As the school year draws to a close, I like to check in with my “frequent flyer” students who I’ve worked with since August. Although we aren’t exactly terminating as one would in private practice, we will be taking a break from counseling services {and who knows, maybe they won’t need to see me at all next year!}. Because of this, I make sure I have a short end of year check in session with each of these students to see how things are going, address any current problems, and talk about how they are spending their time over summer vacation.

To start this process, I look at my individual counseling log, and I make a list of every student I saw 3 or more times during the school year. Let me tell you, this list was LONG.

After I’ve made my list, I start checking in with students 2 weeks before the end of school {mostly because it takes me about that long to see all of those students}. Sometimes our sessions are very short and happy — particularly with kids I worked with more so at the beginning of school — and sometimes it gives students one more opportunity to talk about something that is weighing on them presently. I also take this time to affirm students and the progress they have made during the school year.

Even though it takes a while for me to get through my list of students, I really enjoy these check in sessions. I think a major perk of counseling in a school setting is that you get to see how your clients are doing even after you’ve stopped working with them, so it’s great to take advantage of that opportunity while offering future support. I also love being able to connect with students one more time before school lets out. Next up….summer break!

{Check out how I use my time over the summer to get work done}