How will you work with your students this Fall?

School counselors, teachers, and other educators need an approach to working with children remotely that comes with low-risk and high positive impact. The Solution-focused brief counseling (SFBC), consultation, and conferences approach is perfect for the job. SFBC empowers kids and caretakers to navigate the intense and unpleasant challenges we all face while unlocking their past achievements and discovering their future potential.

The SFBC approach is perfect for working with others online, even addressing social and emotional issues, for several reasons:

• SFBC is Low Risk. Because of SFBC’s focus on strengths, resources, and opportunities, the model reduces the importance of confidentiality and privacy. Students, parents, and others are more apt to speak freely, even in an online environment.
• SFBC is Structured. Students and school counselors both love how SFBC is structured, focusing on techniques that are simple and easy to follow.
• SFBC Works. Focusing on students’ assets almost always produces some return on your investment. SFBC is an approach that can help students enhance their confidence, believe in their abilities, and do more of what works.
• SFBC is Brief. Being in an online environment is tiring. We need an approach like SFBC to help us get our work done efficiently.
• SFBC is Adaptable. School counselors and other educators can apply SFBC in many different situations. For example, school counselors deal with numerous cases across various domains, including academic, career, social, and emotional.
• SFBC is Transcultural. The SFBC model embraces diversity because the focus is on the student’s unique experiences within their own frame of reference.
• SFBC is Teachable. The solution-focused model also lends itself well to online classroom lessons, where students can learn a novel approach to coping, self-regulating, and working out problems on their own. School counselors can bring the SFBC principles, techniques, and processes to students starting in elementary schools. Teaching students how to apply SFBC mindsets and behaviors in their own lives gives them the knowledge, skills, and attitude to navigate the world better, cope with adversity, and understand their own powers.

The virtual SFBC workshop can be delivered in various formats including a half-day (3 hours) or full-day (6 hours). We can connect all at once or space the workshop out over several meetings, whichever works best. If you want to do a full day and include two or more topics, we can make that happen.

SFBC Workshop Objectives:

• Understand the process of solution-focused scaling.
• Recognize and understand techniques including detailing, mind mapping, mine fielding, cheer leading, amplifying, and possible reframing/refocusing.
• Recognize and understand how to use the “hypothetical” or exploring future progress.
• Understand four ways to move from complaints/wishes to SMART goals.
• Understand a technique for how to inspire internal motivation.
• Understand how to conduct solution-focused small groups.
• Understand how to team with all stakeholders (parents, students, and staff) using the solution-focused approach.

Check out Dr. Sabella’s professional development page for other workshop options at https://schoolcounselor.com/professional-development/

To inquire about doing a SFBC or other workshop, complete this brief online form to get things started: https://schoolcounselor.com/professional-development/request-a-training/.