Group Counseling Leadership Skills for School Counselors

Group Counseling Leadership Skills for School Counselors: Stretching Beyond Interventions equips readers with the foundational knowledge and effective techniques they need to create diverse spaces and lead groups in PreK-12 schools and communities. The text employs the TRATE My Group framework to help future school counselors and leaders approach daily group interactions with a new perspective and increased intentionality on the larger process. Opening chapters provide a summary of professional training and practice standards, present key theoretical concepts and terms, and introduce the TRATE My Group framework, an approach designed to foster culturally engaged group work practices for task, psychoeducation, and counseling/growth groups. Additional chapters narrow the focus on specific populations commonly served in public PreK-12 school settings and illustrate how to apply the TRATE My Group framework. They address various social issues that affect public school environments, including social justice advocacy, technological competence, and inclusive excellence. The final chapter provides readers with resources, articles, professional development opportunities, and activities that can be applied in multiple situations.

Dr. Theresa Coogan, an associate professor, licensed professional school counselor, and clinical mental health counselor, specializes in group work and professional training and identity development. Additional experience as an education consultant serving secondary, higher education, and state education authorities for more than a decade informs her understanding of the collective education pipeline and the systems within it.Sam Steen, Associate Professor, Licensed Professional School Counselor, Director of the Diversity Research Action Consortium, specializes in school counseling, group work, and students at risk of academic failure. He served as a professional school counselor for 10 years prior to entering academia.