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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://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/smallgroup/SmallGroupCounseling.pdf

American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success.
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

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

American Counseling Association (ACA). Code of Ethics. (2014). https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdfets-Behaviors.pdf

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A.7. i. Group Work- School counselors must carefully select appropriate group topics and take measures to ensure member safety.
-I have selected self-esteem as the topic for our group, which is ideal for the 10th-grade female students who will be joining us. I will emphasize to the group that if any lesson topic is causing excessive stress for a member, they are welcome to opt-out or be excused from that particular session.

A.5.a  Sustaining Healthy Relationships and Managing Boundaries -School counselors will engage in professional roles and relationships with students and stakeholders that foster wellness and student success.
-During my group work, I will uphold my professionalism as a counselor by not disclosing any confidential information shared by group members with staff members or other students. Additionally, I will refrain from taking on the role of a student's "friend" to maintain appropriate boundaries.

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A.2. Informed Consent
in the Counseling
Relationship: (A.2.a.) Informed Consent- Counselors must inform clients of their rights and responsibilities in writing and verbally. Informed consent ensures confidentiality, subject to legal exceptions.
-To uphold ethical standards, my group will ensure written parental and student consent prior to the introductory session. By giving consent, parents and students are acknowledging the guidelines and confidentiality of the group.

A.9. Group Work: (A.9.a.) Screening counselors must screen potential participants and choose those who share common issues and concerns they wish to resolve. Those who are deemed an impediment to the group will be excluded from participation.
-This ethical code will be demonstrated when I screen and interview each student who expressed their interest in the group, prior to its formation. This process will ensure that a safe and cohesive environment is provided for my small gro

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Universality-this factor could present itself when members struggling with low self-esteem realize they are not unique in their feelings.
Interpersonal learning- this factor could present itself when participants accept feedback from their peers and learn from each other.
Direct Advice- this factor could present itself when the leader gives and accepts strategies from participants to solve their problems with self-worth.

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I would approach this group as a Participative (Democratic) leader. This leadership style would work best with this population as it will enable me to guide the group while encouraging member engagement. By allowing this engagement, creativity and motivation will be fostered within the group.

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Stage 1: "Storming/Norming"
- I plan to ensure trust between the group members and myself by providing a safe, non-judgmental, and compassionate environment and being willing to share my own experiences on this topic. I will also incorporate a "Get to know you" activity to establish relationships.
-Me (the leader/facilitator) and the participants will establish group norms, and we will implement them through a majority vote.
-I will explain that everything shared in the group stays within the group (including what the leader shares) with the exception of someone stating they want to hurt someone, hurt themselves, or are being abused by someone.

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For our introductory session, I will review the guidelines and ground rules with the group and ensure agreement from all participants.

I would also encourage the students to add additional norms or rules that would benefit the group if they choose to do so.

Rules that I would predetermine would include confidentiality and mutual respect.  A couple of rules determined by the group could involve when and how long a participant can share and their right to pass on sharing during a specific issue.

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Once the group members are selected, an "informed consent" form will be provided to their parents for signature and return during the initial group session.

During the same session, the group members will also sign a consent form, confirming their willingness to participate in the group actively and to maintain the confidentiality of others.

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Screening:
-To inform potential group participants, I will send out invitations and meet with each of them individually.
-I will use the “TAP-In” process for pre-group screening interviews (Morganett, 1990).

Interviewing:
-To determine participant willingness, I will utilize the "TAP-IN" process:
1. T (TALK)-describe the group, talk about expectations, goals, participation, and how the student would benefit from the group.
2. A (ASSESS)-ask the student about their commitment, interests, and questions they might have about the group.
3. P (PICK) members- student's reasons for attending the group, determine if student's expectations align with the group's, and student's motivation.

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I will email 10th-grade teachers, counselors, and administrators at my school, asking for referrals of female students who would benefit from participating in this group.

I will also ask the 10th-grade physical education teachers to give a pre-assessment using a Google Form to identify students who are in need of this group.

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Upon completion of this group, the following Mindsets and Behaviors will be mastered by participants:

Mindsets:
(M 1.) Belief in the development of the whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional, and physical well-being
(M 4.) Self-confidence in the ability to succeed

Behaviors:
(B-SMS 7.)  Effective coping skills
(B-SMS 6.) Ability to identify and overcome
barriers

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My homogenous, structured group will consist of no more than six participants at a time, consisting of female 10th-grade students who are ethnically diverse and between the ages of 14-15.

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Stage 2: "Performing Stage"
-To ensure cohesive and productive teamwork in my group, I will assign a member to recap the group's goals and norms at the start of each session.
-I will introduce a topic and allow the group to manage themselves, intervening only when necessary. To monitor progress, I will ask each participant to complete an "exit ticket" with questions about their thoughts on the session's topic.

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Stage 3: "Mourning Stage"
-I will close the final session of the group by asking each member to share 1-2 things they learned about themselves and how they will use the skills they learned to enhance their self-growth.
-I will encourage all group members to check on each other if possible, and for them to visit me if they still have unresolved feelings.
-A post-assessment will be emailed to each group member after the group's closure to obtain an overall snapshot of the group's effectiveness.
-Within two weeks of the group's closure, I will check-in with each group member individually to determine their mindset.