Tackle Resistance to Change
By Brianna Patterson, Ph.D. | September 2025
Do you meet resistance within your own school counseling department? How can you help the school counselors in your building focus not simply on what we do but how students are better because of what we do?
Qualities a resistant school counselor may display are:
Lack of recognition: Not only do school counselors deserve to be recognized for our hard work, but it also feels good to be recognized. When school counselors go above and beyond without being acknowledged, continuing to work at that level can be difficult because it can feel like your efforts are in vain. Resistant school counselors may feel that if no one notices the extra effort, why go the extra mile?
Lack of knowledge: Staying up-to-date on the latest trends and evidence-based practice in the profession is ideal, but not always easy or possible. School counselors’ assigned duties may leave little time for professional development or even reflection about needs. And professional development isn’t always readily accessible, nor are funds always available in school budgets. Many school counselors must pay out-of-pocket for professional development, including state and national conferences.
Lack of trust: When eager school counselors are frustrated with processes in their schools, I tell them, “Learn the culture before you try to change it.” When a school counselor arrives and immediately tries to change how things are done, it can feel like criticism and cause veteran school counselors to become defensive and resistant. Negative past experiences around change with others may have led to mistrust of collaboration or change, and over-reliance on their own practices.
Lack of self-efficacy: Sometimes school counselors don’t believe they can effect change. They may lack autonomy or not see themselves as a leader with power to make change for the better. Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Lack of efficacy coupled with a fear of failure could be crippling.
Lack of passion: Sometimes the resistance can come from a lack of passion caused by burnout, which research has shown is prevalent within the profession. Reasons for burnout can include high caseloads, lack of resources, non-school-counseling duties, inadequate training and emotional demands of the role. Burnout can make it extremely difficult to be enthusiastic.
Support their goals: Collaboration goes both ways. If you want them to support your innovative ideas, model the behavior you wish to see. This can help build trust and a spirit of collaboration. Also, success inspires success. When they are executing their goals and your school counseling program is better for it, they may be inspired toward bigger goals.
Advocate for their continued learning: If a lack of knowledge is the root of resistance, encourage professional development such as workshops, conferences, books and independent learning. If you attend professional development your resistant colleagues can’t or won’t attend, bring back detailed notes and make a point of discussing what you learned and how it might be implemented to improve your program. Invite your resistant colleagues to do the same.
Stay curious: Approach interactions with your colleagues with an open mind. Spend the time to find out the “why” for their current practices and processes – they may feel more understood/supported and be more responsive to change because they understand that you have shared goals.
Lead the charge: Sometimes people truly have to see it to believe it. Don’t be afraid to lead the charge for change and collect data along the way. Like any other advocacy, we can use data as a tool for change. This was the No. 1 strategy shared by veteran school counselors for working with resistance. While collaboration and getting everyone on board is ideal, don’t let resistance from others stop you from improving your own practice to best serve students. Be sure to collect data and share data to encourage buy-in.
Use a strengths-based approach: Everyone has strengths, even school counselors who are resistant to change. Take the time to learn their strengths and then leverage those to promote their self-efficacy. This can make them feel seen and valued – and empower them to try new things.
Get administrator buy-in: Because administrators evaluate our work, we tend to value what they value. If you can show administration why what you’re doing is important, it can help get others on board. The more people working toward a common goal, the easier that goal will be to reach. Everyone benefits from administrator buy-in, not just resistant school counselors.
These strategies may take time, but every major change starts with one step in a new direction. Small changes over time add up. Be sure to take care of yourself while engaging in this advocacy; pull back when necessary to avoid burnout.
Getting to the root of the resistance is key. Once you do, you can implement various strategies to get them on board. It may take time and effort, but our students are worth it.
Brianna Patterson, Ph.D., is a school counselor in Jacksonville, Fla. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of North Florida. She can be reached at gainerbrianna@yahoo.com.
