virtual counseling activities for middle school

It also fosters vicarious resilience, which will help counselors who may have their own diminished stamina arising from personal struggles related to the pandemic. Instead of a deep dive into problem origination and causation, this form of counseling targets clients’ hopes, resources, exceptions to problems and descriptions of a preferred future. It is appropriate for suicide prevention efforts, classroom lessons and even brief check-ins with students who are not demonstrating any outward sign of struggle. Counselors who can assist many students with significant needs in a brief, flexible way in both remote and in-person venues will be particularly valued.įortunately, the solution-focused model of counseling is highly adaptable to a wide range of problems, including grief, trauma and anxiety. School counselors must be prepared to support a wide array of student concerns associated with COVID-19 and the accompanying social isolation.

On top of all this are the ongoing string of horrific news stories reporting White on Black violence and ethnic hatred, which are compounding societal stresses. The pervasive spread of COVID-19 is associated with higher unemployment and poverty, greater use of illegal drugs, and new and sustained trauma experiences. In addition, because of pandemic management measures, students have been spending an unusual amount of time with their families, some of whom are under new and severe emotional, health and financial stress. Others will be in school part time with reduced capacity, whereas still others may return to a full-capacity school but urged to keep physically distant and with their faces covered throughout the long days. School buildings across the country were closed this past spring, and as we transition to the new school year this fall, some students will attend school only remotely through online learning. Counselors in schools are facing unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virtual counseling activities for middle school