ASCA In Action
Apply your learning and plan the year ahead.

This interactive session is designed to help school counselors confidently start the school year using the updated fifth edition of the ASCA National Model as their foundation. Part learning, part working session, participants will be supported in identifying school counseling data priorities, writing an achievement gap plan, and beginning their student standards delivery plan. Counselors will also have protected work time to draft or seek guidance on additional ASCA model components such as the annual administrative conference and the use-of-time calculator. Built-in opportunities for collaboration will allow participants to share ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another. This session is ideal for individuals or school counseling teams who want time, tools, and support to plan together. By the end, attendees will leave with meaningful progress toward a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program aligned with both student needs and the revised model.

Rhiannon Catlett
School Counselor
Central Valley School District


From Checklist to Impact: CSCP Planning Template
Wish you had a clear, practical way to plan and visualize your comprehensive school counseling program on paper? This session introduces a ready-to-use template designed to help you organize, document, evaluate, and strengthen your comprehensive program with equity and student outcomes at the center. You’ll leave with practical tools and strategies to support stronger implementation, clearer accountability, and continuous improvement. Built-in working time will allow you to begin applying the template during the session, so you leave with your program plan already started.

Whitney Triplett
Vice President
Hatching Results


Culture Is a Verb: Preventing Burnout Through Behavior, Boundaries, and Team Dynamics
Educator burnout is often framed as an individual issue, leading to a focus on self-care that rarely addresses the root causes. In reality, burnout is shaped by staff culture—through patterns of overfunctioning, unclear expectations, and communication habits that develop over time.

This in-depth session moves beyond surface-level solutions to examine how burnout is created and sustained within school systems. Participants will explore how high-capacity helpers often become the backbone of their teams, unintentionally reinforcing unsustainable workloads and blurred roles.

Through guided reflection, real-world scenarios, and practical application, participants will identify how behavior patterns and team dynamics contribute to burnout in their setting. They will learn strategies to build clearer roles, strengthen communication, and shift team norms toward more sustainable practices.

Attendees will leave with a concrete plan to create a healthier, more effective staff culture—one that supports both adult well-being and student success.

Patti Hoelzle
School Counselor Educator
Western Washington University


Rooted in Resilience: Using the Tree of Life to Foster Hope and Healing
This interactive session introduces the Tree of Life, a narrative-based activity where participants reflect on their lives through the metaphor of a tree—roots, trunk, branches, leaves, and fruits. Participants will explore “storms in life,” including trauma, loss, and adversity, while connecting to ACEs, resilience, and the power of hope. Drawing on the idea that trees are interconnected and support one another, this session emphasizes the importance of relationships in schools. Through guided reflection, participants will consider their hopes for the year, their students and families, and how they want to be seen—as someone who helps others feel heard, valued, and supported.

Sharee Zirker
Elementary School Counselor
Mattawa Elementary, Wahluke School District

Developing an ASCA Aligned Evaluation System for Professional School Counselors
An evaluation system for professional school counselors that is clear, consistent and creates opportunity for growth-focused reflective practice and critical, productive dialogue between school counselors and administrators is possible.

• Walk through the process that Peninsula School District is using to update our evaluation system for Professional School Counselors (and other ESA groups). District Lead Counselor Becky Maffei will share about the journey from research to gathering partner input to rubric development and collective bargaining.
• Learn about the successes and pitfalls that one district has experienced in trying to balance the needs and interests of school counselors, building and district administrators and collective bargaining partners.
• Gain practical tools for a collaborative process which maintains consistency with legal requirements and professional best practices without sacrificing simplicity and effectiveness.

*This presentation is updated from last year, to include further developments, learnings, feedback, and next steps after our first 'pilot' year.

Becky Maffei


Engaging the “Beyond”: Connecting Career and College Exploration Inside and Outside the Classroom
This session explores how elementary school counselors can engage students in imagining their “beyond” by connecting career curiosity with early college awareness through storytelling, direct experience, and hands-on learning. Rather than focusing on admissions or academic requirements, the session will position college and career pathways as tools for exploration, identity development, and possibility.

Participants will engage in an interactive presentation that includes modeling, small-group application, and resource sharing. Attendees will practice hands-on strategies such as creating ongoing visual exposure to post-secondary pathways, mapping academic subjects to careers, and using personal narratives to make college and careers more relatable. The session also highlights ways to incorporate student reflection to support curiosity, self-awareness, and sense of belonging.

Aligned with ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: M 4, M 6, & B-LS7


Kylie Heintzelman
Career Advisor
Eastern Washington University

Jennifer Nehus
Senior Assistant Director of Recruitment
Eastern Washington University


FutureReady: What Proposed Graduation Requirement Changes Mean for School Counselors
Washington’s FutureReady initiative is reimagining high school graduation requirements to better prepare students for life after high school. As the state considers proposed updates, school counselors will play a critical role in helping students navigate multiple ways to prepare for their futures.

