The School Counselor and Group Counseling

(Adopted 1989; revised 1993, 2002, 2008; reviewed 1999, 2008, 2014, 2020, 2026)

ASCA Position

Group counseling is a vital direct service to students and an essential part of a school counseling program. Group counseling has a positive effect on academic, career and social/emotional development when delivered using evidence-based practices and should be supported by school administration to ensure groups can be facilitated effectively and students are readily able to access group services. 

The Rationale

Group counseling involves a number of students working on shared tasks to develop knowledge, skills and supportive relationships in a group setting. It has been shown to be efficient and effective in improving academic outcomes (Kayler & Sherman, 2018; Berger, 2018; Steen et al., 2018), social/emotional competence, belonging and positive mental health development (Durlak et al., 2011; CDC, 2021). The group counseling process can help reduce social isolation, improve emotional regulation, increase positive peer relations and foster a sense of belonging (Howard & Pedroz, 2025). Group work in schools is an integral component of the ASCA National Model®(Erford, 2019; ASCA, 2025; Howard & Pedroz, 2025). 

The School Counselor's Role

School counselors provide evidence-based small-group counseling services in schools to support students’ life-readiness and academic success. Group counseling should be accessible to all students in a pre-K–12 setting, and data should be used to determine group topics and outcomes of group participation (ASCA, 2022). Ongoing professional development helps school counselors stay up to date on best practices for small-group counseling in schools (ASCA, 2026; Florida Atlantic University, 2025).
 
School counselors provide counseling sessions in small-group settings that: 
  • Help students overcome issues impeding achievement or success 
  • Help students identify problems, causes, alternatives and possible consequences so they can make decisions and take appropriate action 
  • Are planned, goal-focused, evidence-based and short-term in nature  
School counselors have a responsibility to screen potential group members and obtain informed consent. Informed consent should include the group’s purpose and goals, limits to confidentiality and information regarding voluntary participation. Best practices include informing parents/guardians of student participation in and the purpose of the small group and student agreement to participate, following school and district policy (ASCA, 2022). When students require long-term counseling or services requiring family therapy, school counselors make referrals to appropriate community resources (ASCA, 2025) and maintain collaborative relationships with providers to align service coordination.

Summary

Group counseling is an efficient and effective way to meet students’ academic, career and social/emotional needs. Group counseling is an integral part of a school counseling program and should be supported by school administrators and school districts. Group counseling has a positive effect on student academic achievement, postsecondary and life readiness, social/emotional development and positive mental health development.

References

American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success
 
American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
 
American School Counselor Association. (2025). ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs (5th ed.)
 
Berger, C. (2018). Bringing out the brilliance: A counseling intervention for underachieving students. Professional School Counseling, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0001700102
 
Bore, S., Armstrong, S., & Womack, A. (2014). School counselors’ experiential training in group work. Group Counseling. http://jsc.montana.edu/articles/v8n26.pdf
 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). School connectedness: Strategies for increasing protective factors among youth. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/school_connectedness.htm
 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). School connectedness and risk behaviors and experiences among high school students – Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021. MMWR Supplements, 72(1), 13–21. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7201a2
 
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x
 
Erford, B. T. (2019a). Transforming the school counseling profession (5th ed.). Pearson.
 
Erford, B. T. (2019b). Group work: Process and application (2nd ed.). Pearson.
 
Florida Atlantic University. (2025, November 14). FAU study: Small group counseling helps children thrive at school. FAU News Desk. https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/school-counseling-children.php
 
Howard, L., & Pedroz, E. (2025, July/August). Virtual small groups. ASCA School Counselor.
 
Kayler, H., & Sherman, J. (2009). At-risk ninth-grade students: A psychoeducational group approach to increase study skills and grade point averages. Professional School Counseling, 12(6). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0901200608
 
Masia Warner, C., Colognori, D., Brice, C., Herzig, K., Mufson, L., Lynch, C., … & Klein, R. G. (2016). Can school counselors deliver cognitive behavioral treatment for social anxiety effectively? A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 57(11), 1229–1238.
 
Steen, S., Liu, X., Shi, Q., Rose, J., & Merino, G. (2018). Promoting school adjustment for English-language learners through group work. Professional School Counseling, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X18777096

Tompkins, E. (2026). Making Small Groups Work. American School Counselor Association.