School counselors discussed the fears they had about the upcoming school year: Would students still meet with them in their offices? How would they interact with parents? How should they best support their colleagues? They shared resources and tips and, most important, listened to one another. Because that first meeting was so helpful, Garrett decided to continue hosting meetings during the school year, and participants expressed relief knowing that they would not be isolated. She wanted to organize meetings by school division, so she enlisted help from two colleagues—Rebecca Biggar from Hathaway Brown School (OH) and Brad Bernstein from The St. Paul’s Schools (MD)—who work in upper and middle school divisions, respectively, to facilitate the meetings. They each held their meetings two or three times a month during the first semester and once a month during the second semester.
“We all need to find our tribe, and that can be difficult for school counselors as there is often only one or two at a school,” Garrett says. “Not only did I find a way to access my tribe, but I helped others do so. That has been a tremendous reward.” Garrett and her colleagues plan to continue facilitating meetings next year.
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Nicole Garrett (right) with Briar, a sixth grade student.
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