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American School Counselor Association. (2025). ASCA student standards: Mindsets & behaviors for student success. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/mindsets-behaviors.pdf

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. 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.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Missouri Professional School Counselors & Counselor Educators. (2015). Missouri comprehensive guidance and counseling program—Responsive Services: Small group counseling module. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015

Morganett, R. S. (1990). Skills for living: Group counseling activities for young adolescents. Chicago: Research
Press.

2 Texas Education Code § 33.002-33.007

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

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The group, “Chill and Chat,” will be comprised of 9th-grade students who struggle to manage stress and are not using healthy coping strategies. Learning stress management techniques is important for this age group, as they are transitioning from middle school to

higher-stakes high school. As such, they face academic pressures, social issues, and the need for increased independence, all of which contribute to higher stress levels. Chill and Chat will be a forum that will allow these students to discuss these challenges and learn healthier coping strategies. The group setting will help foster a sense of belonging and support among the students, which is key for this age group.

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To ensure that all stakeholders - including parents, students, teachers, and administration - are aware of the Chill and Chat small group, publicity will be disseminated widely. Parents will be informed about the group via the school counseling website and through the principal's weekly parent communication via Remind. Students will widely learn about the group through morning announcements and posted flyers in common areas of the school. Additionally, personal invitations will be extended to students by the counselors if they are identified as candidates from their surveys. Information will be presented at the upcoming professional development day to teachers via flyers, and referral forms will be made available in teacher mailboxes. They will also receive an email overview with links to digital referral forms. Administrators and counselors will be notified directly through email to ensure full alignment with ongoing school initiatives.

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Before beginning Chill and Chat, I will follow the "TAP-In" process developed by Rosemarie Smead (Morganett, 1990). To begin, I will TELL possible participants about the group through direct communication from their grade-level counselor; they will receive an email that explains the purpose and expectations of the group. Parents will also be notified via email and asked to provide informed consent before their child participates in the sessions. Students will be screened individually to determine their interest level in and suitability for the group. They will be given a survey, followed by a discussion of their expectations. Students will also be informed of the topics, goals, expectations, and tasks of the group, as well as the importance of confidentiality in the group setting.

Students will then be ASKed about their interest and commitment to the group to ensure that they understand the group's guidelines and purpose, what their goals are, and reasons why the group might be beneficial for them. After these steps are taken, counselors can PICK members who are willing to participate in the group and who will be a good fit for its purpose.

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Prior to beginning Chill and Chat, I will obtain Informed Consent from each student's parents, as well as Assent from each student him/herself. If the student's first language is not English, I will include a copy of the form in the family's first language.

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Stage 1:

To build relationships and trust between group members and myself, we will establish group norms and the importance of confidentiality by signing a "Confidentiality Contract." We will also build early relationships by participating in an icebreaker activity and developing group agreements.

Stage 2:

To keep members working cohesively and productively as we progress through each session toward our learning outcomes, I will use a variety of activities to interest and benefit members. These can include roleplay, journaling, discussion, and mindfulness exercises. As a group, we will give supportive feedback when peers share their thoughts and celebrate achievements. In addition, I will continually monitor the group dynamics to address conflicts right away and to ensure better cohesion. Finally, we will revisit the group norms before each session (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2015).

To gauge progress throughout the group, students can take turns demonstrating coping strategies and sharing their own time-management techniques. We can also have weekly check-ins, where each student shares how they have progressed during the week, and I can provide a mid-point survey to each student (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2015).

Stage 3:

During our last session, I will review the importance of confidentiality and reinforce that it must continue, even after the group ends. We will say farewell to our group, but I will remind members of what they learned to be successful and that they can always contact me if necessary. Finally, I will set a date for a post-group follow-up meeting. In this session, students can share their success stories and check in on their goals (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2015).

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I will lead my Chill and Chat group with a Participative Leadership (Democratic) style (Cherry, 2023). As a Democratic leader, I would encourage the participation of all group members, thus ensuring that participants feel empowered to engage in the process. Encouraging members' participation would make the students feel as if they are an important part of the group and process, resulting in a higher comfort level overall. This approach would be especially beneficial for 9th-grade students, as they want to feel as if their voices are important.

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The Chill and Chat Group closely aligns with the American School Counselor Association's Mindsets and Behaviors guidelines. Students will strengthen their belief in the development of the whole self, including mental, social/emotional, and physical well-being, while also building self-confidence and developing a positive attitude toward learning (American School Counselor Association, 2021, M 1, M 3, M 4). By practicing coping strategies and time management skills, students will learn to better manage their stress to achieve a healthier mindset (ASCA, 2021, M 5). They will accomplish these mindsets through guided group activities and discussions among group members.

Aligned behaviors include the development of critical thinking skills to make informed decisions (ASCA, 2021, B-LS 1), using time management and organizational skills (ASCA, 2021, B-LS 3), and setting personal goals (ASCA, 2021, B-LS 7). Students will also demonstrate perseverance and self-discipline, as they practice effective coping strategies in response to stress (ASCA, 2021, B-SMS 2, 5, 7). Finally, group activities promote social skills by fostering effective listening and communication skills, respectful and supportive peer relationships, and empathy (ASCA, 2021, B-SS 1, 2, 4). In all, the group aligns closely with ASCA's vision of helping students build healthier ways of navigating challenges.

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According to Sections 33.003 and 33.004 of the Texas Education Code, the counselor must obtain written parental consent before a student can participate in any sort of counseling, including group counseling, and the consent must include "specific information on the content of the program and the types of activities in which the student will be involved" (2018). This edict applies directly to group counseling in the school setting, including the Chill and Chat group.

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I will use the "Participant Guidelines / Ground Rules" resource to establish clear expectations in the Chill and Chat group by introducing the predetermined rules found in this document in our first meeting (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2015, p. 26). We can review these rules as a group to ensure that all members understand the importance of the guidelines. We will then revisit these rules before each session.

Some guidelines will be predetermined by the counselor and the "Participant Guidelines" resource. These include the following: confidentiality on the part of attendees and the counselor, taking turns, allowing all to share, being respectful, arriving on time, actively participating, having an open mind, and developing further guidelines.

The group, however, can also set guidelines. These may include how to encourage each other in the group, how to remind other attendees of norms when a member deviates, and how to signal if a member chooses not to contribute to a particular part of the group discussion.

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According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), school counselors must "apply legal and ethical principles of the school counseling profession... and adhere to the legal responsibilities of the role of the school counselor including the unique legal and ethical principles of working with minor students in a school setting"(2025, p. 3). This ethical requirement will help guide me in my role because it ensures that I prioritize well-being of the students. Confidentiality and informed consent are critical when working with students in a counseling role, and this includes group work. Since there are multiple members within a group counseling setting, the risks are greater, so it becomes even more important that I adhere to these ethical standards when working with these children.

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During our group sessions, several of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors may be present (Yalom, 1995). For these 9th-graders who lack effective coping skills, they undoubtedly feel isolated in their stress. For this reason, they may demonstrate Universality when they realize that, as a group, they are no longer alone in their struggle. An Instillation of Hope will likely also be present, as members develop faith in the group program and begin to believe that they may overcome this issue. They may also feel a sense of Altruism, in that they may help another (or others) in the group who share(s) the same struggle to regulate negative emotions due to stress. They may Develop(ment) Socializing Techniques as they grow their interpersonal skills within the group setting by learning the best ways to communicate with each participant. Finally, this group is an excellent way for members to develop Interpersonal Learning techniques as they learn new ways of communicating and relating to one another (Yalom, 1995).