Small Group Counselor Lessons

Small Group Counseling

Purpose

Small group counseling aims to provide personalized interventions tailored to each student’s needs in response to specific concerns. Students can learn skills more effectively when they engage with their peers in a supportive group setting.  

It should have a group objective: Clearly defined purpose of group, skills you are working on, curriculum being used

It should have a time frame: when will meet, how often (typically 6-8 weeks for 30- 45 minutes, 1-2 times a week)

Examples:

• Skills Based

  • Conflict Resolution 

  • Friendship building

  • Communication skills

  • Self-regulation/ Emotion management

  • Self-esteem

  • Decision Making

  • Classroom skills (mostly Kinder & 1st Grade)

• Situational support - learn coping skills, process feelings, reflect on changes

• Family changes

• Loss or disappointments

• New students 

• Resiliency or General SEL - Mixed group, everyone has something they are working on, but not the same thing

Size of group

K-2nd Grade students: 3-4

3rd-5th Grade students: 4-6

Required

• • Parent/guardian permission required

  • Voluntary for the student

• Teacher notifies parents of concerns prior to referral

• Might be included in RTI Tier 2 interventions

• Student should be struggling in a way that is impacting their learning environment (academic or interpersonally). 

Informal Group Gatherings/ Lunch (sometimes known as Lunch Bunch)

Informal group gatherings are casual social interactions. They involve friendship, socializing, getting to know one another, and simply spending time together. 

Examples:

• "Welcome to the School" lunch for new students

• Friendship lunches for students to get to know each other or talk