At a time when kids need more support than ever, and access to mental health services is more scarce than ever*, parents are turning to school counselors for help.
This means school counselors are working even longer hours, and it’s simply not possible to get to every child.
Now, school counselors are teaming up with certified WISDOM Coaches – or getting certified themselves – to access a story-based curriculum specifically designed to help kids develop mindset skills; which is easing the burden on counselors, while helping kids and families.
We interviewed former K-12 School Counselor and now WISDOM Coach, Rita, about her experience and the opportunity she sees for school counselors to find support by teaming with coaches.
In this article, you’ll hear from Rita and meet other school counselors and coaches who are working together to support kids and families.
School Counseling is a Big Job and Getting to Every Child is a Challenge
Former K-12 School Counselor, Rita, shares how school counselors are overworked.
When she was a school counselor, she was working 65 hours a week, over the summer break, and with no breaks because “it’s such a big job”.
Rita hopes that school “counselors can look at coaches as someone who can help them…” because “there’s just no way a counselor can get to every child”.
Kids’ Challenges have Increased Post-Covid – Driving Counselors to find Answers
Elementary school counselor and WISDOM Coach, Lisa, has worked with students for more than 30 years. But the mental health and social development issues post-Covid brought new challenges to her role.
She says that there’s simply not enough time in the day. “I was doing a lot of crisis intervention with kids, but didn’t have a strategy to help kids build skills that would help them grow… We usually get children for about 20 minutes during the school day, and I felt like I needed to see them more and do more in-depth work.”
Seeking a Curriculum to Help Kids Develop Mindset Skills
Both Rita and Lisa sought a curriculum to help children and they found it with the Adventures in Wisdom, a story-based curriculum that was specifically created to help kids 6-12 years old to develop mindset skills for life.
Rita says “It was so much like what I would do as a school counselor that I just fell in love with it… just a few days of looking at it [and I] was getting the curriculum… To me it was a blessing.”
Lisa says, “I jumped on it quickly after I researched it…We’ve been looking for a great curriculum. And you guys just nailed it.”
How Coaches are Helping to Relieve the Burden for School Counselors
WISDOM Coach® Judy is supporting one of the elementary school counselors in her area by delivering group coaching programs and one-on-one coaching with students.
The school counselor invited Judy to run programs because she (the counselor) simply didn’t have the time.
Judy ran a group coaching program for fifth graders who had low self-esteem, and a group coaching program for first and second graders who were being mean to other students.
WISDOM Coach® Judy said that the school counselor loved the story-based curriculum and that , “It just seemed like each week that I came, what I went over with them was exactly what they were needing at that time.”
Now, when a parent has a challenge with a child, the school counselor has recommended WISDOM Coach Judy for help.
Rita, shares that WISDOM Coaches can join up with school counselors to take some burden off them, because they don’t have this curriculum. It can help children and counselors at school.
How is coaching different from school counseling?
We asked Rita how she thinks school mindset coaching is different from school counseling.
She shares that when she was counseling, usually kids would come to her with some sort of a problem. With coaching, “We’re hitting it on the front end…we can get in there early and teach them self talk…power shifting…The difference is they came to me with problems and now I’m going to them first with solutions.”
How can School Counselors see the Curriculum? Try a Coaching Story for FREE!
Simply download the free coaching story that teaches the essential mindset skill, Self-talk.
You’ll get both the Mentor’s Guide (with coaching notes for you) and the Children’s Guide (with the coaching story and child-friendly discussion questions).
Watch the video below to see how Rita share how she downloaded the free story and tried it with a friend’s child – who loved it!
Click here to download the 27 mindset skills that WISDOM Coaches help kids develop.
See how the STORY Coaching Process works in the video below:
How can School Counselors and Parents find a WISDOM Coach to Work With?
Simple click below to:
- Use the “Connect with a Coach” form or
- Search the WISDOM Coach® Directory
How School Counselors can get Certified as a WISDOM Coach to use the Curriculum Themselves
School Counselors can create impact and income – working part time or full time – as a certified WISDOM Coach®.
Lisa has remained a School Counselor and she has been certified as a WISDOM Coach®. Now she has a curriculum to teach mindset skills to kids in school, after school, and in her own private practice. She sees a career path for herself in retirement.
More Links
Read and watch more of Lisa’s interview here.
Read and watch more of Rita’s interview here.
*From The Kids are Not Alright – the Decline in Mental Health Among Youth – US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy
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Adventure well, my friend!
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