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The Calm and Clear psychoeducational counseling group is being developed to target students struggling with stress and anxiety. Middle school can be a very trying time for students, and navigating emotions does not always come easy for them. In fact, according to recent studies, adolescents in this country are in a state of crisis when it comes to mental health. Anxiety and depression being some of the biggest concerns. (Yang et al., 2023) During a time when there is so much change in their lives, along with pressures from peers and academic and extracurricular expectations, anxiety can often be triggered. This group will serve as a safe space for students to discuss their experiences with anxiety, learn the facts about this very natural occurrence, and find strategies for coping.

This group is for 6th grade students, is meant to be implemented at the beginning of the school year, and will consist of 6 weekly, closed group sessions lasting 30 minutes each. The first session will be in the first week in September. The particular day of the week will be dependent upon the 6th grade “Enrichment” schedule, as to not interfere with tutoring, UIL event practice, or pep rallies. The sessions will be held in my office, since I have a whole classroom space, with plenty of room to spread out and be comfortable. I also have all of my resources in my room. Ideally, I would want no more than 6 members in this group. However, I am allowing students to self-refer, so depending on how many students want to be in the group, we may adjust, or I would offer to run two groups simultaneously.

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The ASCA Student Standards are a set of knowledge and skills that students should strengthen through the participation in a comprehensive counseling program. (ASCA, 2021) The Calm and Clear counseling group will focus on developing, if not mastering, the following skills:

Mindsets -
M 1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being
M 3. Positive attitude toward work and learning
M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed
(ASCA, 2021)

Behaviors -
B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome
barriers
B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills
B-SMS 10. Ability to manage transitions
and adapt to change
B-SS 8. Advocacy skills for self and others and
ability to assert self, when necessary
(ASCA, 2021)

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The group will be advertised on my 6th grade school counseling google classroom page, which all of the 6th graders are members of and receive notifications on. Students will be able to independently sign up for the group if they are interested. Teachers will also be asked to identify students whom they believe would benefit from the content of this group. The previous year’s counseling log will also be taken into consideration, as it would be important to note which students were visiting the counselor excessively for anxiety related needs.

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Students who refer themselves for the group will initially be screened via google form. The basic questions included in the form will allow me to gauge student knowledge of anxiety, severity, and seriousness. Teacher feedback will also be extremely helpful, as I will be able to reach out to particular students who may benefit from this group, but may have not taken the time to sign up. Being from such a small school, with only around 50 students in 6th grade, I am lucky enough to know most of my potential group members. Most of whom had me as a teacher in previous years. This knowledge will allow me to screen students more effectively and group them more appropriately, based on behavior, maturity, and severity of needs, or lack thereof. If more than one group is needed, then more than one group will be scheduled. If certain students do not get selected because I have deemed them not suitable to reach the goals of this particular group, then individual counseling services will be provided.

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The Informed Consent for Counseling Services document attached is what my current district used to cover parental consent for guidance curriculum and small group counseling groups based on needs.

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Informed Consent for Counseling Services-Elem.docx - Google Docs

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To reiterate the school wide PBIS strategies that we use, I will be sticking with the same three rules that every staff member at our district uses. Be safe, be respectful, and be responsible. Using these rules for our counseling group will be beneficial because the students already have knowledge of these terms and have practiced them in the classroom. The only addition that I would implement while discussing the aspect of being respectful, if the importance of confidentiality within the group.

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Stage 1: During stage one, the students and myself will spend time getting to know one another on a deeper level. Session one of this group consists of activities meant for prompting students to open up, building relationships and trust in one another, and allowing us to learn about each other. Students will be informed that while confidentiality is expected, they should still be careful about what they choose to share with the whole group. If a student is hesitant to share with the group, but would still like to discuss something, they will be invited to stay for an individual session.
Stage 2: During stage two, we will be working through the meat of the sessions. The lessons will be full of beneficial information presented in an engaging way that will keep students interested and feeling like they can relate to the content. Students will be asked to document certain things in a journal as an act of self-exploration, and this will be used as a check-in device for me throughout the course of the group.
Stage 3: Closure of the group will consist of students sharing the most helpful coping strategies that they've learned, stories about how they've used them successfully, and an agreement to check-in on others periodically. Confidentiality will be encouraged even after closing the group. Students will also leave with strategies to use to advocate for themselves if they continue to struggle with anxiety.

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Transformational leadership is the style of leadership that I would use with this group. Transformational leadership is centered around the leader being extremely motivational, inspiring, and effective in creating positive change. (Cherry, 2023) This leadership style would be the most effective for this particular group because, for most, anxiety is an issue that never gets cured. It is an aspect of life that some must accept, tolerate, and cope with in a healthy way. Being a transformational leader will help students to stay positive and develop self-confidence while learning how to effectively manage the symptoms of this condition.

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During counseling sessions, there are different factors that may come into play at different times for students. When referencing Yalom's Curative Factors of Group Treatment, the most prominent factors that could emerge are the following:

Universality: Students may realize and come to terms with anxiety as they learn that it is a natural body function that everyone experiences at different levels at different times, especially while sharing with other group members.

Altruism: Students may gain satisfaction from sharing their personal stories about anxiety, or certain coping strategies, a means of helping one another.

Development of Socializing Techniques: Students will gain confidence in their social skills by practicing different ways of communicating in a safe, nonjudgemental space.

(Yalom, 1995)

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According to the Texas Education Code (Sec. 33.002), School counselors are required to provide a guidance curriculum that helps to develop students' education, personal, and future success. Counselors are also required to intervene when a student is at risk. The Calm and Clear counseling group is in alignment with these requirements since stress and anxiety is a topic that all students will benefit from learning how to manage better. Also, this group will serve as part of the responsive services component, since the group is based on needs assessment data and will be targeting students who are experiencing significant struggles in this area.

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According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, counselors main responsibility is to promote the positive welfare of clients. An effective way to do this is through group work. As stated by the ACA in A.9., counselors will effectively screen clients for the purpose of the group. (ACA, 2014) Meaning, counselors will determine which students are the right fit for meeting the expectations, outcomes, and goals of the group. The actions taking place in the pre-group screening process ensure that the counselor is properly meeting these expectations.

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2 Texas Education Code § 33

Subchapter A. School Counselors and Counseling Programs

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

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Student Standards; Mindsets and

Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author

Cherry, K. (2023). 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. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

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

Yang, P., Hernandez, B. S., & Plastino, K. A. (2023). Social determinants of mental health and adolescent anxiety and depression: Findings

from the 2018 to 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 69(3), 795–798.

https://doi-org.easydb.angelo.edu/10.1177/00207640221119035