ABCs of Social Emotional Learning for School Counselors and Administrators

Practical strategies to improve school climate and well-being for all

School counselors often shoulder the weight of social emotional learning (SEL) at a time when students are experiencing increased mental health challenges, including loneliness, depression, and trauma, leaving them vulnerable to burnout.

With contributions from a team of educational experts, this practical and timely guide presents a user-friendly framework that integrates adaptive strategies to meet real-time needs, balanced approaches to distribute workloads effectively, and collaborative solutions that elevate the voices of students and the school community. Inside, you will find:

• Actionable insights to foster culturally responsive programming while driving systemic change
• Practical solutions for addressing real-world implementation challenges tailored to diverse school communities
• Downloadable templates, talking points for encouraging dialogue, and team-based professional development activities
• Guidance for fostering partnerships among administrators, school counselors, and multidisciplinary partners
• Strategies to prevent burnout and sustain meaningful contributions within school systems

Grounded in research and real-world experience, The ABCs of Social Emotional Learning for School Counselors and Administrators equips educators to build sustainable programs while prioritizing the well-being of all.

Kirsten Perry currently serves as a middle school counselor at Singapore American School. Prior to this, she served as a district leader in Chicago Public Schools. She served as both a social-emotional learning specialist coaching 27 schools and as a school counseling specialist coaching over 700 school counselors. Kirsten Perry was awarded the National School Counselor of the Year Award by the American School Counselor Association in 2018 and was honored by Michelle Obama for her work at Lawndale Community Academy in Chicago. Kirsten served as president of the Illinois School Counselor Association from 2019-2021 where she spearheaded the development of the ISCA Race and Equity Credential: a three day training for school counselors focused on building anti-racist practices in schools. She also served as an adjunct instructor for DePaul University′s school counseling program. Kirsten has presented both nationally and internationally on a wide range of topics relating to school counseling, restorative practices and social-emotional learning. Currently, Kirsten focuses on building sustainable school counseling programs to prevent educator burnout and create lasting change. Dr. Melissa Ockerman is a Professor of Counseling at DePaul University. She has written about and presented extensively both nationally and internationally on topics such as trauma-informed counseling, integrating Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) into school counseling programs, and cultivating systemic change in schools.  Dr. Ockerman participated in an expert panel at the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference Anti-Bullying Braintrust where she advocated for bi-partisan school safety strategies. She was also selected to participate in White House convenings regarding the advancement of underserved populations in post-secondary settings. Dr. Ockerman is on the Board of Directors for the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago and serves on the Advisory Council for the Evidence-Based School Counseling conference. She is the co-author of the text, 101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times, and has received awards for her scholarship, service and leadership in the field of school counseling.