Resources for School Counselors

As a K-12 school counselor, you may find yourself wearing many hats and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of what needs to get done or how to stay up to date with the latest counseling practices. Apps and other online resources can help with: keeping organized, providing industry insights, and collaborating with teachers and administrators. But finding the right resources on your own can take time away from your primary mission: serving students.

Here are some of the best apps, websites, books, blogs and professional development opportunities for school counselors in 2019. As you review these resources, pay close attention to those specialized to the grade levels you serve.

Helpful Apps for School Counselors

  • Professor Garfield Online Safety – This app uses comics, games, and conversations to convey essential skills all children need when using the internet.
  • Scribble Press – An excellent app for elementary school counselors, Scribble Press allows students to tell stories with colorful templates and graphics.
  • Smiling Mind – Designed for older students dealing with academic stress, Smiling Mind guides users through mindfulness activities. Beyond the app, the Smiling Mind website provides additional resources and activities for school counselors to help students.
  • Touch and Learn – Emotions – Young children may have difficulty expressing their emotions to counselors. With Touch and Learn – Emotions, they can select images that describe how they feel. This app can also help counselors teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorders about body language and social cues.
  • Wellbeyond Meditation for Kids – This apps helps younger children by providing meditation activities that focus on feelings, kindness, and sleep. It uses colorful cartoon images to grab children’s attention.

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Helpful Websites and Online Resources for School Counselors

  • Bullying Resources for Educators and Parents – Bullying affects children of all ages, and as a result, all K-12 counselors should have the best tools to identify and stop it. Resources include anti-bullying activities and academic research.
  • The Comprehensive College Planning Resource – High school counselors and students can use this resource to discover the latest information on standardized tests, financial aid opportunities, and personalized mentorship programs..
  • Coping with Incarceration – Sesame street debuted this resource to help parents, educators, and young children respond when a family member goes to jail. Videos help students understand what incarceration is and what to expect when visiting a parent in prison.
  • The Dougy Center – The Dougy Center provides counselors with valuable tools to help students with bereavement. The organization’s website provides resources for all age groups, including activities and books.
  • PBIS World – PBIS World helps counselors communicate with students who exhibit habitual negative behaviors (e.g., inappropriate language, tardiness). Each intervention includes a step-by-step guide backed by the most recent academic research in childhood development.
  • Sesame Street and Autism – In 2019, Sesame Street introduced its first character with autism. Counselors can use Sesame Street’s virtual storybooks and games to help children with autism improve their communication and social skills.
  • Teaching Tolerance – All K-12 counselors and their students can benefit from Teaching Tolerance, a website that provides free resources to foster inclusive school communities. The organization also awards grants to counselors who propose projects that advance Teaching Tolerance’s anti-bias principles.

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Helpful Books for School Counselors

  • College Counseling for School Counselors – This book is a great resource for helping students and parents navigate the college admissions process- chapters even include follow-up activities.
  • CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents – This resource has more than 200 activities that help children of all ages overcome trauma and anxiety.
  • Evidence-Based School Counseling – This slim volume contains the latest evidence-based practices developed by the American Association of School Counselors. It can help inexperienced school counselors take the guesswork out of their profession.
  • The School Counseling and School Social Work Treatment Planner – The School Counseling and School Social Work Treatment Planner helps both new and experienced school counselors understand the medical science that influences students’ behavioral issues. Evidence-based practices cover divorce, attention-seeking behavior, and grief, among other topics.

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Helpful Blogs for School Counselors

  • Confident Counselors – On Confident Counselors, school counselors, psychologists, and social workers post best practices. Recent posts cover ways counselors can involve parents and how to build positive thinking in students.
  • Entirely Elementary…School Counseling – This popular blog is a great resource and also sells bulletin boards, stickers and games for elementary school counselors.
  • The Middle School Counselor – On The Middle School Counselor, counselors can learn how to create a better staff culture and research the latest books for counselors. Counselors who sign up for the free newsletter receive access to a resource library.
  • The Responsive Counselor – The latest posts on The Responsive Counselor cover how to create a Peace Corner, behavior intervention, and classroom management techniques. The website also includes an extensive list of ‘must-have’ books and office supplies.
  • The School Counseling Files – Laurie Mendoza uses her more than 20 years’ experience in each of her posts. Recent topics cover small group counseling best practices and parent outreach.
  • Simply Imperfect Counselor – Simply Imperfect Counselor provides excellent advice to elementary school counselors. In addition to informative blog posts, the site offers visitors discounts on some of the most popular counseling books.

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Professional Development Resources for School Counselors

  • American School Counselor Association – The nation’s premier organization for school counselors, the ASCA provides its members with webinars and in-person training opportunities.
  • The College Board – As high school counselors help their students register for College Board exams (e.g., SAT, AP), The College Board offers training courses that cover format and security. These professional development courses take place during the summer.
  • International School Counselor Association – ISCA members receive excellent professional development opportunities, including two-day training modules.
  • National Board for Certified Counselors – NBCC-accredited counselors often receive pay raises and can more easily transfer their licenses to different states. The NBCC website explains how to earn this in-demand certification.
  • National Career Development Association – The NCDA strives to provide educators — including counselors — with the latest tools to help students achieve their career goals. Professional development opportunities include webinars and in-person training programs.
  • School Counselor Connection – A division of the American Counseling Association (ACA), SCA provides counselors with ACA memberships access to professional development courses at no extra cost.

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Last Updated August 2020