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Social Stars is a small group for kids ages 8 to 11 (third through fifth grade) battling social anxiety and making friends. This group provides a safe, compassionate environment where people can learn social skills, build confidence, and make new friends. Group sessions will feature interactive role-playing, guided conversations, and challenging scenario-based exercises. These activities help students work through social challenges. Students learn effective communication and practice managing anxiety skillfully in social settings. Students develop social skills, confidence, and friendships through these activities. Social Stars students will increase their comfort and confidence. This improved social skillset will contribute to the group's overall success.

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Students in 3rd through 5th grade who complete the 6-week Social Stars group sessions will master the following ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors:

Mindset Standards:

1. M 2: Sense of acceptance, respect, support, and inclusion for self and others in the environment.

2. M 4: Self-confidence in the ability to succeed.

3. M 5: Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results.

Behavior Standards:

1. B-SS 1: Effective communication and listening skills.

2. B-SS 2: Positive, respectful, and supportive relationships with others.

3. B-SS 4: Empathy.

4. B-SS 6: Effective collaboration and cooperation skills.

5. B-SS 9: Social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation.

American School Counselor Association. (n.d.). Mindsets & behaviors for student success: K-12 college- and career-readiness standards for every student. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

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Multiple channels will be used to disseminate information about the Social Stars small group to many audiences.

Informational flyers and letters will be sent home with students and parents. They will also get an email about the program's goals, dates, and how to register. Parents can attend a virtual meeting for details and answers. They can also attend an in-person meeting.

Engaging classroom announcements will thoroughly highlight the group's benefits. Personalized invitations will be extended to students who could greatly benefit from the program. If a student would prefer to be more discrete, the counselor will quietly pull the student aside to speak with them to not cause additional attention. Many colorful posters, in addition to a range of flyers, will be displayed throughout common areas such as hallways and the cafeteria.

Teachers and administrators will learn about the program through emails and newsletters. Staff will also get information at faculty meetings so they are informed and can refer students. Flyers will be in all faculty lounges and staff mailboxes. The program will be on an internal website or a shared document so counselors can readily refer students. Emails or meetings will distribute information to counselors and support staff. Information will be shared during morning announcements and posted on the main bulletin board in common areas, so everyone knows.

This approach makes sure all the right people get the information they need in a way that's clear and easy to understand.

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To inform participants completely about the Social Stars group, here is what will be done:

INFORM: Flyers and emails will inform students and parents about the group’s goals. They will also be informed about expectations along with benefits.

PRE-GROUP SCREENING: The counselor will use the “TAP-In” process to screen each participant individually, explaining group objectives while also gauging each participant's readiness, interest, and willingness to participate.

ASSESS READINESS: Each student will be asked to assess his or her comprehension of the group. They will also evaluate their goals, how committed they are to attending regularly, and how strictly they adhere to confidentiality.

SELECTION PROCESS: The counselor will choose only those participants from the screening who can benefit greatly from the group and contribute to it positively.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2015). Missouri comprehensive guidance and counseling program—Responsive services: Small group counseling module (pp. 21-43). Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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Texas Education Agency. (2024, August 1). Updated guidance on parental opt-in requirement. Texas Education Agency. https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/correspondence/taa-letters/taa-2024-08-01-updated-guidance-on-parental-opt-in-requirement

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Updated Guidance on Parental Opt-In Requirement | Texas Education Agency

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The purpose of this letter is to clarify the obligations of Texas public school systems following the expiration of language in Section 28.004 of the Texas Education Code (TEC), requiring parental consent prior to human sexuality instruction.

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Dripping Springs Independent School District (DSISD) follows moral standards and makes student well-being a priority in all counseling work. The available documents do not detail all general guidelines about informed consent for counseling groups, but those guidelines are inferable from related policies and best practices. Above is an example from the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program.

Minors must have parental consent. According to Texas Education Agency guidelines, informed consent must certainly be obtained from a legally authorized person, such as a parent or guardian (Texas Education Agency, 2024).

Student assent is recommended. This helps guarantee students are both willing and comfortable to participate, even if it is not explicitly required.

The consent form should include:

1. Explaining each of the group’s goals, expectations, as well as benefits to all students in addition to parents.

2. Individual screenings assess student interest, commitment, and readiness for participation.

3. Offering resources to all those not selected and selecting many participants likely to benefit and contribute positively to the group.

4. Refer to the Missouri Thorough Guidance and Counseling Program's entire Screening and Selection Procedures Resource for complete and thorough guidance.

