Write down every thing they say. I have created my own shorthand to write quicker. This serves two purposes: to make the child feel like everything they are saying is important and to help you identify patterns in their responses.
- I keep these sheets on file for the rest of the year. It helps to refresh your memory about a child when you look at their sheet. I sometimes also notice patterns after new information has emerged and like to be able to look back at their responses.
Goodbye initial session awkwardness! I love having "go-to" resources to ease more difficult parts of the job. How about you? What resources do you love? Any you wish you had?
