Transition Out of School Counseling Services – What’s That Look Like?

Help students transition from individual, small-group and grade-level counseling. Plus to snag your FREE transition/graduation certificates… keep reading!

Raise your hand if you loooooooove transition activities!

Now, I’m not technically speaking about life transitions (like getting a sibling or navigating divorce), although you might apply some of this to those situations as well. Today, I’m talking about transitioning in and out of counseling services and academically going from one place to another.

This can look different in every building and with every counselor. However, transitions are an important part of counseling. It allows the student to close one chapter and open another one (not entirely close off… but you get the idea). When guided through a transitioning phase, students learn pieces of what’s to come and are able to grasp the concept of moving forward.

This is why transition lessons and phases are so important. Students need your guidance and reassurance instead of just being cut off. Keep reading to find out three ways to handle transitions…

1: Individual Transitions

So, a student has been coming to see you for counseling individually and now it’s time to start transitioning them out of counseling…. oh no! What do you do now?

There are several things you can do to start the transition phase. You can assess how many transition sessions the student needs. Some students may just need one, where others may need a few. Explain to the student that it’s time to start transitioning out of counseling. I like to say “Now that you’ve learned ____ and have been able to ____, it’s time to spend less time in here and more time practicing out there.” The kids usually take this as a challenge or special assignment. Then we talk about how if there are any bumps along the way and something doesn’t go like we practiced. Then, they can come back to my office and we can work through what’s going on.

Students are usually really excited to be in this phase of counseling! So, make it fun and review what they’ve learned through transition activities, games and discussions.

2: Small-Group Transitions

During small groups, I always like laying out the plan for the students in the beginning by telling them how many sessions we will have. Explaining to them that if I see the group needs more time, I will extend the sessions for a couple more lessons.

When it get to about two sessions from the end, I like to incorporate transition group activities where the group is getting closure and the students are able to express what they’ve learned from each other.

One activity that goes perfectly with this idea is to have a large piece of bulletin board paper on the table with markers laid out. Have each student gather around the table and trace one of their hands. Then, they write their name above their hand and draw a small picture inside to represent themselves or something they learned in group. Once that’s finished, the students can circle around the table drawing small pictures in each others hands to represent what they’ve learned about their new friend.

3: Grade-Level Transitions

Each year I go through grade-level transitions with each grade… not just students going to Middle School. Students in each grade feel more comfortable about moving forward. They begin to know some of the things to expect when they return to school the next fall.

I like to introduce the teachers and go over some “must-know” facts about that grade. I also like to show them some highlights of topics they may work on. Students, teachers and parents seem to love this. It puts the child at ease a little more and helps them prepare for what’s to come.

Transition Freebie

Grab this freebie to give to students as a celebration of all the hard work they’ve put into counseling! There are certificates for individual, small-group and classroom (for end of year). There are also variations for school counselors, social workers and psychologists!