5. Obtaining parental consent and student assent and following a structured screening and selection process are each recommended to adhere to moral standards.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2015). Missouri comprehensive guidance and counseling program—Responsive services: Small group counseling module (pp. 25-43). Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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Using the ASGW Guiding Principles to set ground rules guarantees the group is moral and effective and it also fully encourages each member's self-improvement. In certain groups like Social Stars for students with social anxiety, these principles will help you create a group environment where students feel completely respected, safe, and supported. To improve group dynamics and learning, the group's interactions will be guided by clear expectations set by integrating these important principles into the ground rules.

School Counselor Pre-determined Rules:

1. Confidentiality

2. Respect

3. Participation

4. Safe

5. Supported

Rules Determined by Group:

1. The group can help determine how the time is managed and spent.

2. Participating in the group activities

3. How to handle disagreements

4. Honest feedback

5. Positivity

Association for Specialists in Group Work. (2021). ASGW guiding principles: Best practices for the conduct of group work. Association for Specialists in Group Work. https://asgw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ASGW-Guiding-Principles-May-2021.pdf

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STAGE 1 Build Trust: The initial stage of group counseling thoroughly involves setting clear expectations and purposefully creating trust among members in a consistently safe environment. This stage is very important because it sets the stage for effective work in all sessions.

To build trust and help students get to know each other comfortably, I will begin with icebreakers and team-building activities. I will stress active listening as well as thorough validation of all student feelings and opinions to guarantee each student feels genuinely respected and heard. The non-judgmental environment will be reinforced. Every student can then feel safe expressing themselves without fear of criticism.

Group standards will be created collaboratively with all students to encourage a complete sense of ownership. I will ask the group for ideas. I want to know how they want to interact during the sessions.

We will fully discuss counselor rules—strict confidentiality, utmost respect, and full participation and firmly agree that they are non-negotiable. I will explain that since confidentiality is a group expectation, it has certain limits and therefore cannot always be guaranteed (e.g., potential harm to oneself or others). I will clarify "limits to confidentiality" for all students. I will immediately address each disclosure of abuse, harm, or danger to themselves or others.

Each person in the group is responsible for keeping all shared things confidential, but each individual should only share what they are comfortable with.

STAGE 2 Be Productive and Work Together:

Group members start more in-depth discussions during this stage, so the counselor should support them within a structured setting, carefully guiding them toward their goals.

I will use activities with structure, like role-plays and exercises based on scenarios, to keep the group focused and engaged. We will encourage group interaction. These activities will challenge a degree of social anxiety in a generally supportive way.

When tensions or challenges come up, I will use facilitative interventions, helping members process conflict or discomfort respectfully and constructively.

I will regularly check in through verbal feedback as well as non-verbal cues (e.g., body language) to evaluate the comfort along with the engagement of every group member.

I will begin and conclude each session with short check-ins to determine student feelings and any concerns regarding the session or group dynamics.

STAGE 3 Closure:

Reinforcing learning, guaranteeing a positive conclusion and planning are all important aspects of closure, which is the final stage.

During the final sessions, I will review our group goals from the beginning and check each member's progress.

I will ask several reflection questions to guarantee that members feel confident about their developed skills. Examples of these questions include "What have you learned about yourself?" in addition to "What social skills have you improved?".

Celebrating progress is key. I will acknowledge each student's individual growth as well as contributions to the group, reinforcing that each one has made large progress.

I will provide an opportunity for members to share how they feel about the group ending, knowing this may bring feelings of sadness, anxiety, or relief.

I will remind students that confidentiality remains in effect well after the group's conclusion because what has been shared is sensitive information. I will encourage each of them to respect the other's privacy and to remember to respect all of the experiences they shared in the group in any social setting.

Students and parents will receive follow-up resources from me. These resources include more counseling along with ways to handle future anxiety.

I will use each of these stages to effectively create a well-organized and caring place where all Social Stars participants feel sure of their overall growth. I will guarantee that the group is quite successful along with positive for all members by focusing on relationship-building, maintaining group cohesion and providing proper closure, despite each stage of group dynamics presenting multiple challenges.

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For this group, a transformational leadership style would inspire and motivate students to grow and reach their potential. Because it points out a fully supportive space, this style is effective for groups such as Social Stars. Every student is encouraged to develop additional social skills and ample confidence.

I believe this approach will work best with this population because transformational leadership encourages open communication, individualized attention and a sense of belonging. All of these elements are important when working with many children experiencing social anxiety. To participate comfortably, they require important guidance and reassurance. A transformational leader strongly encourages self-reflection as well as growth, aligning with the goals of helping students overcome social challenges.

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-and-frameworks-5191324

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Leadership styles are classifications of how a person behaves while directing, motivating, guiding, and managing groups of people. There are many leadership styles. Some of the most widely discussed include: authoritarian (autocratic), participative (democratic), delegative (laissez-faire), transformational, transactional, and situational.

