# data[].attributes.body
In the first session of group counseling, members are cautious and quiet. It is rare for an individual to experience a new setting and be boisterous and outgoing. Corey, Corey, and Corey (2018) state that caution is expected and members of the group may feel intimidated and have suspicions about the leader, while others are doubting that the group experience is going to be of any real value to them. This simple name calling activity is terrific and engaging.  Learning names can be difficult, so echoing your own name over and over while the leader times how quickly you can get through everyone is genius.  The repetition is fun and maybe, perhaps even learn a few names in the process.
Reference:
Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fun Group NAME-GAME - Name Impulse Ice-Breaker Will Trigger Bursts of Laughter | playmeo

# data[].attributes.body
Transition to middle school is associated with important changes in young adolescents' general self-esteem, which put adolescents at risk for later school failure (Wigfield, Eccles, Mac Iver, Reuman, & Midgley, 1991). Schools need to provide means for young adolescents to develop more positive beliefs about themselves. The activity of A Little Birdie Told Me Activity, is a feel-good activity that helps girls identify positive inner qualities. The girls can also work together to point out positive qualities in each other. The steps for this activity are:
1. Students paint an abstract design on art paper
2. Cut their printed out statements into sentence strips
3. Snip a bird silhouette from construction paper
4. Glue bird and sentences on top of the painting (Mendoza, 2003).

References:
Mendoza, L.P. (2003). GirlPower. Retrieved June 21, 2018, from https://www.schoolcounselingfiles.com/girl-power.html

Wigfield, A., Eccles, J. S., Mac Iver, D., Reuman, D. A., & Midgley, C. (1991). Transitions during early adolescence: Changes in children's domain-specific self-perceptions and general self-esteem across the transition to junior high school. Developmental psychology, 27(4), 552.

# data[].attributes.body
Body image is a difficult topic to discuss with teenage girls. Everyone sees the magazine articles featuring tan skin, beautiful hair and make-up with a body that has been airbrushed to look absolutely perfect. Teenage girls cannot compete with what Hollywood has portrayed as the perfect body.  This video on body image and activity offers five suggestions to help quiet the unhealthy voices about size and shape and help to boost self-esteem.

Magazine Ad Hunt Activity
Online magazines can be used as a starting point for discussions about things like body image and peer pressure. Group members can discuss the changing standards of attractiveness, who decides what's attractive and what's not, and whether or not current standards are fair or healthy.  Also, leaders can have the girls print out particularly heinous ads and article titles to make a Collage of Shame. (Mendoza, 2003)

Reference:
Mendoza, L.P. (2003). GirlPower. Retrieved June 21, 2018, from https://www.schoolcounselingfiles.com/girl-power.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Self Esteem Tips: Dealing with Body Image Issues

# data[].attributes.body
This activity provides creative alternatives for expression and focuses on girls empowering girls and creating a community of girls who support one another, (e.g. building each other up rather than tearing each other down).

Watercolor Secret Message Activity

This activity has students write encouraging messages to group members that are fun and uplifting, and at the same time, has an air of mystery and gives students an artistic keepsake from group!

How to do it:

1. Have students draw names of group members, making sure no one receives his/her own name.

2. Give students white, heavy card stock paper. Students will use white crayons to write encouraging messages to the peer whose name they drew. This can be a bit difficult – show students how to look at their papers at an angle so that they can see their own writing!

3. Group members will give their encouraging messages to their peers. Students will use watercolors, brushes, and water to reveal the secret messages their peers have written to them! (K, n.d.)

Reference:
K. (n.d.). Watercolor secret message small group counseling activity. Counselor Keri. Retrieved from https://www.counselorkeri.com/2017/11/27/small-group-activity-secret-message/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Watercolor Secret Message Small Group Counseling Activity

# data[].attributes.body
Middle school girls may appear totally self-absorbed but they are learning the process of taking the perspective of other people. This new ability gets a good workout as the kids try to see themselves as others do. Eventually, this will blossom into an adult-like sensitivity to others.

The following activity is great because girls need to choose to stop their behaviors and need to also develop new and healthier strategies to replace old ones with.

Perspective Mapping Activity
1. The leader can laminate the picture below or place it in a plastic page protector.
2. With a dry-erase marker, each member can take turns writing in the speech bubble something they said to someone else that was maybe thoughtless or hurtful or rude.
3. Then, the leader can have the group think about what sorts of things the other person might have been thinking, and write those in the thought bubble.
4. Erase, and do it again, but this time writing something more appropriate or kind in the speech bubble.  Will the other person's thoughts change? Discuss (Mendoza, 2003).

Reference:
Mendoza, L.P. (2003). GirlPower. Retrieved June 21, 2018, from https://www.schoolcounselingfiles.com/girl-power.html

# data[].attributes.body
A session on reputations would be especially fitting for middle school girls. Kids this age tend to struggle with the task of establishing their own identities; many tend to move away from families and teachers toward their own peer group, who help them shape their beliefs, test their values, and provide support.

Also, girls are often not aware of, nor comfortable with, identifying their own strengths (Bell-Gadsby, Clark, & Hunt, 2006). Yet, it is these very resources they will need to draw on as they meet the challenges of dealing with the issues in their lives.

Mirror, Mirror Activity
During this activity, we talk about the word reputation and discuss the ramifications of having a bad one. The girls are able to self-reflect during the mirror activity.
1. Each girl receives a mirror copied onto card stock and cut out for her ahead of time.
2. I then share the quote “Mirror, Mirror in my hand.  What is my reputation?  Where do I stand?”
3. We take time to discuss the quote and the girls are able to share as they feel comfortable about any feelings they have regarding their own reputations.
4. Afterwards, each girl will write the positive things about her reputation inside of the mirror as well as words she would like others to use when describing her reputation (The Girl World, n.d).

