My Two Favorite Books for School Counselors

Still in grad school?  Want to get a jumpstart on your School Counseling career?  Maybe you are a veteran counselor just looking for a new read. Winter is here, and the holiday break is fast approaching. Grab one of these books and cuddle up with a mug of hot chocolate. Here are the top two books that help me the most:

1.  Brief Counseling That Works: A Solution-Focused Therapy Approach for School Counselors and Other Mental Health Professionals

Thank you Dr. Sanders for introducing this book to my during my practicum. I have been referring to it ever since, as the format just makes sense to me. This book provides an outline for how I counsel students. Not only does it give me a format as to what guiding questions to ask a student, but it provides them with a goal to work on before we meet again. Plus, through the use of scaling, it gives you a way to measure progress. I love that they are working on solutions, instead of dwelling on the past. If you don't have any experience with Solution-Focused therapy/counseling, get this book. It is an invaluable resource!

Here is a little tool I developed to use with my students. I have kept this posted in my office, as a visual aid.  

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2.  Teaching with Love & Logic: Taking Control of the Classroom

I love anything from Love & Logic! I first learned of these techniques at a workshop in Atlanta when I was a teacher. Jim Fay and his son, Dr. Charles Fay were both presenting. I then went back to my school and conducted an inservice for our teachers. Since then, I have used the Love & Logic techniques when I teach classroom guidance lessons. I also teach the strategies to teachers when they are having difficulty with a particular student. It has been so helpful at the school level, but what I find most useful is sharing these strategies with parents. If you visit the website, Love & Logic, you will find numerous articles that you can print  for FREE and give to parents, or keep some copies in your parent resource section in your School Counseling office. It always makes me feel better when I can give the parent something to refer to after a meeting. If I am on the phone with them, I often just give them the website address. I can't say enough good stuff about these techniques! They have saved my sanity over the years, and probably those of some of my students too.

So those are two of my very favorite School Counseling books. Go get yourself one or both!

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