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“Queens with Self-Esteem”, is a six-week long counseling group designed for high school girls, grades 9-12, who struggle with low self-esteem. The girls will participate in weekly solution-focused brief counseling sessions to learn about the underlying internal beliefs and external social pressures that contribute to low self-esteem; they will gain new perspectives and frameworks for how to view themselves and increase their self-esteem. The girls will also have opportunity for discussion and self-reflection on their own uniqueness and worth.

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Mindsets

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

M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed

Behaviors

B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome
barriers

B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills

B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive
relationships with students who are
similar to and different from them

B-SS 4. Empathy

(American School Counselor Association, 2021)

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Participants will be selected based on referrals from teachers, counselor review, and expressed interest from identified students. The counselor will email a short electronic survey (via Google Forms) to teachers and also notify them of the survey at staff meetings. The counselor will use the data collected to determine which participants would most benefit from the group and be most appropriate for this particular setting.

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This group will be by invite-only, and participants will be hand selected and individually approached to be informed of the group.

Students deemed mosts eligible candidates for the group will be approached personally by the counselor, given a brief description of the group, and be asked if they want to participate. In accordance with best practice, the counselor will have a private conversation with each student and explain the topic and purpose of the group, objectives and tasks, group composition, and general expectations and requirements of participants (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

The counselor will measure each participant's level of interest by asking them to rate their interest on a scale from 1-5, with 1 be "not at all interested" and 5 being "very interested". The counselor will use the same scale when asking each student to rate their level of commitment to putting forth the time and effort needed to participate in the group.

Of the pre-selected students, those reporting the highest level of interest and commitment to participation will be included in the group.

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According to school district policy, school counselors must acquire the informed assent of students and consent of parents/guardians (for students under age 18) in order for students to participate in any counseling or related services. The consent/assent form must provide an overview of the services provided.

Student assent and parent/guardian consent will be required in order for students to participate in group. The school counselor will provide each participant a hard copy of the
"Queens with Self-Esteem" consent/assent form; the signed form must be returned to the school counselor prior to the start of the group.

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Queens with Self Esteem Consent Form_Schuller

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The school counselor will use an authoritarian/autocratic leadership style with the group, ensuring high expectations are met with a high level of support for group members (Cherry, 2022). Expectations will be clearly communicated to students, and they will be provided the appropriate scaffolding, resources, and direction to help them meet these expectations. This approach will foster a positive, safe, and challenging environment that pushes students to the greatest limits that are still achievable for them. While remaining the adult and ultimate authority in the room, the counselor will minimize the power differential by allowing students to lead discussion and actively participating with them. The counselor will practice appropriate self-disclosure and model the process of learning and applying the skills needed to promote healthy self-esteem. This style will be particularly important when working with teenagers, who are developing more autonomy and transitioning into adulthood themselves. They need to be seen and heard by adults and to be treated as the competent, maturing individuals they are.

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Predetermined by Counselor

The school counselor will have the predetermined group rules listed below, which have been adapted from the attached professional guide for school counselors (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015). These are the non-negotiable items that are either legally, ethically, or functionally required in order for the group to be effective and safe for all.

1. Confidentiality will be respected and upheld by all group members.
2. Only one person will share at a time.
3. All members' thoughts, experiences, and viewpoints will be heard and respected without judgment.

Established by the Group

The group will be able to expand upon the predetermined expectations and add specific procedural items, norms, and agreements that fit the members in this specific group. Allowing members to participate in the development of rules and expectations will promote buy-in and cohesiveness among group members.

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According to Texas law, school counselors must base their program on the needs of students, conduct small groups, utilize appropriate counseling techniques and theories, collaborate with teachers and other stakeholders, and use data to inform decisions (19 Tex. Admin. Code § 239.15, 2017).

The planning and execution of this group encompasses all these components. The school counselor chooses the topic of self-esteem based on results from data collected from teachers, addressing a high needs area specific to the students at this particular school. The counselor's direct consultation with teachers and consideration of their input is a form of collaboration. The small group is planned appropriately to include a sequence of sessions that utilize research-based counseling techniques and appropriate methods to help students improve in this area.

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Instillation of Hope-Students will learn about others' journeys in overcoming struggles with self-esteem, including those of the counselor, to instill hope that change is possible and the solutions offered have worked for others.

Universality-Students will each share their personal struggles with self-esteem and will also watch a film in which celebrities share their own insecurities and struggles with self-esteem. This will establish the idea that low self-esteem is a human struggle; it affects most people, even the seemingly unlikely ones, and the students are not alone in this.

Imparting of information-Students will gain information about self-esteem from a psychological perspective, including the nature of self-esteem being the result of how people see themselves, rather than how others see them.

Direct Advice-Students will receive direct advice when they are provided specific skills and tools that may be used to improve self-esteem.

Interpersonal learning-Students will participate in extensive discussion, in which they strengthen their interpersonal skills by practicing active listening, giving and receiving feedback, and empathizing with others.

(Yalom, 1995)

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Stage 1: Storming/Norming
The counselor will help group members get to know each other by asking an ice breaker question and then asking members to share some of their own ideas about self esteem. Group members will eventually share some of their own insecurities and struggles with self-esteem, and the gradual progression of self-disclosure will help members ease into a comfortable relationship with each other. Trust will build as members open up and become mutually vulnerable. The group will discuss confidentiality and also collaborate to establish their own norms, which will further strengthen trust between members.

Stage 2: Performing
Goals will be accomplished as group members work with each other throughout the counseling activities. With a strong foundation of trust and cohesion, group members will be able to grow and improve together. As members progress individually, confidence in the effectiveness of the whole group will increase.

Stage 3: Mourning
The group members will have ample opportunity during the last session to reflect on their journey together and celebrate personal growth. Group members will be encouraged to maintain the relationships they developed and continue to support each other in applying lessons learned from their time together. The counselor will also reiterate that she will continue to support members moving forward.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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A critical component of school counseling is for counselors to maintain confidentiality to protect students, in both individual and group settings (American School Counselor Association, 2016). This entails teaching students about confidentiality, explaining the limitations of confidentiality, and delineating expectations for students to maintain confidentiality in a group setting. Students must also be informed of the general purpose and procedures involved in counseling services, so they are able to make an informed decision when assenting/consenting to services. These measures are in place to protect privacy and ensure the safety of all parties involved.

This small group is designed with confidentiality at its forefront. From the beginning, potential candidates are approached privately and individually invited to participate in the group. These students are provided an overview of the purpose and procedures of the group, given an explanation of confidentiality and its limitations, and required to sign a consent/assent form in order to participate. The importance of confidentiality will be emphasized throughout the sessions, with the counselor offering gentle reminders as needed and also having a protocol for removing students who break confidentiality.

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American School Counselor Association (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors.

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA
student standards: Mindsets and behaviors for student success. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Cherry, K. (2022, November 14). 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. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015

19 Tex. Admin. Code § 239.15 (2017).

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