This session will provide an overview of the FutureReady process, including how a more inclusive, community-informed approach to policy development—and engagement with students, families, educators, and community partners—has shaped the recommendations. Participants will explore what these updates could mean for their day-to-day work, from advising and graduation planning to supporting student choice, postsecondary readiness, and individualized student planning.

The proposed framework aims to increase flexibility, relevance, and equity, supporting meaningful preparation for all students. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of what’s ahead and how to prepare for potential shifts in their role.

Alissa Muller
Director of Policy
Washington State Board of Education

Arielle Matthews
Associate Director of Policy
Washington State Board of Education


Strengthening Tier 1 SEL in Secondary Schools Through School Counselor–Teacher Collaboration
Secondary educators are increasingly expected to support students’ social-emotional development while balancing academic demands, behavioral concerns, and student mental health needs. This interactive session explores how school counselors can empower secondary classroom teachers to implement Tier 1 social-emotional learning (SEL) supports within a multitiered system of support (MTSS). Participants will examine practical, evidence-informed strategies that promote student belonging, emotional regulation, engagement, and positive school climate without adding overwhelming demands to teachers’ workloads. Emphasis will be placed on collaborative consultation, culturally responsive implementation, and sustainable classroom practices aligned with the ASCA National Model. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use Tier 1 SEL strategies, implementation tools, and collaborative approaches designed to strengthen educator confidence and expand universal student support in secondary school settings.

Cher Edwards
Faculty, School Counseling
Seattle University

Hannah Brinser
Program Director & Lecturer, School Counseling
Gonzaga University

Leading with Data
Using data effectively can help school counselors lead and be effective with their comprehensive program . Learn about how as a school counselor I collect data, analysis, and present to stakeholders. With the data I collect I have been able to identify areas of need and guide our culture committee in setting measurable goals to impact our school climate. See how I can monitor my data using google forms and spreadsheets, and creating a database of data that has been collected over several years.

Megan Ford
Elementary School Counselor
Colfax School District-Jennings Elementary


Making SchooLinks Work for You: A Counselor's Playbook for College & Career Readiness
Washington schools are all moving toward SchooLinks as the statewide college and career platform — but are you getting the most out of it? In this session, a college and career counselor from Moses Lake will share how their district is using SchooLinks to go beyond the basics of the High School & Beyond Plan. Learn how to leverage robust student data to guide college interest exploration and search, build and assign lessons through SchooLinks' Scope & Sequence feature, engage families through Guardian implementation, and track FAFSA completion with confidence. Whether you're just getting started or looking to deepen your practice, walk away with actionable strategies to make SchooLinks a powerful, efficient tool in your counseling program.

Enrique Tarver
School Counselor - College & Career
Moses Lake High School

Patty Holloway
School Counselor
Moses Lake High School


The Power of Students Opportunities
Elevating Students Through Leadership and Field Experiences.
Access to leadership roles and experiential learning, such as field trips, college visits, and career exploration, is not always equitable.

Students from historically marginalized groups, including those in the Migrant Education Program (MEP), multilingual learners, low-income backgrounds, and first-generation college-bound students, often encounter barriers to participation.

In this session, we will highlight how school counselors can design inclusive, student-centered opportunities that ensure all students benefit from leadership development and real-world experiences. Participants will learn how to intentionally expand access while still addressing the unique needs of all students. Attendees will leave with practical strategies, tools, and data-driven approaches to create equitable systems that elevate student voice, increase engagement, and promote postsecondary readiness for every student.

Griselda Guevara-Cruz
Program Supervisor
Migrant Education Program

Lilia Hueso
School Counselor
Moses Lake High School


Using Registration as a Roadmap: Connecting Course Planning, High School & Beyond Plans, and Future Readiness
Ten years ago, Everett High School flipped the switch on the task of Registration.

Course registration is more than scheduling classes; it is one of the most impactful opportunities counselors have to guide students toward meaningful postsecondary goals. This breakout session will explore how school counselors can transform the registration process into a comprehensive planning tool that integrates the High School & Beyond Plan (HSBP), graduation pathways, student voice, career exploration, and future readiness.

Participants will learn practical strategies for using registration conversations to help students connect their interests, strengths, academic goals, and postsecondary aspirations to intentional course selection. The session will also address how counselors can support equitable access to advanced coursework, career pathways, dual credit opportunities, and individualized graduation planning.

Attendees will leave with ready-to-use tools, conversation prompts, planning frameworks, and systems-level ideas to create a more student-centered registration process.

