The developmental importance of peers in early adolescence creates an opportunity for school counselors to utilize group work to promote development and achievement. This article will review research on peer relationships and demonstrate how developmental forces in early adolescence are consistent with and related to therapeutic factors in group…

The American School Counselor Association has endorsed group work as an important component of school counseling programs, and research has demonstrated the effectiveness of group work in schools. Yet there is still considerable variation in practice of group work in schools. The type of group training preservice school counselors receive is an…

An experiential compliment to didactic group work training has been a consistent feature of professional standards. Even so, diverse models have been proposed and debated. The uniqueness and importance of group work for school counselors demands an investment in experiential learning specific to the role of the school counselor. An experiential…

Children and adolescents of deployed soldiers require preventive and sometimes remedial service from school counselors, because deployment taxes coping skills and exacerbates normal developmental challenges. This article reviews the cultural and developmental context for children with deployed caregivers and outlines a ten session, hybrid…

Discusses how elementary school counselors can best promote personal and social development of children through group work, in which peers contribute to development. Proposes that a group focused on developing empathic skill helps children move beyond egocentrism and build the foundation for social skills. Presents a psychoeducational group model…

Group work has been identified as an important intervention to prepare children and adolescents for a variety of transitions. Students with disabilities can benefit from participation in psychoeducational groups as they prepare for their transition to postsecondary school. This article describes a psychoeducational group model designed to increase…

School counselors can use groups as an effective and efficient means of helping students. Psychoeducational groups provide information and build skills to help prepare students for developmental tasks. As students complete elementary school, these preadolescents face the challenging tasks of moving to middle school and beginning puberty. School…