Great leaders can inspire political movements and social change. They can also motivate others to perform, create, and innovate. As you start to consider some of the people who you think of as great leaders, you can immediately see that there are often vast differences in how each person leads.

Fortunately, researchers have developed different theories and frameworks that allow us to better identify and understand these different leadership styles.

Lewin's Leadership Styles

In 1939, a group of researchers led by psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to identify different styles of leadership.﻿﻿ While further research has identified more distinct types of leadership, this early study was very influential and established three major leadership styles that have provided a springboard for more defined leadership theories.

In Lewin's study, schoolchildren were assigned to one of three groups with an authoritarian, democratic, or laissez-faire leader. The children were then led in an arts and crafts project while researchers observed the behavior of children in response to the different styles of leadership. The researchers found that democratic leadership tended to be the most effective at inspiring followers to perform well.

Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic)

Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. This style of leadership is strongly focused on both command by the leader and control of the followers. There is also a clear division between the leader and the members. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently, with little or no input from the rest of the group.

Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian leadership.﻿﻿ Lewin also concluded that it is harder to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa. Abuse of this method is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial.

Mental Health in the Workplace Webinar

Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. The autocratic approach can be a good one when the situation calls for rapid decisions and decisive actions. However, it tends to create dysfunctional and even hostile environments, often pitting followers against the domineering leader.

Participative Leadership (Democratic)

Lewin's study found that participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is typically the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. In Lewin's study, children in this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a higher quality.

Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say in the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Democratic leaders tend to make followers feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster commitment to the goals of the group.

Delegative Leadership (Laissez-Faire)

Lewin found that children under delegative leadership, also known as laissez-faire leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. The children in this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation, and were unable to work independently.

Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave the decision-making up to group members. While this style can be useful in situations involving highly qualified experts, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.

Lewin noted that laissez-faire leadership tended to result in groups that lacked direction and members who blamed each other for mistakes, refused to accept personal responsibility, made less progress, and produced less work.

Observations About Lewin's Leadership Styles

In their book, The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications, Bass and Bass note that authoritarian leadership is often presented solely in negative, often disapproving, terms. Authoritarian leaders are often described as controlling and close-minded, yet this overlooks the potential positives of stressing rules, expecting obedience, and taking responsibility.

While authoritarian leadership certainly is not the best choice for every situation, it can be effective and beneficial in cases where followers need a great deal of direction and where rules and standards must be followed to the letter. Another often overlooked benefit of the authoritarian style is the ability to maintain a sense of order.

Bass and Bass note that democratic leadership tends to be centered on the followers and is an effective approach when trying to maintain relationships with others. People who work under such leaders tend to get along well, support one another, and consult other members of the group when making decisions.

Additional Leadership Styles and Models

In addition to the three styles identified by Lewin and his colleagues, researchers have described numerous other characteristic patterns of leadership. A few of the best-known include:

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is often identified as the single most effective style. This style was first described during the late 1970s and later expanded upon by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Transformational leaders are able to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive changes in groups.

These leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate. They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfill their potential.

Research shows that this style of leadership results in higher performance and more improved group satisfaction than other leadership styles. One study also found that transformational leadership led to improved well-being among group members.

Transactional Leadership

The transactional leadership style views the leader-follower relationship as a transaction. By accepting a position as a member of the group, the individual has agreed to obey the leader. In most situations, this involves the employer-employee relationship, and the transaction focuses on the follower completing required tasks in exchange for monetary compensation.

One of the main advantages of this leadership style is that it creates clearly defined roles. People know what they are required to do and what they will be receiving in exchange. This style allows leaders to offer a great deal of supervision and direction, if needed.

Group members may also be motivated to perform well to receive rewards. One of the biggest downsides is that the transactional style tends to stifle creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

Situational Leadership

Situational theories of leadership stress the significant influence of the environment and the situation on leadership. Hersey and Blanchard's leadership stylesis one of the best-known situational theories. First published in 1969, this model describes four primary styles of leadership, including:

1. Telling: Telling people what to do

2. Selling: Convincing followers to buy into their ideas and messages

3. Participating: Allowing group members to take a more active role in the decision-making process

4. Delegating: Taking a hands-off approach to leadership and allowing group members to make the majority of decisions

Later, Blanchard expanded upon the original Hersey and Blanchard model to emphasize how the developmental and skill level of learners influences the style that should be used by leaders. Blanchard's SLII leadership styles model also described four different leading styles:

1. Directing: Giving orders and expecting obedience, but offering little guidance and assistance

2. Coaching: Giving lots of orders, but also lots of support

3. Supporting: Offering plenty of help, but very little direction

4. Delegating: Offering little direction or support

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It seems like there are as many different styles of leadership as there are leaders. Discover some of the most common leadership style frameworks.

