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The warriors are a group of fourth grade students that are nine years old. They were referred by the counselor and teachers as Panorama Education data shows they are struggling with challenging feelings, specifically in their response to these feelings. This group will act as a support and enrichment time to address these feelings and to analyze the how, why, when, and what behind these feelings and their individual behavior. This group will go in-depth on the trait of the month for November which is self-control/self-direction. This trait is what the whole group guidance lessons are based on for the month, but this group will analyze specific feelings in depth and relate them to self-control and self-direction behavior.

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American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Mindset and Behaviors

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American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Mindset and Behaviors

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Upon completion of this group, students will complete the following mindset standards:
- Mindset Standards:

M1.- Belief in development of whole self

M5.- Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes (American School Counselor Association, 2021).

-Behavior Standards:

1. Learning Strategies

B-LS 4: Self-motivation and self-direction for learning

2. Self-Management Skills

B-SMS-1: Responsibility for self and actions.

3. Social Skills

B-SS-5: Ethical decision-making and social responsibility.

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In order to get the information for the small group out to parents, students, teachers, and administrators I will use the following plan:

1.  I will create a flyer in a medium that can be posted on the Class Dojo app for parents to view. The flyer will have the purpose of small group counseling in general and the benefits that it brings to students and their school experience. I will also include information on the topic that will be discussed in that particular small group and explain the qualifications for the group so guidelines are addressed. If interaction is low I will print off the flyer and ask for it to be sent home to students. I will also post the flyer on the monthly bulletin board at the entrance of the school that spotlights what is happening at that time in the counseling program.

2. I will send a google form out to teachers and staff that gives an overview of the group and its purpose and encourage them to give feedback on anything that they have questions or concerns about. This form will ask questions that pertain to how effective they think the group will be, and encourage them to use their voice to have input in their students' counseling experience.

3. Information will be presented to administration (Principal, Assistant Principal, and Instructional Coach) in a more formal outline that gives specific details on session plans and specific lessons I will be using to conduct the group. Administration will also be made aware of the time frame I would like to host the group and be able to give their feedback on the effectiveness of that time.

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In order to make selections for the group I will make sure I have teacher, parent, and administrative input as to which students would benefit most from an emotional regulation group.
This can be a touchy or hard subject to announce in front of a group of students because often it is fairly noticeable which students struggle with emotional regulation. This is my plan after taking that into consideration:

I will screen students individually and first identify if they recognize a need/want for change. I will make sure the student understands what counseling is and how it is provided to help positive change happen in their emotional, social, and academic lives. If the student offers their interest and willingness to embrace change I will move to explaining the group (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Screening, 2015).

The student and I will then discuss that the group is going to be small (3-5 students) and that they are going to get to use that small community in order to help them achieve some goals. I will refer back to the small group action plan and explain the goals of the group to the student (see action plan).

I will also explain to the student how we will achieve these goals with activities and reflection. I will cover the journaling process and how that is going to allow individual group members to reflect on their progress and learning, but also how we will be logging data as a group based on individual reflection. The student will understand that they are playing a part in the groups overall achievement. I will make sure they are willing to buy in to their peers growth as well as their own.

The student will be informed that this type of group is structured which means that it is set and no other students will be joining the group once it is established.

I will gather information about the students' overall understanding of the group topic:

I will ask the student if they are aware of their emotions specifically challenging ones like feeling sad, mad, lonely, or angry. Even if they say no, understanding that information will help me guide discussion when sessions begin. The student will understand that it is okay that they don't have all the answers and that is what the group is for.

I will make sure the student doesn't have any reservations to exploring their emotional health, and discuss the risks in working through topics like challenging emotions. I will make sure the students knows they will be supported and not left to figure everything out on their own.

The student will also understand that this group is based upon self-growth, and will help them take responsibility for their emotions, feelings, and actions. They will need to be willing to embrace that goal and strive to achieve it.

Finally students will be briefed on what the group expectations will be, and I will begin choosing members for the group.

The student will understand that whatever is discussed during the group sessions must stay in the room between the other group members and the counselor. I will make them aware that if they violate this confidentiality in any way they risk being asked to leave the group and not engage in the process further. They will also understand that one guideline is that they put other group members best interests in mind and support them through the process just as they would support themselves. We will have a kind, welcoming, and supportive environment during sessions and any behavior that jeopardizes this will be subject for reassignment out of the group.

After all of these factors have been addressed with the student I will assess their readiness and choose group members that seem to be most fit for the counseling group.

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In order to gain informed consent from parents of students selected for the group I will use the following steps/strategies to make sure they know what will be taking place during the group counseling and to gain their approval for services:

School policy requires parents to fill out a consent form for counseling services with their child's registration paperwork. At the beginning of the year, every student has a consent form on file which ensures counseling services are covered and able to take placed based on parent response. To check this document I will locate the file and make sure the form is filled out correctly and that the child's parent gave consent for counseling.

To make sure parents are aware that counseling will take place, and so they can be informed about the aspects of the group I will send home the attached form that gives parents information about the counseling their student will be receiving.

I will also receive student assent before counseling begins to ensure that they understand confidentiality limitations, general guidelines, the purpose of the group, and the counselors role. I will make sure they display a willingness to participate and understand that they can choose to leave the group at any time if it becomes uncomfortable.

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This resource will be utilized to help the beginning of the counseling group as well as hold the group accountable during counseling (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015). Some of these guidelines could be adjusted depending on the culture of the group, but this will be something filled out and completed as a whole group.