References:
Bell-Gadsby, C., Clark, N., & Hunt, S. (2006). It's a girl thang!: A manual on creating girls groups. McCreary Youth Foundation

V. (n.d.). The Girl World: A Small Group. Savvy School Counselor. Retrieved July 21, 2018, from http://savvyschoolcounselor.com/the-girl-world-a-small-group/

# data[].attributes.body
This is a fun and meaningful way to end the group by showing appreciation to group members, reviewing important things that were learned, and bringing closure to the group.

You’ve Got Mail: Group Termination Activity
Directions:
1. Have each member create their own paper mailbox.
2. Then, each person, including the leader, writes a short note to every other member of the group. You can instruct them to write something that they have gained by knowing that person, a strength they can identify in that person, a motivating message, etc.  3. The notes are then placed in the mailboxes for the group members to take home (Ending the Therapeutic Relationship, 2014).
Reference:
Ending the Therapeutic Relationship: Creative Termination Activities. (2014). SWHELPER. Retrieved from: https://www.socialworkhelper.com/2014/04/02/ending-therapeutic-relationship-creative-termination-activities/

# data[].attributes.headline
Group’s Topic & Assigned Student Population

# data[].attributes.subject
Group’s Topic & Assigned Student Population

# data[].attributes.body
This group is called Girl Power, which centers around middle school girls' empowerment and navigating those obstacles which prevent middle school girls from thriving within the school experience.

Our Goals involve:
1. Promoting self-esteem
2. Handling peer-pressure
3. Planning for the future
4. Creating a positive self-image
5. Being a role-model for younger girls
6. Leadership skills
7. Health and fitness (Camp & Wu, 2008).

Reference:
Camp, E. A., & Wu, A. Y. (2008). Girl power: Self-esteem group curriculum for 5th grade girls. In annual meeting of the California Association of School Psychologist, Burlingame, CA.

# data[].attributes.headline
Characteristics to Consider for Middle School Small Group

# data[].attributes.subject
Characteristics to Consider for Middle School Small Group

# data[].attributes.body
Sink, Edwards, and Eppler (2012) state that individuals in the middle school age consider themselves lonely and sharing in small groups helps to normalize what they are experiencing.  Also, kids in middle school are in transition from childhood to adulthood and the differences in physical maturation alone can be stunning. Physical changes are matched by intellectual, social, and spiritual changes that are every bit as dramatic.

The following are important tips for leading this group:

Be aware that youth may be at widely differing places in their ability to handle abstract thinking; include some questions and activities that these youths can successfully handle; at the same time; move your teaching beyond facts and information—you need to help students move from childlike thinking into adult understanding.

Ask questions that help youth put information into concepts that reflect their opinions; give them plenty of opportunities to draw conclusions, to raise questions of their own, and to apply the insights gained.

Establish a personal relationship with your students; be there to stimulate, challenge, and guide them in a meaningful way as they challenge old assumptions and entertain new ideas; create a warm, friendly environment for learning where students are free to ask questions and be themselves.

Make a strong effort to vary your teaching approach and methods.

Avoid lecturing as much as possible; try more unusual and creative activities; frequently change pace and activities (Howe, 2009).

References:
Howe, J. (2009). Characteristics of Middle Schoolers. Network. Retrieved from https://network.crcna.org/sunday-school/characteristics-middle-schoolers

Sink, C. A., Edwards, C., & Eppler, C. (2012). School based group counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

# data[].attributes.body
There is a big crossover from 6th to 7th grade.  These little kids become big overnight.  There is makeup, dances, shopping in the junior section of the store as opposed to the children's section, and the noticing of kids of the opposite sex.  Middle school girls often feel an almost desperate need for acceptance, especially by their peers. This activity focuses on empowerment and a perfect compliment to the purpose and goals of the group.

First Impression Activity
When the girls enter the room, they can settle into the normal routine and then I can play them this video:

# data[].attributes.body
After playing the video, we can break into a discussion.

I can ask them the following:
-What message do you think Colbie is trying to get across?
-How have you (or other students in your grade) changed since becoming a seventh grader?  Why do you think this is?
-What type of impression would you have if you met these women in the video for the first time with their makeup/hair/tattoos fixed (showing) versus without?-When you go somewhere and meet people for the first time what impressions do you make based on what they look like?
-What if you saw a doctor who had tattoos on their face?
-What if you saw a woman with tattoos all over her arms?  How would this be different if you met her and she were in a business suit and her arms were covered?
-What other impressions would you find odd if you saw them?
-What type of first impression do you think people have about you?  What impression do you want them to have about you?
-How can we remember not to judge others so superficially? (Miller, 2014)

Reference:
Miller, C. (2014). FIRST IMPRESSIONS--A LUNCH BUNCH LESSON. The Middle School Counselor. Retrieved from https://www.themiddleschoolcounselor.com/2014/09/first-impressions-lunch-bunch-lesson.html

# data[].attributes.body
https://coggle.it/diagram/WxFNq-fgI-7uNGWE/t/middle-school-the-girl-world-girl-power/1e3ff287d69141d2ef1c24a316dc8775f5f54050f2e1d2c0aa351dc46ed1afcd

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with SurveyMonkey's expert certified FREE templates.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Create beautiful designs with your team. Use Canva's drag-and-drop feature and layouts to design, share and print business cards, logos, presentations and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Parent Permission Slip - US Letter by Taytum Morrison