I don't know about you, but in my school counseling program, we had to analyze films that had counseling scenes in them and reflect on the techniques and level of success that the counselor had with his or her client. It's easy to critique someone else's performance than create your own. If I watched 50/50 (above) during grad school, I probably would have laughed at how Anna Kendrick's character handled her first counseling session. She looks uncomfortable and follows the basic script we all learn when we start our counseling programs. In essence, it's fake.

However, I watched 50/50 post grade school, so my reaction was a little different. In many ways, I saw myself in Kendrick's character. I remember my first school counseling session, trying to figure out what to do and say. This feels awkward, should I say something? They are being really quiet, what should I do? How long should I let them talk before I wrap things up and send them back to class? It's funny how quickly things change.

Now, I feel like I can handle most of what comes my way. I am learning the fine art of listening and guiding, being supportive and firm. I know which students just need to vent and which need more advice. I know which teachers need time to talk about their difficult students and which ones need some space. I am certainly not perfect, but each day I am becoming a better version of Marissa 1.0, the newbie who had no idea what she was getting herself into.

I say this not to scare you, but in fact, to help you feel less alone. It's okay to be scared out of your mind sometimes. It's okay to not know all of the answers. I am only going into my 5th year of school counseling, but I can say each year is better than the last. You grow more than you ever could have imagined and soon become a strong, self-sufficient machine, in the best of ways.

I am officially back on August 13th. Since I am moving to a new office, I definitely have my work cut out for me!

This year, I'll have an intern for the first time, so my goal is to provide her with the best possible internship experience I can. I want her to leave feeling prepared and confident in her school counseling abilities.

I like to change it up every year so things stay interesting. Check out some of my ideas here.

I think direct contact is best. I started calling and/or emailing parents more with updates. They definitely appreciate this information and helps me develop a stronger bond with them. To reach a larger group, I write an article in our school's monthly newsletter.

I divide my direct counseling services into individual, small group, classroom-based, and school-wide programs. To get the most from my services, I use data (i.e. SWIS, feedback) and discuss students' needs at grade level or committee meetings.

Change things up! The longer you are at your building, the easier it is to fall into the trap of conducting the same old lessons with the same old materials. It's important to keep refreshing your material. If you have a great lesson, definitely keep using it, but keep it interesting. Otherwise, why would students pay attention? Students should be excited when they see you walk into the room because they know what's coming is going to be engaging and beneficial.

Don't be afraid to stand out! Make yourself visible by greeting students in the hallways, expressing yourself through unique fashion choices, and going out of your way to be helpful and welcoming to others.

Here's my blog post on organization tips.

You may remember a post from August 2012 that described a school counselor Pinterest Party I hosted. Well, my school decided to take it one step further and have an all staff Pinterest Party during one of our scheduled professional development times.

To learn more, click here.