I would also make the guideline document into a kid-friendly chart that I would post on the wall to remind students of group expectations throughout our sessions.

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Stage 1- Getting acquainted/setting norms/building trust:

To build trust between group members and myself by establishing psychological safety and close relationships within the group. I will find time to individually build trust with each student before the group starts. This could be done through small interactions in passing, or checking on them for a minute during class just so they get used to seeing my face and conversing with me. To build student-student trust I will encourage collaboration before group sessions that help foster their relationships. This could be get to know you activities, or finding things they have in common using other techniques (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

Norms will be established through discussion and creating the guidelines chart as a group. I will emphasize how crucial it is for students to follow the guidelines and why we have them in the first place.

When it comes to confidentiality limitations I would address these limits with the group all together. I will direct students to ask for a private conversation if they feel they need to share something that would require a confidentiality breach. If a student shares something that requires me to breach confidentiality I would address it with that student privately and remind the other students that I am the one who takes care of situations like that. The group will know that they are not in charge of telling anyone anything unless they think one of the group members is in danger, and in that case they would need to come to me.

Students will know that they are responsible for keeping anything discussed in the sessions to themselves, and if they do not there could be a reassignment or discharge from the group completely. I will also encourage them to come to me if they feel like they cannot keep something confidential so we can talk about it and come up with a solution.

Stage 2- Working together to accomplish individual and group goals:

I plan to give students ample opportunity to share their progress and really focus on the growth and good things they begin to experience. I will always refer back to the guidelines and goals and remind students about our group goals and how they cannot accomplish those without being on the same page. I will check-in with group members individually during each session as they analyze their journal responses from the week before and reflect on the week they are currently experiencing. I will allow students to share their findings about what went better or worse, and use their peers to brainstorm how to overcome those obstacles if they have faced them before.

Stage 3- Ending the group:

I will start the closure of the group by praising the time and effort the group put into their sessions. I will ask students to share one of the biggest take-aways from the group and how they feel it will best impact them in the future. I will also have students complete an affirmation circle where they go around and say one positive thing about each group member they got to collaborate with during sessions. These will be deeper affirmations that pertain to how that person contributed to the overall goals and their personal goals.

To make sure the students leave confidently and not in a mourning state, I will allow them to write down a fear they may have leaving the group. Once they write down a fear I will have them crumble it and throw it away and tell them that with their time and dedication they have nothing to be afraid or sad about, but hopeful that they will continue to see positive changes in their emotional regulation. Also students will be reminded that my door is always open, and they now have friends that know what they are trying to achieve emotionally, socially, and academically.

To reinforce confidentiality I will lead them in a discussion about their greatest accomplishment during the group sessions. As they identify their greatest accomplishments I will ask why they didn't immediately think of what was hard during the last 6 weeks. I will tie this together by stating that when you focus on the accomplishments they become the object of our focus. The struggles are worth remembering because they show how far you have come, but they are not ours to mention or share to anyone. After this preface I will read them the book Do you Have a Secret? by Jennifer Mallinos. We will discuss that all of their accomplishments during our sessions are good secrets to keep for others. I will remind students that if they want to share their experiences they can, but it is only their secret to tell.

I will remind students that if confidentiality is not upheld after the group ends, they may not be invited back into a group and will have to get help in an alternative way.

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The leadership style I would take on for this group would be:
Participative

This style of leadership is very easy going but also allows room for guidance and help for group members. One of the risks discussed about this leadership style is that the group members got less accomplished, but the quality of their accomplishments were greater than other leadership styles supported (Cherry, 2022).

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Some of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors that may occur within the group are:

Instillation of Hope- this is faith that the treatment will work to promote positive change and be effective (Yalon ID, 1995). The support of the group and guidance from the counselor can promote this therapeutic factor in the counseling process.

Universality- This is the understanding that we are not alone in our journey or "problems" in life. This group will rely heavily on group encouragement so universality will be a helpful tool in helping these students know that they are not alone in their struggles.

Direct Advice- Direct advice will help the students in a tremendous way. This is when learners share and collaborate strategies to better their behavior. Students will have many opportunities to share their findings and experiences that could benefit others.

Interpersonal Learning- This therapeutic factor is when students receive feedback from others and experiment new ways of learning. Students will also gain this factor during sessions because of the active reflection and communication they will be bouncing off one another.

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The American Counseling Association outlines ethical practices counselors should follow when counseling students. On of the ethical standards that applies directly to this counseling group is:
A.9.b. "Protecting Clients In a group setting, counselors take reasonable precautions to protect clients from physical, emotional, or psychological trauma." (American Counseling Association, 2014, pg. 6).
This ethical standard supports my need for the group to be conducted because it is important for students to be supported emotionally, physically, and psychologically. This standard applies to this counseling group because as the counselor it is my duty to ensure that the participants are safe emotionally, and there is risk for emotions to be awry during this group. I will keep the participants emotional, psychological, and physical needs above anything and if they show signs of discomfort at any time I will intervein and hold this ethical standard as a priority.

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Sec. 33.005.  COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS.  (b) The school counselor shall design the program to include:
(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; (2 Tex. Educ. Code § 33)

This legal requirement aligns with the needs of this group because it supports the implementation of students' personal and social development. It is important for counselors to implement this aspect of student support and respond to their needs.