Gretchen Stiger
School Counselor
Everett Public Schools, Everett High School

Beyond the Behavior: A Child Psychiatry Lens on School Refusal, Self-Harm, and Teen Depression
Teen mental health concerns often show up at school as irritability, shutdown, avoidance, school refusal, self-harm, declining grades, or vague statements like “I’m done” long before students clearly say they are depressed or unsafe. This session offers a child psychiatry lens on how to think through these gray-zone presentations without asking school counselors to diagnose. Participants will learn a practical framework for recognizing change from baseline, functional impairment, risk signals, and patterns that may suggest depression, anxiety, trauma-related dysregulation, neurodivergent overwhelm, or higher-acuity safety concerns. Through school-based examples, attendees will practice clearer questions, caregiver communication language, and escalation decision-making for students who are not “acute enough” for emergency care but are clearly not okay. The session emphasizes role-appropriate, non-commercial, immediately usable strategies for supporting students, collaborating with families, and knowing when outside clinical evaluation or crisis protocols are needed.

Kiira Tietjen
Nurse Practitioner
New Chapter Psychiatry


Caring for Students by Caring for Staff and Meeting Their Needs-Strengthening School Culture
Participants will explore strategies to intentionally support and care for staff, recognizing that when teachers feel valued and energized, they are better able to care for students — which in turn helps you and fosters a positive, sustainable school climate. Participants will learn practical ideas to improve staff morale and culture, including fun staff activities throughout the year, creative staff appreciation ideas, and the power of thoughtful notes. The session will also highlight strategies to encourage giving and serving others, creating a cycle of positivity that benefits staff, students, and the entire school community.

Sharee Zirker
Elementary School Counselor
Mattawa Elementary, Wahluke School District


Hope is a Teachable Skill
Hope is more than a feeling, it is a teachable skill. Students that learn the calming moves that work for them create their own path forward out of feelings of frustration, anger, and despair. Learn how to collect meaningful data that reflects student choice with interventions for behavior often caused by trauma, stress, and anxiety. Ultimately, learn ways to help yourself to manage your own stress so you can be better for your students! This session will focus on practical calming moves, learning through play, and data collection for tier 2 and 3 behaviors for PBIS (WA SEL Standards 1 and 2).

Deanna Vega
Founder of Sea Sense Learning, LLC; Special Education Teacher


Setting Boundaries is Not a Threat
School counselors play a vital role in supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional development—but the demands of the role can blur professional boundaries and lead to burnout if not managed intentionally. This breakout session explores practical strategies for establishing, communicating, and maintaining healthy professional boundaries while remaining compassionate and student-centered.

Participants will examine common boundary challenges unique to school counseling, including managing crisis situations, balancing accessibility with personal limits, navigating relationships with staff and families, and handling after-hours communication. Through guided reflection, real-world scenarios, and collaborative discussion, attendees will identify their own obstacles with boundary-setting and develop actionable approaches tailored to their school context.

Lawrena Meach
School Counselor
Pacific Middle School

Beyond Suspensions: Reimagining Behavior Intervention
Reducing behavior incidents and exclusionary discipline is ongoing work—not a finished product. In this session, we’ll honestly share the “messy middle” of strengthening behavior intervention across all tiers of MTSS while still actively learning, refining, and growing. Through practical examples, systems shifts, and real challenges, we’ll explore how our middle school reduced suspensions by over 30% while building more consistent, relationship-centered supports for students. Participants will hear what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons we’re still learning as we work toward more equitable and effective behavior systems. This session is designed for school counselors and educators looking for practical ideas, collaboration, and encouragement in the middle of the work.

Rhiannon Catlett
School Counselor
Central Valley School District

Amber Perry
Assistant Principal
North Pines Middle School


Beyond the Numbers: How HYS Data Helps School Counselors Support LGBTQ+ Students
Discover how to transform data into life-changing support! As more students openly identify as LGBTQ+, school counselors face unique challenges in addressing their behavioral health and systemic hurdles. The Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) eliminates guesswork, delivering concrete insights into student experiences at home and school to fuel impactful, targeted prevention programs.
Join longtime collaborators Page, an LGBTQ+ youth advocate, and Stephen Keck, NWESD Prevention Coordinator, for an inspiring, high-energy session. They will move beyond the raw data to reveal the human stories beneath the numbers. You will walk away with time-tested, practical strategies to improve school climate and boost outcomes for all students.

Page
Founder
Common Goodness Project

Stephen Keck
Prevention Coordinator
Northwest Educational Service District


Motivational Interviewing in Advising: Working With, Not Against, Student Ambivalence
Many students sit on the fence about attending, staying enrolled, or following through. This session introduces MI’s core spirit in plain advising language. Participants experience how a few MI‑aligned techniques in a 10–15 minute meeting can shift the dynamic from “pushing” to collaborating on next steps.