Qualities a resistant school counselor may display are:
- Works in reactive mode
- Provides service to some
- Measures impact via feelings and perceptions
- Works in isolation
- Has an ancillary role to school improvement process
Reasons for Resistance
Lack of support: School counselors may be resistant to change because they are discouraged by a previous lack of support or buy-in from leadership and other education partners. It may be easier to leave things the way they are and focus on what the leadership will support.Lack of recognition: Not only do school counselors deserve to be recognized for our hard work, but it also feels good to be recognized. When school counselors go above and beyond without being acknowledged, continuing to work at that level can be difficult because it can feel like your efforts are in vain. Resistant school counselors may feel that if no one notices the extra effort, why go the extra mile?
Lack of knowledge: Staying up-to-date on the latest trends and evidence-based practice in the profession is ideal, but not always easy or possible. School counselors’ assigned duties may leave little time for professional development or even reflection about needs. And professional development isn’t always readily accessible, nor are funds always available in school budgets. Many school counselors must pay out-of-pocket for professional development, including state and national conferences.
Lack of trust: When eager school counselors are frustrated with processes in their schools, I tell them, “Learn the culture before you try to change it.” When a school counselor arrives and immediately tries to change how things are done, it can feel like criticism and cause veteran school counselors to become defensive and resistant. Negative past experiences around change with others may have led to mistrust of collaboration or change, and over-reliance on their own practices.
Lack of self-efficacy: Sometimes school counselors don’t believe they can effect change. They may lack autonomy or not see themselves as a leader with power to make change for the better. Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Lack of efficacy coupled with a fear of failure could be crippling.
Lack of passion: Sometimes the resistance can come from a lack of passion caused by burnout, which research has shown is prevalent within the profession. Reasons for burnout can include high caseloads, lack of resources, non-school-counseling duties, inadequate training and emotional demands of the role. Burnout can make it extremely difficult to be enthusiastic.
Collaboration
However, mindsets aren’t set in stone. We often encourage growth mindsets in our students; the same can be applied to resistant school counselors. Once we identify one or more reasons for our colleagues’ resistance, we can determine appropriate strategies to get them on board.Support their goals: Collaboration goes both ways. If you want them to support your innovative ideas, model the behavior you wish to see. This can help build trust and a spirit of collaboration. Also, success inspires success. When they are executing their goals and your school counseling program is better for it, they may be inspired toward bigger goals.
Advocate for their continued learning: If a lack of knowledge is the root of resistance, encourage professional development such as workshops, conferences, books and independent learning. If you attend professional development your resistant colleagues can’t or won’t attend, bring back detailed notes and make a point of discussing what you learned and how it might be implemented to improve your program. Invite your resistant colleagues to do the same.
Stay curious: Approach interactions with your colleagues with an open mind. Spend the time to find out the “why” for their current practices and processes – they may feel more understood/supported and be more responsive to change because they understand that you have shared goals.
Lead the charge: Sometimes people truly have to see it to believe it. Don’t be afraid to lead the charge for change and collect data along the way. Like any other advocacy, we can use data as a tool for change. This was the No. 1 strategy shared by veteran school counselors for working with resistance. While collaboration and getting everyone on board is ideal, don’t let resistance from others stop you from improving your own practice to best serve students. Be sure to collect data and share data to encourage buy-in.
Use a strengths-based approach: Everyone has strengths, even school counselors who are resistant to change. Take the time to learn their strengths and then leverage those to promote their self-efficacy. This can make them feel seen and valued – and empower them to try new things.
Get administrator buy-in: Because administrators evaluate our work, we tend to value what they value. If you can show administration why what you’re doing is important, it can help get others on board. The more people working toward a common goal, the easier that goal will be to reach. Everyone benefits from administrator buy-in, not just resistant school counselors.
These strategies may take time, but every major change starts with one step in a new direction. Small changes over time add up. Be sure to take care of yourself while engaging in this advocacy; pull back when necessary to avoid burnout.
Getting to the root of the resistance is key. Once you do, you can implement various strategies to get them on board. It may take time and effort, but our students are worth it.
Brianna Patterson, Ph.D., is a school counselor in Jacksonville, Fla. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of North Florida. She can be reached at gainerbrianna@yahoo.com.