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Participative Leadership using a democratic leadership style lends itself to participants feeling engaged and valued in a group. Students who suffer from anxiety may be reluctant to speak, and making them feel valued and heard is essential to gaining trust from students in the group.

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Teenagers learn and develop strategies to help them conquer anxiety and become more productive students.
Age: 13-16 Grades 9-10th

Through a needs assessment the counseling team has determined a select number of students would benefit from group counseling on the topic of anxiety.  The counseling team has reviewed 504 data selected students who are identified as suffering from anxiety. A survey was also emailed to students who would want to participate in an anxiety management small group. Staff is also encouraged to nominate students who they feel would benefit from this group.
Helping students manage anxiety will allow the learner to be engaged and ready to meet school and life demands.

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These mindset and behaviors will be mastered after successful completion of the group:

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

B-SMS 5. Demonstrate perseverance to achieve long and short-term goals.

B-SMS 7. Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem.

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Students who voluntarily show interest and those nominated for the group will be called down to the counselor's office individually and asked if they would like to participate in the group. The counselor will tell participants about the group, the expectations, and the group's time commitment. Students are allowed to ask questions about the group. Based on the student's responses, the counselor will assess the students' interest and commitment to join the group.

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During the group sessions, several of Yalom's therapeutic factors could be seen, such as Universality and Direct Advice.  Universality is important to discuss so participants know they are not alone in their feeling of anxiety. Direct Advice will be given to group members to gain the skills and coping techniques to alleviate their anxiety.

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The ASCA Code of Ethics explains how school counselors should screen possible group members and ensure the group will benefit the client and not cause them harm.

A.9.a. Screening Counselors screen prospective group counseling/therapy participants. To the extent possible, counselors select members whose needs and goals are compatible with the goals of the group, who will not impede the group process, and whose well-being will not be jeopardized by the group experience.

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The Texas administrative code describes the requirements for a certified school counselor and the programs they will implement, including:
(b)  The school counselor shall design the program to include:
(1)  a guidance curriculum to help students develop their full educational potential, including the student's interests and career objectives;
(2)  a responsive services component to intervene on behalf of any student whose immediate personal concerns or problems put the student's continued educational, career, personal, or social development at risk;

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EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 33. SERVICE PROGRAMS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

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EDUCATION CODE TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION SUBTITLE F. CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES CHAPTER 33. SERVICE PROGRAMS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SUBCHAPTER A. SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND COUNSELING PROGRAMS Sec. 33.002. CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELOR. (a) From funds appropriated for the purpose or other funds that may be used for the purpose, the commissioner shall distribute funds for programs under this subchapter.

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Students chosen to participate in the group are given a consent form for their parent/guardian to sign along with a further explanation of the group and its requirement.
Additionally, Information regarding informed consent can be found in the student-parent handbook on the Denton ISD website. Students and Parents sign this document when registering for school.

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Information Letter for  School Personnel

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To advertise for the group, the counselor will implement the following strategies:

An interest survey sent out in the school's weekly bulletin view by both parents and students.

The staff is asked to nominate students.

Individual students are asked to participate in the group.

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Ground rules predetermined by the counselor:

Be respectful and mindful of others in the group.

Wait your turn to speak.

Keep what others share private.

Remind the group this is a safe space for people to share their feelings.

Other norms and group rules are discussed and agreed upon in the group on the first session. The attached handout is utilized to facilitate the establishment of group rules and norms.

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14 Depression and Anxiety Quotes: Inspirational Quotes to Help Mental Health. Real Simple. https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/depression-and-anxiety-quotes.

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

American School Counselor Association (2014).Code of Ethics

https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Cherry, K. (2020, August 3). What Are Prominent Leadership Styles and Frameworks You Should Know? Verywell Mind. 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.

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All participants in a group are unique, and students with anxiety will need special attention regarding their emotional needs.  The counselor can support these needs by:

Stage 1: Establishing trust and relationship building are established by the counselor who creates a safe space for the participants. The counselor will share a story with the group, so clients know they are not alone in their anxiety. Norms are established and created together, allowing the group to have buy-in. Confidentiality is explained, as are the consequences of not upholding the group's rules. A student may be asked to leave the group if trust is broken.

Stage 2: Creating group cohesion and productivity throughout the sessions involves activities and discussions. These activities allow group members to gain each other's trust and acceptance.  The counselor will utilize exit tickets to check for understanding and examine if weekly meetings produce their desired results.

Stage 3: Supporting the group as it concludes, the counselor will ask participants their feeling about leaving the group and remind members that she/he has an open-door policy. Confidentiality is again reiterated, and the importance of respecting the group's privacy is briefly discussed. Students will also leave with a personalized handout they created outlining coping strategies and goals they have made during their sessions.  A meeting four months after the session closes is scheduled to gauge if the group was a success.