A first-of-its-kind school counselor experience for counselors who want depth, not crowds or cutesy nonsense.
Columbus, Ohio | July 17-18
Limited to 60 school counselors
This isn’t a conference.
It’s not a sit-and-get.
And it’s definitely not another one-size-fits-all PD day.
This Summer Meetup is a first-of-its-kind school counselor experience, carefully designed and facilitated for counselors who want more than another vanilla agenda.
For a day and a half, you’ll be in a room with some of the best school counselors in the country who want to start the year clear-headed and confident about how they’re actually going to do the job.
We won’t be talking ideals or theoretical baloney that doesn’t work in the real world.
We’ll work on what works for real school counselors, in real schools, with real constraints.
This isn’t a conference built around a grab bag of random workshops led by people you’ve never met.
The work has been intentionally designed- because depth requires structure.
Over a day and a half, we’ll focus on the things that actually determine whether a school counselor walks back into the school year prepared—or ends up with a nervous system in overdrive by the third day of school.
Not trends.
Not the same tired strategies.
Not sales pitches disguised as training.
We’ll spend time on:
how the job really works in real schools
what happens when the emotional weight starts to bog you down
and how to stay human, effective, and intact when the job keeps asking for “just one more thing”
This experience is built for counselors who already know the basics and don’t need another intro-level session before August hits.
No gimmicks.
No “freebies.”
No strangers reading slides.
Forget the Barbie-Dreamhouse version of school counseling everyone else is peddling. If it worked, we’d all be “comprehensive” by now. We’ll focus on what the research says actually works in real schools, under real conditions- without pretending the job is something it isn’t.
Being a helper doesn’t mean you’re supposed to stay stuck in everyone else’s mess.
This part of the experience digs into what actually happens when school counselors absorb crisis after crisis, story after story, year after year—and can’t quite climb back out. You’ll look closely at vicarious trauma, how it shows up in your thinking, your body, and your relationships, and why powering through isn’t a solution.
School counselors don’t stop being human just because the job is serious.
This part of the experience is a guided reconnection back to yourself—not as a role, a function, or a service provider, but as a whole person. Through intentional, experiential work, you’ll reconnect with the parts of you that make you a phenomenal school counselor and a partner, friend, or parent.
Not to “find yourself.”
Not to fix anything.
But to remember who you are underneath the constant responding, holding, and managing—so the work doesn’t slowly crowd out the rest of your life.
Spots are limited.
And because we’re not all work and no play...
After-hours in Columbus will absolutely be a thing.
Real food, real humans, and Mastermind energy, no mute button required.
These experiences are completely optional and included at no additional registration cost.
This experience is hosted by Steph Johnson, LPC, full-time school counselor and founder of School for School Counselors.
For nearly 30 years, Steph has worked inside public schools- serving students, supporting staff, and navigating the same challenges school counselors face every day.
She’s also mentored and advised thousands of school counselors across the country through her trainings, podcast, keynotes, and professional community.
It was created because too many school counselors are expected to follow someone else’s idea of what they need- often without anyone asking what would actually help them do the job well.
Rather than delivering static content, Steph facilitates the room- helping school counselors surface the right conversations, make clearer decisions, and leave with direction that fits their real campus and real role.
This meetup is intentionally small.
There are only 60 seats total.
No waitlist. No overflow. (No exceptions.)
The limited number of seats is by design.
The size is what allows the experience to stay personal, responsive, and genuinely useful.
If you’re looking for something ASCA-approved and cutesy, this isn’t it.
If you’re ready for a smart, honest, counselor-to-counselor experience that meets you where you are and helps you step into the school year with clarity and confidence, you’ll be in the right room.
Registration will be offered in phases to reward those who commit early.
As seats fill, pricing increases.
Once the initial registration window closes- or once early seats are filled- pricing moves to the next tier.
And because this experience is capped at 60 counselors, early pricing is limited and will not be extended.
This meetup is designed for experienced school counselors who already know the basics and want something deeper than conference-style PD.
If you’re looking for worksheets, scripts, or plug-and-play programs, this won’t be the right fit.
No. There are no vendor booths, no rotating breakout sessions, and no strangers reading slides. This is a small, intentionally designed experience focused on real work, real conversations, and real decision-making.
Yes. PD documentation will be provided. That said, this experience is built for counselors who care more about the quality of the work than the number of hours on a certificate.
This experience is designed with Mastermind members in mind, and many attendees will already be part of that community. That said, you don’t need to be a member to attend- just aligned with the level and intent of the work.
You can expect a mix of structured discussion, guided experiential work, and time to think, reflect, and plan—without being rushed from session to session. This isn’t passive listening; it’s active engagement.
No. This work is designed to happen in the room. The conversations, reflection, and depth don’t translate to a replay- and that’s intentional.
Because this kind of work doesn’t happen in a packed ballroom. Limiting the room protects the quality of the conversation and the experience for everyone attending.
That’s okay. This experience isn’t meant for everyone, and it doesn’t need to be.
But if you’ve been nodding along as you read this page, you’re likely exactly who it was designed for.
Yes! This experience is facilitated by me from start to finish, and the small size of the room allows for real access- not just listening from a seat. You’ll have opportunities for direct conversation, questions, and consultation throughout the day and a half.
If you’ve been in my world for a while, this will feel familiar: the same depth, clarity, and real-time thinking you’re used to... Just in the room, together.
I’m not coming in to deliver a talk and disappear. I’ll be right there, working alongside you, drawing from decades in the field and years of doing this work in real schools.
No. This experience is intentionally in-person. The work we’re doing relies on conversation, reflection, and being fully present in the room- things that don’t translate to a screen. If you’re looking for virtual training, the podcast and Mastermind are better fits.
Because this is a small, in-person experience with limited seating, all registrations are non-refundable. Once you reserve your spot, that seat is held specifically for you.
If something unexpected comes up, you may transfer your ticket to another school counselor with prior approval, or apply your registration toward a future School for School Counselors event if one is available. We’ll always do our best to be reasonable—but we can’t offer refunds.
This policy allows us to keep the room small and the experience thoughtfully planned for everyone attending.
Spots are limited.
Symposium Organizer
"Your sessions are engaging, practical, and inspiring. It is no surprise that everyone was eager and excited to have you back."
District Counseling Director
"One of my counselors attended every one of your sessions yesterday and raved about you on the way home."
Mastermind Member
"I feel like I could just sit down with you and chat over a cup of coffee. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to your wisdom, insight and humor."
"I shared your podcast with the interns I had this year and told them, 'If I had one piece of advice, this would be it- everything she says."