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1. Instillation of Hope

Seeing other group members improve their emotional regulation can assist a social star in believing that he or she also can manage all social situations.

2. Universality

A social star in a group setting might realize that others battle to maintain real connections. This can result in a feeling of mutual experience in spite of their popularity.

3. Imparting of Information

A social star could benefit from learning techniques to recognize and manage emotional triggers in social situations or how to support others without compromising their own well-being.

4. Altruism

Social stars can feel good when they help quieter people and improve their own social skills.

5. Corrective Recapitulation of Primary Family Group

A social star might realize they dominate almost all conversations, such as in their family and then work to change that behavior in the group by listening actively.

6. Development of Socializing Techniques

Actively listening and showing empathy helps them understand others' feelings, which strengthens relationships and lessens misunderstandings.

7. Imitative Behavior

A social star may learn to be more humble and supportive by observing a group member who excels at making others feel valued and heard.

8. Catharsis

A social star might release pent-up stress or anger during group therapy by sharing their feelings in an environment where they feels understood and supported.

9. Existential Factors

Through multiple group discussions regarding identity and personal responsibility, any social star may recognize the full limits of their social status and value authenticity over total popularity.

10. Direct Advice

A social star might ask for suggestions on how to manage conflicts with close friends and receive valuable insights from group members.

11. Interpersonal Learning

A social star may learn what resonates most effectively with other people by experimenting with multiple communication styles, like increased vulnerability or assertiveness; this may also help them improve their relational dynamics in personal as well as professional settings.

These therapeutic factors can help social stars better understand themselves and their relationships, allowing them to form more meaningful, balanced connections and feel less pressure to always be “on” in social situations.

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

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Confidentiality is key to group counseling, as shown in moral guidelines like the ACA Code of Ethics and ASCA Moral Standards. Counselors must guarantee the importance of confidentiality is understood by all group members. Group members must understand the limits. They might share personal information in a setting where others are present as well.

Counselors must maintain strict confidentiality in group settings, according to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Moral Standards (2016). Counselors must also explain all confidentiality limits; for example, sharing information may be required whenever there is any potential harm or risk of danger to self or others.

Group counseling's moral requirement builds trust and a safe environment so members can share openly. To understand all the limits of confidentiality guarantees, participants are always fully aware that confidentiality can be broken in every situation of harm or risk. This also aligns with legal guidelines at the state and local levels, such as the Texas Education Code and Senate Bill 11, which require counselors to report suspected abuse or if a participant is at risk of harm.

American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-and-Positions/Professional-Standards

Texas Education Code, Title 2, Subtitle E, Chapter 26, Section 26.003. (2021). Parental involvement.

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Legal and Ethical Requirements-Informed Consent

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Legal and Ethical Requirements-Informed Consent

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Counselors must obtain informed consent from each of the participants before initiating any group counseling session. It means giving thorough details about what group counseling hopes to achieve, how it works and its possible risks. Participants or their parents must also give clear permission (if they're minors).

According to both the ACA Code of Ethics (2014) and ASCA Moral Standards, counselors must guarantee that all group members (as well as all parents, when appropriate) completely understand participation, every behavioral expectation, and all confidentiality limits.

Informed consent protects the counselor. It also protects the participants. It thoroughly guarantees everyone understands the counseling process, which curtails misunderstandings in addition to legal risks. It also follows the Texas Administrative Code and Senate Bill 11, which say parents must be involved and consent if students do some educational things like group counseling.

American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-and-Positions/Professional-Standards

Texas Education Code, Title 2, Subtitle E, Chapter 26, Section 26.003. (2021). Parental involvement.

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86(R) SB 11 - Introduced version - Bill Text

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American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-and-Positions/Professional-Standards

American School Counselor Association. (n.d.). Mindsets & behaviors for student success: K-12 college- and career-readiness standards for every student. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

Association for Specialists in Group Work. (2021). ASGW guiding principles: Best practices for the conduct of group work. Association for Specialists in Group Work. https://asgw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ASGW-Guiding-Principles-May-2021.pdf

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-and-frameworks-5191324

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2015). Missouri comprehensive guidance and counseling program—Responsive services: Small group counseling module (pp. 21-43). Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2015). Missouri comprehensive guidance and counseling program—Responsive services: Small group counseling module (pp. 25-43). Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Texas Education Agency. (2024, August 1). Updated guidance on parental opt-in requirement. Texas Education Agency. https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/correspondence/taa-letters/taa-2024-08-01-updated-guidance-on-parental-opt-in-requirement

Texas Education Code, Title 2, Subtitle E, Chapter 26, Section 26.003. (2021). Parental involvement.

Yalom, I. D. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). Basic Books.