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This group will address ways to decrease stress and anxiety related to school and home life.  The counseling group will consist of five to seven 9th grade girls.

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The following ASCA Mindset and Behavior standards will be mastered upon completion of the group:

M 1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being

M 2. Self-confidence in ability to succeed

B-LS 3. Use time-management, organizational and study skills

B-SMS 8. Demonstrate the ability to balance school, home and community activities

(American School Counseling Association, 2014)

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Just Breathe students will be selected from data gathered by school counselors through an anonymous survey.  The survey addresses daily stressors affecting students' school and home life. The counseling staff will present information about the survey, along with the purpose and goal of group counseling at a faculty meeting. Following the faculty meeting, an email will be sent to all English teachers with additional information about the survey in regards to administering. All students will complete the survey during their English class. All surveys will be completed during a one-week window following report card posting of the first 9-week grading period.

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Once results from the survey have been processed, counselors will narrow down the need based off gender and grade level.  The counselors will assess the data and divide students into three categories: highest need for group counseling, medium need for group counseling, and lowest need for group counseling.

The school counselor will begin the screening process by asking each student to come to the counseling center individually.  The counselor will discuss the following:

describe the group

tell what the student will gain from the group

expectations

participation

The counselor will ask the student to explain her knowledge of the group.  The counselor will ask the student if she is interested in participating in the group.  Counselor will ask the student if she has any questions.

Counselor will begin the process of picking students.

Counselor will make a determination if the student's expectations align with the group outcome.

Counselor will rate student on a scale of 1-10 as to how motivated the student is to participate in the group.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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After the counselor meets with potential group members individually, students will verbally agree to the rules and expectations of group counseling. Following verbal consent, a hard copy informed consent will be sent home with group members prior to the first session. The consent form will include signatures from the counselor, student, and parent. Students and parents will understand the group counseling session is voluntary and the student may discontinue participation at any time (American Counseling Association, 2014).

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Informed Consent for Small Group Counseling Activities_Sessions

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During the first session of group counseling, the counselor and group members will read and discuss the handout Rules and Guidelines of Group Counseling. If the group agrees to establish additional rules or guidelines, the counselor will add additional information to the form and redistribute at the next session.

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Rules and Guidelines of Group Counseling

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Stage 1: Confidentiality and limits of confidentiality will be discussed along with examples of those limits at the beginning of each session in order to maintain expectations and trust. The counselor will also remind student that the group is a safe place to share thoughts and feelings.

Stage 2: Each week the counselor and students will go over progress on organization with calendar checks. Students will rate their level of stress (1-10) each week which the counselor will document.

Stage 3: Students will be given a journal where they will keep a log of strategies used, either successful or unsuccessful, as a resource for future stressful situations. To create a meaningful closing and goodbye for students, the counselor will provide color pens for the students to write a positive quote and sign the inside cover of each other’s journals.

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Just Breathe will function with a participative leadership style.  This leadership style will be most effective in providing guidance to group members, participation with group members, and allowing input from group members.  Counselor will strive for students to feel engaged and an important part of the team, which facilitates the commitment to the goals.
(Cherry, 2020)

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The students selected for the group are chosen based on similar concerns and stresses. Members of this group might demonstrate Universality, since all members are there due to experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety. As the sessions continue, a goal for students is to know they are not alone and have other's they can reach out to for support. They may also experience Direct Advice during the counseling session by practicing different therapeutic strategies, such as the Grounding Technique and Breathing Exercise (Yalom ID, (1995).

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It is important for school counselors to facilitate lessons that provide students with the appropriate guidance, support, and strategies for success. The American School Counselor Association includes a number of legal and ethical requirements within the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors to adhere to when constructing and conducting counseling lessons for groups. In Just Breathe group sessions, as instructed in section A.7.a, the school counselor will provide a small group of students with a limited-number of lessons pertaining to managing and decreasing personal stress related to academics and social/emotional issues (ASCA, 2016). The lessons facilitated will consist of strategies that are researched based and include essential follow-up to assist in promoting future success (ASCA, 2016).

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The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics requires that counselors preform the necessary steps to protect the privacy of the group and each group member (ACA, 2014). To ensure that students are mindful of group confidentiality, school counselors should aspire to create a norm of respect and care for privacy and confidentiality within and outside of each group counseling session.  During the initiation and throughout Just Breathe group sessions, the counselor will begin with establishing a goal for continued group confidentiality and provide  students with the necessary measures and understandings to meet this goal (ACA, 2014).

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American Counseling Association (2014). Code of Ethics. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association (2016). Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Alexandria, VA: Author.

American School Counselor Association (2014). Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Every Student. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Cherry, K. (2020). Leadership styles and frameworks you should know. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.