Category 1: Mindset Standards

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.

M 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes.

Category 2: Behavior Standards

Learning Strategies:

B-LS 1. Critical thinking skills to make informed decisions.

B-LS 9. Decision-making informed by gathering evidence, getting others’ perspectives and recognizing personal bias.

Self-Management Skills:

B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions.

B-SMS 5. Perseverance to achieve long and short-term goals.

B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome barriers.

B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills.

Social Skills:

B-SS 1. Effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills.

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

B-SS 4. Empathy.

B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation skills.

B-SS 8. Advocacy skills for self and others and ability to assert self, when necessary.

(The ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success, 2021)

(Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide, 2015)

-Confidently

-Being Respectful

-Active Participation

-Weekly attendance

Once the group meets, they will review the predetermined rules and decide what each rule will look like when being displayed. They will also discuss and develop any other rules and/or guidelines they think will be good for the group to abide by. Additional guidelines and rules they could consider are;

-What being present during the group looks like.

-How to avoid conflict and/or what to do if it arises.

-What individual and group accountability looks like.

-What group support could look like for uncomfortable moments.

(Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide, 2015)

The first group meeting will be considered 'week 0'. We will not discuss a group topic during this meeting. Instead, this meeting will focus on building relationships, setting group norms and building trust. These norms will also be reiterated throughout the entirety of the group. We will discuss the guidelines and rules of the group, and they will have an opportunity to add other rules that they think will be beneficial. This will support group buy in. Once these have been discussed and agreed upon, group members will sign off on them. We will review and discuss the informed consent document. Each bullet point will be reviewed, and an open discussion will take place. The importance of group confidentiality will be discussed, what this looks and how it should be maintained. We will discuss how to avoid putting yourself in a situation that could lead to breaking confidentiality and what to do if you think you may have. We will discuss the duty of the group counselor if confidentiality is found to be broken, and the duty of the group counselor if, by law, they have to break confidentiality.

Stage 2

I plan to keep members working together and being productive by making sure we are staying focused on the learning outcomes and group topics. The group will work together as a whole and in different subgroups to increase cohesiveness, build relationships, and build trust. Lessons will be engaging and centered around the group, taking the lead with the group counselor serving as facilitator. I will do weekly individual check-ins and group check-ins to gauge progress. I will do weekly reviews along with exit tickets.

Stage 3

Group members will begin preparing for the end of the group halfway through our meetings. Having them think about what they may need at group closure early on allows for preparation and can lead to individual success. At weekly check-ins, starting at the halfway mark, I will assess their feelings about the group coming to a close. This will allow me to prepare each remaining week to ease and address any fears or concerns. Each remaining week, we will discuss what the exit plan will be after the group ends. We will also discuss the importance of maintaining confidentiality by reviewing the consent form signed at the start of the group. We will end the group with a celebration that recognizes all those who completed the group. We will have community resources at the celebration to help put them on a path to success after the group.

(Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide, 2015)

I feel that this is the best approach for this group because it allows me to guide the group, but allows the group members to really contribute by openly sharing and participating. By guiding and supporting, while allowing the group members to be engaged in the group processes, the group members will have more buy-in, which leads to better group participation and more takeaways.

(Cherry, 2023)

-Through group discussions, group members will see that they are not alone in their experiences.

Altruism

-Group members can see that everything is not always about them. They could see that there could be someone who is having it way worse than them, and that person might need their help. This could also lead to those group members seeing that their help could be useful to other group members.

Development of socializing techniques

-Through weekly discussions, active participation, and possibly developing relationships that will continue after the group ends, group members could enhance their social skills and develop effective ways to communicate their needs.

Imitative behavior

-If there are members who come across as leaders and/or have good characteristics, other members can be inclined to imitate them.

Direct advice

-After building relationships, group members may feel comfortable sharing suggestions that benefited them in their journey, which some might be willing to accept and use for handling their own similar problems.

(Yaslom, 1995)

Per rule 681.35-Informed Consent

The rule states that a professional licensed counselor, before providing any services, must get signed informed consent along with a signed receipt of information in regards to services provided.

This supports me in my role as a counselor because it makes sure that group members understand the group's processes, the benefits, the risks, and the group's limits. It serves as a protection for both myself and group members from potential misunderstandings.

(Rules, 2025)

As a group worker, reviewing this information and more will help me make informed decisions in regards to group topics, group needs, any local community resources that could support, and how this group could benefit the community.

(Thomas & Pender, 2008, 113)

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to Lead: 6 Leadership Styles and Frameworks. Verywell Mind. Retrieved September 13, 2025, from https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide. (2015, May). Missouri Center for Career Education. Retrieved September 13, 2025, from https://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/smallgroup/SmallGroupCounseling.pdf

Rules. (2025, July 31). Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. Retrieved September 13, 2025, from https://bhec.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/LPC-Rulebook-2025-July.pdf

Thomas, R. V., & Pender, D. A. (2008, June 2). Association for Specialists in Group Work: Best Practice Guidelines. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(2), 111-117. 10.1080/01933920801971184

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