Participants will:
• Understand the MI spirit in educator‑friendly terms
• Identify student language that signals different readiness stages
• Practice open questions and reflections that they can use in their very next student meetings

Hart Thorson
Owner/CEO
Evoking Change Institute


Build Social-Emotional Skills with Board Games
Play is the language of children and when used with intention, board games become powerful tools for building social and emotional skills. This beginner-friendly session demonstrates how classic board games can be adapted for individual and group counseling at the elementary level to support skills like emotion identification, flexible thinking, growth mindset, self-regulation, and perspective-taking. You’ll leave with practical strategies and examples that double as low-cost, high-engagement tools - plus ideas for documenting your work in the “Practice Content” section of ASCA National Model® Lesson and Small Group Plan templates. Get ready to bring SEL to life through play!

Tanya Kirschman
K-5 School Counselor
Billings Public Schools

Beyond Self-Care: From Overwhelmed to Sustainable in Your First 3 Years
The first three years in school counseling are often overwhelming—constant crisis response, unclear expectations, and pressure to take on “just one more thing.” New counselors are frequently encouraged to focus on self-care, but this approach often misses the root causes of burnout.

This session moves beyond self-care to examine the patterns and systems that shape early-career burnout. New school counselors often step into high-capacity helper roles—quickly becoming the go-to person in their building. Without clear boundaries and role clarity, this leads to overfunctioning, role confusion, and unsustainable workloads.

Participants will explore how behavior patterns, communication habits, and staff culture contribute to burnout in the first three years. Through practical strategies and real-world scenarios, both new counselors and the leaders who support them will learn how to build sustainable roles, improve collaboration, and reduce overwhelm—without reducing impact.

Patti Hoelzle
School Counselor Educator
Western Washington University


Building Student Resilience in Real-Time Counseling Interactions
Students today face increasing social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, yet school counselors often have limited time to provide support. This session focuses on practical counseling strategies that can be used in real-time interactions to help students process challenges, shift their thinking, and build resilience.

Participants will learn how to support students in developing self-awareness, reframing difficult situations, and making more constructive choices—even within brief counseling moments. These approaches are particularly effective for students who may be disengaged, overwhelmed, or hesitant to participate in traditional counseling conversations.

Grounded in evidence-based practices, this session emphasizes simple, adaptable techniques that counselors can integrate into their existing work without the need for additional programs or materials. Attendees will leave with immediately applicable strategies to strengthen student engagement, foster meaningful conversations, and support positive social-emotional growth across grade levels.

Christian Moore
Social Worker
WhyTry


Strengthening Tier 1 SEL: Insights from ESD 105
In this interactive workshop, we will share key findings from a research-practice partnership with Educational Service District 105 (ESD 105) and the University of Washington SMART Center. Our project examined how school counseling teams in south central Washington approach Tier 1 SEL. We will highlight common approaches used across secondary schools (e.g., advisory structures, integrated SEL instruction, school climate strategies), including rationale guiding choices across diverse school contexts, and shared challenges. Participants will actively engage in guided reflection and peer discussion to evaluate their own schoolwide Tier 1 SEL approach and consider ways to strengthen efforts in their own settings.

Marianne Kellogg
Graduate Student
Foundry10

Helen Lee
Senior Researcher
Foundry10


Supporting Students Together: A WSAC & A.C. Davis High School Financial Aid Collaboration
Learn how A.C. Davis High School’s Career and College Readiness Specialist strengthened college-going culture and family engagement. This session will highlight student/family engagement strategies, community partnership development, and student success. WSAC will also provide a deep dive into FAFSA completion data and the collaborative efforts behind these gains.

Yaslin Torres-Peña
Program Associate
Washington Student Achievement Council


Sustainable School Counseling: Boundaries, Balance, and Burnout Prevention
School counselors are trained to support others, yet many struggle to protect their own time, emotional energy, and professional boundaries within increasingly demanding school systems. Chronic overextension, role ambiguity, excessive non-counseling duties, compassion fatigue, and expectations for constant availability contribute to rising levels of burnout and counselor attrition. This engaging and research-informed session explores the most common boundary challenges faced by school counselors and offers practical, sustainable strategies for maintaining wellness without sacrificing effectiveness or collaboration. Participants will examine the relationship between boundaries, ethical practice, school climate, and counselor longevity while learning actionable approaches for navigating difficult conversations, protecting counseling time, managing emotional labor, and reducing guilt associated with boundary-setting. Grounded in current research and the realities of contemporary school counseling, this session is designed to help counselors remain effective, connected, and sustainable in the work they care deeply about.

Cher Edwards
Faculty, School Counseling
Seattle University

Mary Amanda Graham
Professor, School Counseling
Seattle University